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Chapter no 5

Do You Remember?

Graham disappears into the living room to open the door and greet Camila. I stay behind, pushing the eggs around my plate. They donโ€™t taste much better than the overcooked bacon, but at least theyโ€™re edible. Barely.

Ziggy has gone to the back door, and heโ€™s yapping at it, eager to go outside. I wonder if I could take him out into the backyard. I assume the backyard must be fenced in. Iโ€™d love to sit outside with him while he plays. It will be nice to get some fresh air.

But then when I go to the back door and try to open the lock, I realize thereโ€™s a problem. You canโ€™t simply turn the lock to open the door. Thereโ€™s a keyhole.

The back door requires a key to open it from the inside. A sick feeling washes over me as I jiggle the door knob,

wondering if this is some kind of mistake. Iโ€™m not locked inside here, am I? Why would the door lock this way? Whatโ€™s going on?

โ€œTess?โ€

I whirl around, my heart pounding. Graham is standing in the kitchen, and next to him is a woman in her mid- twenties. The woman is gorgeous. She has black hair pulled into a stylishly messy bun behind her head, falling in sexy tendrils around her face, a perfectly pert nose, and plump lips. She doesnโ€™t have one scrap of makeup on her flawless light brown skin. She blinks her big brown eyes at me, probably having witnessed my struggle with the back door.

โ€œHello, Tess.โ€ The womanโ€™s voice is gentle and has a bit of a rasp to it, like the voice of someone far older than her twenty-something years. โ€œIโ€™m Camila.โ€

Considering her number is programmed into my phone, I suspect I have met this woman dozens if not hundreds of

times before. Itโ€™s embarrassing that she has to introduce herself to me. It wasnโ€™t quite as bad when it was just me and Graham, but Iโ€™m starting to feel like a mental patient.

โ€œHi,โ€ I say. โ€œUm. Sorry to be rude butโ€ฆ who are you?โ€ โ€œCamila keeps the house clean for us,โ€ Graham says.

Soโ€ฆ she is the cleaning woman? That doesnโ€™t seem quite right. First of all, why would I have her number programmed into my phone? Also, how come she doesnโ€™t have any cleaning supplies?

โ€œAlso,โ€ he adds, โ€œif you want to go anywhere during the day, Camila will help you get there. Sheโ€™ll keep you company. And drive you wherever you want to go.โ€

I look over at the beautiful Camila, who is staring intently back at me. โ€œI can handle driving,โ€ I say.

Graham and Camila exchange looks. โ€œI donโ€™t think thatโ€™s a good idea, Tess,โ€ he says.

I fold my arms across my chest. โ€œWhy not? Iโ€™m an excellent driver. And I know this neighborhood. Why canโ€™t I drive?โ€

Grahamโ€™s eyes evade mine. โ€œYou have seizures from your head injury. Legally, you canโ€™t drive.โ€

Graham is looking away, but Camila is looking straight at me, her gaze unwavering. She doesnโ€™t seem even the slightest bit uncomfortable about this conversation. โ€œIโ€™ll take you wherever you want to go, Tess,โ€ she says. This time I notice a trace of an accent in her raspy voice.

I stare straight back at her, trying to get her to look away or at least blink. But if this is a blinking contest, she is clearly the master.

โ€œThe back door is locked from the inside,โ€ I say. โ€œWhereโ€™s the key?โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve got a key,โ€ Camila says.

A lump forms in my throat. โ€œWhere isย myย key?โ€

โ€œListen, Tess.โ€ Graham comes around the side of the kitchen island to stand closer to me. โ€œLike I said, if you want to go anywhere, just let us know.โ€

My pulse starts to jump. The letter I wrote to myself said to relax and trust my husband, but I donโ€™t like any of this. This woman is not here to cleanโ€”she clearly has been hired to watch me all day. Iโ€™m a prisoner in my own home and sheโ€™s my warden. Thereโ€™s something off about this entire situation.

โ€œThis is for your own safety, Tess.โ€ Camilaโ€™s voice has softened. โ€œI know it seems weird, but you and I are friends. Weโ€™re going to have a good day together. I promise you.โ€

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.ย Just remember that the people around you care about you very much and only want you to be safe. Do what they say.

Those were my own words. In my own handwriting. My wisdom to myself.

โ€œOkay,โ€ I say softly.

โ€œThatโ€™s my girl.โ€ Graham grins at me. God, he is very handsome. I can see how I fell for him, even if heโ€™s not my type. Especially after he saved my life. โ€œAnyway, Iโ€™ve got to get to work. But Iโ€™m going to leave you in Camilaโ€™s capable hands.โ€ He winks at me. โ€œSo be goodโ€”both of you.โ€

He stands there for a moment as he pushes his glasses up his nose. Heโ€™s about to leave for work, and I realize this is the sort of moment when a normal wife who hadย notย forgotten most of the last decade of her life might give her husband a peck on the lips. But I donโ€™t know this guy. Am I really supposed toย kissย him?

It feels like it should all come back to me. In the same way I knew exactly what to do with my phone, even though I didnโ€™t remember having owned one. Or the way I looked down at Ziggy and instantly loved him. But when I look at Graham, he still seems like a stranger.

I can see in his eyes that he knows what Iโ€™m thinking. โ€œItโ€™s okay,โ€ he mumbles. โ€œIโ€™ll see you later, Tess. All right?โ€

I bite down on my lower lip. โ€œOkay.โ€

He offers me a tiny smile. Heโ€™s disappointed, but heโ€™s trying not to let on. I might not know this guy, but heโ€™s been

so nice to me today. He comforted me when I was freaking out in the bathroom. He made me breakfast, even though it was very slightly charred black. Heโ€™s been patiently answering my stupid questions all morning. Maybe I still canโ€™t remember him, but I can tell my letter was correct: heโ€™s a good man.

So as he turns to leave the kitchen, I reach out and grab his arm. He looks back at me, blinking in surprise. And before I can overthink it, I lean forward and brush my lips against his.

I meant it just to be a quick peck, but Graham holds me there for an extra beat. When our lips part, that tiny smile is broadening across his lips. He looks the happiest Iโ€™ve seen him since I woke him up by screaming my ex-boyfriendโ€™s name.

โ€œHave a good day at work,โ€ I murmur. โ€œAnd thanks for taking care of my company.โ€

He envelopes my hand in his larger one and gives it a squeeze. โ€œAnything for you, Tess.โ€

It isnโ€™t until Graham has left the kitchen that I realize Camila has been glaring at us the whole time.

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