Topsy-Turvy 1.1

[J]

Logan sighed, her questions had a billion answers. I just want you to remember me. “Yesterday you tried to hit me. I wasn’t going to do anything to you. I’m just used to being able to be close to you.” He looked away, he felt ridiculous spilling his guts to someone who didn’t even care. “Look, I know you don’t trust me but you’re being released today and we...” There was no way she was going to want to go home with him. “We live together.” Before she could respond he quickly added, “Not romantically. We have separate bedrooms.” Not like you ever sleep in yours...

[Free]

Not romantically, huh? Then why are you always trying to touch me?

“But I don’t know you…” she trailed off. He didn’t seem to be getting it. Maybe this was a bad idea. “Did someone give you my stuff? Like from my pockets…purse?” She half hoped that someone had, half hoped they hadn’t. Of course, even if they had, he might not tell her. Credit cards with unlimited credit lines were valuable and American Express Crystal Cards were rare. Desiree proudly owed one of only a few hundred in existent. You couldn’t apply for this card. You had to be invited.

“Yes.”

“Can I have them?”

After a pause and a sigh, he said, “Sure.” He pulls a small purse out of a pocket in his jacket, along with a phone she didn’t recognize and handed them to her. She pulled the strap of the purse over her shoulder and stared at the phone. It only had one button. How do you make calls?

She touched the button and the screen lit up, inviting her to “slide to unlock.” Slide what? There aren’t anymore buttons! The screen went dark again. Ugh. She stared at it for a moment. Maybe it was like the remote in her bedroom. She pressed the button again and ran a finger along the little track. The screen turned black for a moment and then requested a passcode. Four digits, huh? She touched the screen to enter the passcode she used for the ATM. It worked. Now what?

After a lot of scanning, she found a green “button” at the bottom of the screen labeled “phone” so she touched it. A list of her contacts popped up along with her telephone number. It wasn’t a number she recognized. It was followed by a six contacts, all with the last name “A.” Only six contacts? At the bottom of screen were five options. She selected “Favorites” and at the top of that list, was Logan.

There was also Brooklyn, Westley, James, Alex…. Where’s Momma, Da and Ace? Why aren’t they on this list? On the bright side, there was one name she did recognize: Danny. At last! SOMEONE!

“So are you ready to go home?” Logan asked. He was staring again!

“Look, I told you, I’m going home to my family.” An awkward silence lingered.

“Let’s see how well that works out. Like I’ve been trying to tell you¬–”

“Hey guys!” a cheery voice called from down the hall.

Desiree looked up. Brooklyn.

“Good morning!”

“Uh…good morning.” Desiree said, trying to smile.

“You look like you guys are getting along.”

Was that sarcasm? Finally, humor. Something not serious. “Oh yeah,” she said, smiling a little bit for real.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Brooklyn asked, glancing at Logan, almost like she was asking for permission.

“That seems to be a theme this morning.”

“I like to fit in,” Brooklyn said with a laugh. From her wardrobe, Desiree thought maybe not. She didn’t recognize the designer, but Brooklyn sure looked cute.

Desiree followed Brooklyn back into her old hospital room. Brooklyn nudged Logan on her way past him. What’s that about?

Brooklyn closed the door behind them. “So I’m sure Logan’s probably told you by now that you guys live together.”

“I told him that–”

“I know it all seems like a lot to take in right now. All these strangers walking up to you like they know you, all wanting hugs and to share in “good times.” And you have no idea what they’re talking about. I had this Aunt who used to make up stories, thinking they’d really happened. We all thought that she was crazy. She used to say things like, “Last week, don’t you remember? You and I, Sweetie, we took a road trip down to San Carlos.” And I’d stand there, bouncing up and down on my feet trying to convince her that we didn’t. And you know what? It didn’t help because she was so sure that that’s where we’d gone.

I think your situation is a lot like that. Everyone around you is saying, “Oh, remember that one time, at band camp?” And you’re sitting there thinking “I’ve never been to band camp…” Well, I just wanted to let you know that I totally get it.”

“Really? You’ve lost your memory and had a bunch of strangers bugging you about it ever since? YOU REALLY KNOW HOW THE F* THAT FEELS?!”

Brooklyn pressed her lips into a thin line. “Look, I know you’re upset right now, but I’m not going to help you if you’re gonna be like that.”

Desiree was quiet.

“Now, I’m gonna go out there and talk to Logan about you staying somewhere else. Is there anywhere you can think of where you’d feel comfortable?”

“Home.”

Brooklyn winced. Not exactly what she was hoping for. She sighed. “Okay, there’s no good way to put this. You live here. Not where you think you do, but here, in this city. Your dad’s house is about an hour and a half from here. But it won’t be the one you remember. You live here because you’re going to college to get a degree in business and fashion.”

“I’m not going to some acting school in LA or New York?” That’d been her dream in middle school and high school. That was part of what made her such a good liar.

“Sorry.”

“I’m not staying with that guy!”

Brooklyn winced again. Poor Logan! “No one is going to make you. For that matter, no one can. You’re an adult.”

Desiree couldn’t help laughing. Yeah.

“So do you want me to show you were you live now?” Brooklyn asked, looking hopeful.

Desiree sighed. “I guess.”

Logan, who had been pressed against the door, stumbled a little when they opened it.

“So did you manage to convince her that we live together? That she needs to come home with me?” he asked in an annoyed tone.

Brooklyn glanced at Desiree just in time to see her glare at something just above Logan’s shoulder.

“Um, no. I’m taking her to see her dad’s house.”

Logan frowned. "That's kind of far away."

"I didn't ask you to come with us."

"But there won't be any memories at her dad's house. We never spent any time there. What she needs is..." Logan paused. "She spend way more time at my house."

"You've dealt with this before?" Brooklyn asked.

"I'm right here, Dammit!" Desiree interjected.

Brooklyn looked at her. "Sorry...I didn't mean... I think that it might be a good idea to surround yourself with your usual things. I think the doctor said that might help you remember. You know, perfumes, sights, things like that."

The most powerful sense tied to memory is smell. All that from a commercial. Still...the doctor did say that might help. Desiree sighed. "Fine. We can visit your house."

Brooklyn's car was small, old, beat-up, black and had a weird smell like some kind of air freshener gone wrong. I crystal hung from the review mirror. It was small, but it sent rainbows dancing around the car. Desiree rode shotgun and Logan, much to his annoyance, squished himself into her tiny backseat.

"I can't believe you're making me ride back here. Of any of us, I have the longest legs. And you know that Dez only-" He stopped, mid-sentence.

"If you don't settle down back there, I'm going to pull this car over." Brooklyn mock-squinted at Logan in the backseat. "You really don't want me to pull this car over. There was only a brief moment of silence following that comment.

"So I'm working on this new design. I've been kind of thinking about trying to do something a little more out there...maybe call this collection well...never mind. It's just gonna be different, that's all."

Brooklyn talked ALL THE WAY to Logan's house. Brooklyn apparently had a sensor for the gate surround the property. It opened for her. She must come here a lot. The house was smaller than her father's house, but it didn't look too bad. It looked like it could easily have 15 bedrooms, not including the master suite. Not bad.

Logan and Brooklyn were looking at her as she climbed out of the car. I feel like an expedient or something. What will she do next? Will she remember this? How about that? She stood outside the door until someone opened it. She had been taught not to let herself into other people's homes and there was usually someone there to open it for her anyway.

[J]

Logan reluctantly climbed into the backseat of Brooklyn’s tiny death car. He didn’t trust this car for a second. "I can't believe you're making me ride back here. Of any of us, I have the longest legs. And you know that Dez only-" He stopped, Desiree obviously didn’t care that Brooklyn was driving. This girl had no fear of cars crashing or irresponsible drivers. He felt hurt by this sudden trust in others to drive her anywhere. She only ever trusted him or Isaac. Once upon a time, she had even trusted Leo driving but that was a long time ago. "You really don't want me to pull this car over.” Brooklyn said and he silenced himself. He was the only one that had a problem with this. Desiree seemed fine. Brooklyn babbled the entire way to the house he shared with Desiree. part of him wanted to strangle her, but another part of him was glad she was filling the car with noise. He had no idea how to make small talk with Desiree, it was so insane. He could always talk to Desiree about anything, now she couldn’t even look at him.

LOgan climbed out of the car and started towards the house as Myriah opened the front door for them. “So this is our house.” Logan stated not bothering to look back at Desiree. He couldn’t bear to watch what he could only assume would be a look of indifference on her face as she stared up at their home. Everything about her felt so completely foreign, if only he could shake her and bring her memory crashing back. Saying this was “their” house almost felt like a lie. This wasn’t the Desiree he had bought the house with. This Desiree had no idea they had argued over the blue and red paint on the walls. She had no idea how long it had taken him to convince her that a huge wall should be a waterfall covering one side of the living room, complete with a pool below. Or how terrified he had been at her idea of having a huge room filled with water with a center pedestal large enough for a queen sized bed. He could only imagine waking up to go to the bathroom and falling off the edge and into the water. In the end they had compromised by using both ideas; the bed/pool room had yet to be slept in but it looked pretty neat. “I guess, I’ll give you the grand tour.” He said leading both girls inside. Come on Dez, come back to me.

Logan lead the way through the house with Brooklyn and Desiree following behind him. He found himself about to speak, then hesitating and deciding against it. How did you give someone a tour of their own home? With each passing room he itched to glance back at her and see she had recovered a memory. Brooklyn chatted while they walked but she avoided getting too personal, and for that he was grateful. He was close with Brooklyn but she didn’t know Desiree the way he did. No one knew Desiree the way he did. Brooklyn had arrived after his mom’s death; a tragic event that changed both him and Desiree permanently.

“This is your room.” Logan said, feeling stupid. Everything he said to her felt awkward and strained. She had to notice, although if he guessed correctly, she didn’t care. He stole a look in her direction, her blank face revealed nothing. She didn’t remember this room.

Desiree remained silent, Brooklyn shifted from one foot to the other and Logan sighed loudly. “Okay, let’s go see my room.” He hadn’t been home since before the accident. His room would be clean and orderly if the maids wanted to keep their jobs. The two of them spent most of their nights together in his bedroom, maybe it would help to jog her memory a little.

“No.” Desiree said, finally speaking directly to him. “I’m not going to your room.” She said firmly. He glanced at Brooklyn looking for help. Since when do I need Brooklyn to help me sort out Desiree’s moods?

His phone chriped in his pocket and he groaned. His dad’s name appeared on the screen. Oh good, just what I need right now. “What?” He snapped.

A beat of silence passed for Leo began speaking, “Where the hell are you and where is Desiree?”

Logan felt his cheeks heating up with anger, why did Leo suddenly decide to start being “fatherly” again? “We’re at home.” He said simply, he was about to hang up when Leo spoke up again.

“Fine, I’ll be there soon.”

“I don’t recall inviting you.” Logan glanced at Brooklyn and Desiree, they were both eavesdropping.

“I’m not coming to see, I would like to visit with Desiree. I know she doesn’t remember, but she’s still important to me.”

Logan paused taking his father’s words in. It was true, Leo adored Desiree. Logan’s parents had taken her in as one of the family with in just a few weeks of their friendship. Was it possible the having Leo here would help Desiree to remember more? It pained him to speak kind words to his father but he had to, for Desiree. “Fine, but not today.” He knew he should say more, but for now that was all he could concede.

He hung up just as a text from Westley popped onto his screen. You at home?

Yes, get over here. He replied back and put his phone away. it was then he remembered Desiree had just refused see his room. He turned to face the girls, “I’ll leave you girls alone. I need a shower anyway.”

“Why do we live together?” Desiree asked, the idea of living with him seemed to disgust her.

He paused and then had a terrible idea. “We all live here.” Brooklyn inhaled sharply and stared up at him. He wrapped an arm around Brooklyn, “Brooklyn lives here too, as does Westley and James the boys you met yesterday.” He decided to exclude Ryan from the living arrangement. Desiree hated Ryan in every parallel universe, there was no way in hell she would ever live with her. He would have felt bad for leaving her out but he was emotionally tapped out. There wasn’t an ounce of room left for guilt about his lies. “We all attend the same college and our home is far better than any dorm or apartment complex.”

Brooklyn’s phone made a cheerful tinkling sound and she smiled, “Wes and James are headed up. “

“Good. I’ll go let them know we brought Desiree home.” He exited the room before either of teh girls could stop him. He was exhausted, stressed and grumpy. A terrible combination for dealing with a moody Desiree. Westley might help to calm him down, he was a natural born peacemaker. Brooklyn was too but in a different way, besides she was the only one this new Desiree seemed to like. If Brooklyn could handle her for a few minutes maybe he could pull himself together long enough to come up with his next move.

Westley and James were heading up the front staircase, both of them looking ragged and tired. “Hey guys. Little heads up. Desiree thinks all of us live here together. Just go with it when you see her. I told her it’s because we all go to the same college far from home and it’s better than a dorm or apartment. You can make up some other crap to if you want but keep it simple. For now let’s just keep her here and calm. Later we’ll move all your stuff into rooms and try to make it look like it’s normal.” His words poured out of his mouth in a long stream and stress. James and Westley both took this in silently and then glanced at each other when he finished.

“Um... Are you sure we should be lying to her like that?” Westley asked, he looked a little nervous.

“I know but... She’s different...” He sighed heavily, it was hard for him to talk about his relationship with desiree with others. He was close with Westley and James but he and Desiree had always been extremely private. “I think she hates me.”

“Dude, she doesn’t hate you.” Westley paused, “She just y’know... Can’t remember why you’re important.”

“Yeah well it sucks.” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Desiree and Brooklyn weren’t close by. “I miss her.” He admitted.

[Free]

Desiree watched Logan leave. She felt her shoulders relax when he disappeared. Assuming he was telling the truth, which she wasn’t completely sure about, she had no doubt she’d paid for the house. Who else among the people who kept coming by her hospital room could afford it?

The Mysts were reasonably well known. She had no way of knowing how long she’d been unconscious. If there had been an article in the paper about the accident, or someone had seen it on the internet… It was possible he was intent on taking advantage of the situation.

The extravagance of the room was something else though. If she’d paid for all of this and he was a stranger, then there was no way he could just come in here like they had, right? Or was it because they came with her, that the staff had just accepted everyone? They just as easily could have rented this space for the day, to sell their story, thinking of it as an investment.

She almost wanted to ask one of staff, but she was beginning to feel overwhelmed by everything.

“Please, just give me a minute,” she said to Brooklyn, interrupting some story, the plot of which had been lost behind her thoughts.

“No worries!” Brooklyn said, bouncing out of the room.

Desiree looked around the room. It was beautiful, definitely her style, but it lacked personal touches like photographs and things. She pulled open the closet, but there was hardly anything in there. Not enough of her clothes. So much for their story.

I’ve been kidnapped.

Panic set in. Her heart raced.

Were the doctors part of it? No wonder I’m in the wrong city, so far from home! Maybe this cast isn’t even real…

She tried to move her arm, but instantly regretted it. There was no doubt in her mind it’d been broken. Maybe I’d been trying to escape? Maybe they’d gotten into the accident and were trying to salvage their kidnapping plan anyway?

They’d made a mistake in giving her back her phone and her purse, even if they’d changed all her contacts. How did they know my pin number?

It didn’t matter and there wasn’t time to figure it out. Who knows when Logan would be back and Brooklyn never seemed to leave for long either. None of them did.

She ran to the window and pulled it open. She was on the second floor and obviously badly injured, going out on the roof was like asking to fall off of it. But what choice did she have?

She removed the screen and climbed out onto the roof. She closed the windows as much as she could from the outside and put the screen back, hoping they wouldn’t know where she’d gone. It wasn’t easy with only one and a half arms and the whole time, she imagined they were just about to walk through the door to “her” room.

She moved further along the roof, out of sight of the window and called for a cab. It wasn’t until they asked for an address that she realized she had no idea where she was.

[This was written a long time ago, so keep their ages the same, I’m going to bump the technology to modern times.]

She downloaded the Lyft app. She’d never needed it before, but it would know where she was. Her hands were shaking as she entered her home address and selected Lyft Lux.

10 minutes. It would be 10 minutes before help arrived.

She looked out over the pool in the backyard. Everything looked so peaceful, it was hard to believe this was the home of kidnappers. A little too late, she noticed Brooklyn, cigarette in hand, was waving frantically at her.

“DESIREE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Brooklyn yelled up at her, concern on her face. Desiree didn’t buy it this time. Brooklyn was good, but Desiree knew better.

Desiree moved as quickly as she dared along the roof, looking for a safe way down as far from Brooklyn as possible.

Brooklyn ran into the house, disappearing long enough to give Desiree a chance to half climb, half fall down a trellis. Adrenaline coursed through her. Nothing hurt in that moment. All she could focus on was finding a safe place to hide.

She ran around front and made it all the way out the driveway without anyone stopping her. A gardener gave her a weird look so she kept running. Her phone pinged just as a car drove up. One glance at the license plate number, she jumped in the back seat.

“Drive!” she yelled.

The driver was a young woman, maybe college age. She gave Desiree a weird look before pulling forward, toward what Desiree could only imagine was the main road.

“Can you please drive faster?” Desiree asked. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

“I can drive the speed limit, but I’ll get kicked off the platform if I go any faster,” the girl said, picking up speed. “You okay?”

“I am now.”

Desiree leaned back in her seat. She’d forgotten to buckle and now she wasn’t sure she could. Everything hurt.

Her ringtone sent jolts of electricity coursing through her veins when the called ID read Logan. She declined the call and blocked his number. She blocked Brooklyn’s too, just in case.

“I’ve never gotten a ride this long,” the girl said. “I almost didn’t it except I’ve got nothing better to do today.” She paused, and then said, “That’s sad, isn’t it?” She laughed. “Hey, mind buckling up? I don’t want a ticket.”

Desiree grimaced as she reached around with her good arm and snapped the buckle into place. She heaved a huge sigh and let her head drop against the window as she closed her eyes.

Brooklyn raced into the house and up the stairs.

“LOGAN!!!” she screamed.

Logan came running, Westley and James right behind him.

“She’s on the roof,” Brooklyn gasped.

“Where?”

“Out back,” she said.

Logan ran down the stairs. Brooklyn followed him outside.

“She’s not here…” He took a sharp intake of breath and cursed. Logan ran around the side of the house, but Brooklyn stayed behind, staring at the roof.

She’d been so scared Desiree was going to fall off the roof and hit her head it hadn’t occurred to her to wonder why Desiree was on the roof.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she listened to Logan calling for Desiree. Westley enveloped her in a hug.

“It’s not your fault,” he said.

James rubbed her back.

“I shouldn’t have left her…”

James gently touched her chin so she’d look at him, “You couldn’t possibly have known Desiree would try to escape from her own house.”

Brooklyn laughed. She couldn’t help it. The whole thing was so completely insane.

“Come on!” Westley said.

Brooklyn followed Westley and James around the other side of the house. She wasn’t sure if calling her name would be any good, but she yelled anyway.

Where would she go?

“We’re he-re!” someone sang out, snapping Desiree awake. She looked around, taking in her surroundings.

Home. She’d made it.

She asked for the driver’s phone number, then sent her $1,000 through Zelle.

“Wow! Thanks so much!” She beamed. “Hey, anytime you find yourself back in town, I’m happy to drive!”

Desiree gave her a small smile.

I don’t see that happening. I’m never going back there.

The girl drove away. The sun was setting as Desiree looked up at her house. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed.

She pulled on the front door, but it was locked. None of the keys on her keychain worked, so she ended up knocking. Someone she didn’t recognize answered the door.

“Can I help you?” the man asked.

She suddenly felt very vulnerable and alone, more so than she had all day. Who could she trust?

“I live here,” she said with some uncertainty in her voice.

He laughed. “I don’t think so, young lady.”

He moved to close the door, so she said, “Wait. Do you know Rayburn Myst?”

The man paused, and then said, “I believe he was the gentleman who owned this house before the family I work for bought it. Sad story. He’d lost his wife and son and couldn’t handle all the memories here.”

Desiree gasped. She hadn’t really believed it when the people at the hospital had told her, but now? How could she deny it? Her chest ached. How could she not remember something so important?

“Are you okay, Miss?”

Desiree snapped back to the present.

“Do you know where Mr. Myst lives now?” she asked.

“Sorry, I don’t. Would you like to come in? I can offer you some tea, but not coffee. The lady of the house won’t allow any in the house.”

“No…no thank you,” she said, turning away.

She walked back down the long driveway to the road. She didn’t know where to go from here. The only home she’d ever known was gone.

She thought back to the people in the hospital. Maybe they’d been right about this one thing, but they could have gotten that information online, right? Her family was prominent. No doubt they could have read about it…

Desiree pulled up Google on her phone and looked for news about the car crash. Sure enough, there it was. And it had happened so many years ago… The pain of the loss was fresh on her heart as she looked her dad up in her phone.

She didn’t recognize the address next to his name. It could be legitimate or planted information. She tried to cross-check it in one of those search engines for public information but his address was hidden. That’s what lawyers are for… he’d said.

With nothing else to go on and all the hope beaten out of her, she put in another request for Lyft. This time, a few drivers denied her request before she finally found someone to drive her that far, but he only agree after she promised him more than the $50 tip the app allowed.

~

She didn’t feel anything when the guy dropped her off at this doorstep. The house was large, but definitely smaller than the home she’d grown up in. It also held none of the comforting memories of the last place.

This time, she didn’t try any of her keys, she just knocked on the door and hoped for the best.

“Miss Desiree?” the woman on the other side of the door gasped. “I haven’t seen you in months. How are you, Honey?”

Even though she didn’t recognize the woman, she allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. She burst into tears. The woman held her and rubbed her back.

“There. There. It’s alright now,” she said.

“Where is Da?” she asked.

“Who?”

“My father.”

“Oh he’s not here, Honey. On another one of his trips. I think he’ll be back in a couple weeks.”

“You want some company or you want me to leave you alone?” the woman asked after some time had passed and Desiree had calmed down.

“Can you take me to my room?” she asked.

The woman looked surprised. “Sure thing, Sugar.”

Stepping into her room, Desiree felt safer. It wasn’t because she recognized this place anymore than she had anywhere else she’d been today, except home, but because things were finally on her terms. The woman standing next to her knew who she was and did what she was told.

“Run me a bath,” she said. She didn’t want to take a bath and it occurred to her now that she probably wasn’t allowed to get her cast wet. But she didn’t want the woman to leave.

The woman walked through a door on the far end of the room that Desiree assumed was a bathroom. Sure enough, she could hear the water running a few moments later.

Her whole body ached. They’d discharged her with some medication, but didn’t know where it was now and was too tired to check her purse. She lay down on the bed without even pulling back the comforter. She was out before the water got hot.

[Free]

Desiree awoke to an unbearable pain emanating from her arm. She groaned and rolled onto her back.

“You okay, Sugar?” a woman said from nearby.

Desiree opened her eyes. She felt like she’d been run over by a semi. Her arm killed, her face hurt. Everything hurt. When she didn’t recognize the room, her heart rate picked up. Where am I?

“Sugar?” The woman she’d met last night was sitting next to her on a chair Desiree didn’t remember being there when she’d gone to bed. “Can I get you anything?”

“Pills,” she croaked. Her throat was dry. She was starving. And only had a vague recollection of how she’d gotten here.

“I’m sorry?”

“My purse.”

The woman brought Desiree her purse from the top of a nearby table. Reaching for her purse, more of the previous day came back to her. She’d been kidnapped and somehow managed to escape, only to find her world turned upside-down. Nothing about yesterday made any sense.

Desiree dug around in her purse and pulled out three bottles of pills. She ignored the antibiotics and immediately dropped one of the norcos in her mouth. The woman handed her a glass from her nightstand and she swallowed it.

If only they were instant…

“Would you like some breakfast, Honey?” the woman asked. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be up. You got in almost in time to catch the sunrise this morning.”

“Yes.”

The woman jumped up and immediately headed for the door.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, closing the door behind her.

Desiree surveyed the room, wishing it were home. It was hard to focus on any one thing with how much everything hurt, but she needed something, anything else to focus on.

Desiree turned on the tv. She browsed the channels, barely able to focus on what anyone was saying.

The woman had appeared a few minutes after she left to offer Desiree toast, insisting that her medication wasn’t meant to be taken on an empty stomach. By the time the woman got back with breakfast, the pain was subsiding and her head was fuzzing over.

The woman helped Desiree sit up in bed and positioned the tray in front of her. She turned to leave.

“Wait.”

The woman turned around.

“Yes, Sugar?”

Desiree wanted to ask her name, but was afraid of what would happen when she did. Can the kidnappers find me here? she wondered.

“Stay.”

The woman looked surprised, but she walked back over to the chair still sitting by Desiree’s bed and sat down. She was quiet for a long moment.

“Would it be alright if I asked what happened?” the woman asked.

“Car accident.”

“Oh, Honey…I’m so sorry. Does your father know?”

“I don’t know. I thought the hospital would call him, but I don’t think anyone did.”

“Would you like me to tell him?”

Desiree was torn. On the one hand, she really wanted to curl up in her dad’s arms and watch this whole thing fade into the past. On the other, what if so many things were different now that he treated her differently too? She couldn’t imagine that.

“Yes.”

“Okay, Honey. I’ll be right back,” she said.

Desiree watched her leave, imaging her father getting on the first flight out of wherever he was and coming to rescue her. If only he’d been at the hospital, he could have–

"Oh, before I forget. Some of your friends were calling last night, seeing if you were okay. They seemed worried about you. I told them you weren't here. I didn't realize you were on your way..." She had stopped in the doorway and turned around. "Should I call them back for you?"

"Was it Lacy and Josh?" Desiree asked.

"No, Honey. Logan called...Brooklyn I believe and...maybe Westley."

"No!"

"Okay, Sugar. I'll let you handle it." The woman smiled and closed the door behind her.

Panic struck Desiree's chest. They were going to find her. She picked up her phone and looked up the local police’s non-emergency line.

“Hello? Yes. I’d like to report a kidnapping,” she said.

[Free]

“We’ll send someone over right away to check it out,” the man said. “Is this the best number to reach you?”

“Yes,” Desiree said, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. She was starting to feel better, well at least mildly less panicked at the idea that the police were involved. She’d given them the address from her Lyft pick up and described the house and people as best as she remembered them.

The officer hung up just as the woman came back from calling her dad. Desiree wondered briefly where the rest of her father’s staff was. It couldn’t only be this one person, but then she remembered she hadn’t left her suite and there was no reason for most of them to be in here.

“What did Da say?” Desiree asked, sitting up and leaning forward.

“He was surprised you were home.”

Desiree waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, she asked, “When is coming home?”

The woman frowned. “He’ll be back in couple weeks…”

Desiree stared at her blankly. No. That can’t be right… He wouldn’t…

“Please leave me alone for a minute,” Desiree said finally.

The woman nodded and left. Desiree’s mind spun. How could he not already be on his way here? How could he not come home? Desiree shook her head. There had to be some misunderstanding.

She called her dad’s number in phone.

“Desiree? Are you okay?”

Tears spilled from her eyes. Finally! Someone familiar!

“No. Please come home,” she said.

“I’m sorry, Desi, but I’m in the middle of some important negotiations…”

“I need you.”

He was quiet for a moment, then Desiree head someone speaking to him in the background.

“Desiree? I’ve gotta go. I’ll talk to you later!”

Before she could even tell him to wait, before she could start crying, before she could ask him to explain the hundred things wrong with this reality, he hung up.

Desiree stared at the phone in her hand. Tears spilled over her cheeks. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. She couldn’t believe he’d abandoned her like that.

She tried to make herself stop crying, but it didn’t work and she ended up curled around a pillow feeling like she was drowning and like it would never end. She wished her mom would walk through the door, hold her and tell her this was all a nightmare.

~

The last thing she remembered was having dinner with the woman who’d answered the door at what appeared to be her dad’s new house. She opened her eyes and then snapped them closed. Not again. She sighed and glanced around. She was in another hospital room.

To her right, head in his hands, was Logan. Panic gripped her. She was silently reaching for the nurse call button, hoping he wouldn’t notice she was awake, when the nurse walked in.

“Oh good, you’re awake!” the nurse said. “I’m Ronnie. How are you feeling?”

“What is he doing here?” Desiree asked, trying and failing to keep the panic out of her voice.

The nurse glanced at Logan, then back at Desiree. “It’s our procedure to reach out to someone’s power of attorney in cases like this.”

“What?” There was no keeping the look of surprise off her face.

“Do you know why you’re here?” the nurse asked.

Desiree didn’t like the look in the woman was giving her.

“You had some swelling in your brain. You were unconscious. The woman who brought you in didn’t have the authority to make decisions on your behalf. It’s a good thing we were able to get a hold of Mr. LeBeau. He told us about the accident.”

LeBeau…why does that sound familiar?

“Should I give you two a minute alone?” the nurse asked.

“No!” Desiree said too quickly.

“It’s okay. I was just leaving,” Logan said icily before standing and walking out of the room. There was something in his expression. Was he mad? Hurt?

Layla…that famous fashion model…Doesn’t she have her own clothing line? Were they related?

Desiree shook her head. It didn’t matter. What mattered was her kidnappers had found her and if they’d been able to convince this hospital he was her power of attorney.

Why hadn’t the police arrested them?

The nurse took her vitals, then left the room.

Desiree called the police from her hospital phone to alert them to the location of her kidnappers. They said they were closing case. There was an offhand comment about a domestic dispute, but Desiree had stopped listening. She hung up the phone.

Her dad would probably already be talking to the lawyers at this point, if he were here. But he wasn’t.

The antiseptic hospital smell was so strong, it almost made her gag. She stared out the window. It was dark outside, but she could see the moon.

Would this nightmare ever end?

[Free]

The woman from her father’s new house dropped off a few things for Desiree. Her phone was among the things. Desiree asked her stay for a while. There was that same look of surprise, but Desiree chose to ignore it. She needed something, anything on her terms for once.

The woman sat quietly in one of the chairs by the window. She didn’t look like she knew quite what to do with herself and it made Desiree wonder what kind of relationship they’d had once upon a time.

Desiree picked her phone up off her hospital table and stared at it for a while, wishing she could find her mom on the other side of it. Wishing her dad was on his way here. Wishing that this this reality was even a little bit like the one she knew.

The woman sitting across from her was the closest thing she had to family right now and she didn’t even know the woman’s name. She was almost afraid to ask. She was tired of way people kept looking at her. She was tired of being a constant disappointment.

“What is your name?” Desiree asked.

More surprise crossed her features, but she smiled. “Hannah.”

“Thank you, Hannah,” Desiree said.

Desiree cringed as the woman raised her eyebrows. Now what did I say? The woman opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but must have changed her mind because she closed it again.

Desiree looked back at her phone and scrolled through her contacts. Lacy and Josh weren’t there. In the long list, she recognized almost none of the names or faces. Until she landed on Jase. [Replacing Danny with Jase.]

Her finger hovered over the call button. What would she even say to him? It’s not like they’d ever been close. Had things changed between them? Something she wouldn’t remember? She bit her lip and then pressed “call.”

“Sunshine! Babe! To what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice was as sunny as ever.

Desiree smiled. At least some things don’t change.

“I’m in the hospital…” She didn’t exactly know what else to say.

“Sh*t. Are you okay?” Jase’s tone was instantly serious. “Is Logan there?” How does he know Logan?

“Can you just…” Desiree sighed. “Can you just come here?” They’d never been that close. Maybe it was stupid to ask.

“Which hospital?”

“Methodist.”

“Wait. Isn’t that where your dad lives? Why are you–never mind. I’ll be there.” He hung up.

Desiree bit her lip and tried to keep from crying again.

~

Shouting from the hallway outside her room woke Desiree. She looked at the door just in time to see Jase striding in, beaming. She could see Logan with his arms crossed, glaring at Jase. What was this guy’s damage?

Jase left the door open and sat on the edge of Desiree’s bed. He gave her a long hug and she let herself be swallowed up in his arms, grateful that someone she knew was here. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

[Free]

~Six Weeks Earlier~

Desiree sighed happily and wrapped her arm tighter around Logan’s bare chest. He smiled at her.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning,” she purred. She moved her head from the pillow to his chest. If there was a perfect way to wake up, this was it.

She rarely let herself think about stuff like this, but she did, it was in these moments that it felt most real. As much as she’d been trying to deny it for years, she was in love with her best friend. Had been for a while, way longer than she’d cared to admit. He was her favorite person, the only one she could count on, the only one who made her feel safe.

He’d had one arm around her and was scrolling through something on his phone when she’d woken up, but had set it down when she stirred.

“Breakfast is on its way up,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

She resisted the urge to move up and kiss him back. She mentally kicked herself for sounding so stupid when she’d said good morning. It was like asking him to find her out. If he did, everything would change. And she if she had to choose between watching him flirt with a hundred other girls from the sidelines and not having him in her life at all, she’d invite every one those hundred girls to live with them before losing him.

But it would never come to that. Logan might like to play the field, but he always came home to her. She liked to think maybe that meant something.

[Free]

My heart leaps into my throat at the caller ID, like it always does when I see her name. My lips instantly form a smile. I can’t help it. I can see her smiling back at me, her eyes lit with some secret. I know. I know. Let it go, Jase. She’s Logan’s. Game over.

Buuuut…I can’t help myself. I answer anyway. Even with the beautiful Emily making pouty lips I wanna kiss off her face.

“I’ll be there,” I say, hanging up. I jump out of bed and throw a handful of clothes in a suitcase. (I travel light.) I’ve got a plane to catch.

—-

Logan’s leaning against the wall outside Desiree’s room with his head in his hands. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t pictured that few times. But it’s wrong. Something’s off. Waaay off. My heart picks up. How bad is she?

She’s alive right? She called me three hours ago. (Not all of us have private planes like Dez.)

“What the hell are you doing here?”

I just smile at Logan as I sidestep him on my way to the door.

He says something else, but I miss it. I don’t care. There’s nothing he can say to ruin this for me. …You know…except that she’s dying, but I refuse to go there.

“She called me,” I say, making direct eye contact.

His expression is all I need to fly. Yes, even in this moment I get some pleasure in pissing him off. And hey, I didn’t even have to try this time.

I’m practically giddy as I push open the door. I leave it open. I love a good show.

My heart drops when I see her face. It’s covered in bruises. There’s a cast on her arm. But I’m smiling so big right now because she’s okay and she called me. Maybe Kiersten was right. Maybe you can manifest destiny. I’d never have believed it until this moment.

My arms wrapped around her feels so good I don’t think I can ever let go.

When she finally pulls away, my shirt is soaked, but I don’t care. My smirk says, “I’m SO happy to see you,” but inside, I’m wondering what happened to her. I haven’t seen her cry since…well…ever. Honestly, I’ve only seen her cry once and I’ll die with that secret. If Logan hurt her, so help me…

“He k-kidnapped me, Jase.” Her eyes are that misty, storm I’ve only seen a few times. I…If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s terrified…

“What?” My eyebrows knit together as I try to picture a scenario where Logan would 1) have any real need to kidnap Desiree and 2) actually go through with it. I’ve got nothing. As much as I hate him, I know he loves her. I know he wouldn’t hurt her. That’s one of the things that’s kept going this whole time. That, and the distance between us.

“That guy! Outside the door. He kidnapped me and—” She’s talking a mile a minute.

“Wait…what guy? The only one outside the door is Logan.”

“How do you know his name?”

I honestly don’t know how to respond to that. I don’t understand the question. Something is wrong. Something is wrong. But I don’t know what it is.

“How do you know his name?” she asks again.

“Because I’m not an idiot? I’ve invited both you to parties.” Technically, I invited Desiree, but he was obviously her plus one. The is smile still etched on my face as I roll my eyes at her, but inside? Inside, I’m actually kind of panicking. Something is very wrong.

I run my hand over her hair. This time, it has nothing to do with Logan.

“Hey Dez? What did the doctors say?”

She glares at me. I could roll my eyes again, but I’m not about to end up in the hall like Logan.

“I’m here for you. I’m always here for you. I’m just trying to understand what happened. All I can think about right now is…you look like hell. What happened?” What I want to ask is Did he hurt you?, but phrasing it that way, even when she’s pissed at him is going to land me in the same corner. I know from experience. And women say guys never learn.

“You have to believe me.”

“O-kay.” I’m not really sure where she’s going with this. I’m about three seconds from asking the last person I want to talk to for answers.

“Jase. Please. Please don’t leave.”

I grab her hand and hold it to my chest. “I’m not going anywhere, Dez. Why are you in the hospital?”

I brace myself, ready to jump up from this pink blanket and slam Logan into the wall.

Her eyes are darting from me to the doorway, so I put one hand on her face so she’ll look at me.

“Hey,” I say, softly. “I’m here.”

It’s in this moment that I realize I’ve made an enormous mistake. God. I lost my head. I make million dollar deals with people who make my skin crawl without batting an eye this is where I lose my cool.

It’s her. The bruises, the hospital, the way she’s looking at me right now like she wants me to save her needs me to save her. She’s my kryptonite. I sigh. Internally. Desiree is not herself, but she’ll probably remember this when it’s all over. Logan is probably watching. He’ll remember.

She tries to lean into me again, winces and falls back against the pillows. But she’s still holding my hand and I’m definitely not letting go.

She tells me about how she woke up in this strange hospital, how people kept telling her she’d lost her memory but she didn’t believe them. She said her dad’s house wasn’t where it was supposed to be. She called him Da, which she hasn’t done in years.

The whole time she’s talking, I’m trying not to laugh. The most perfect twist of fate has just landed in my lap and I didn’t have to do anything. Desiree has forgotten Logan. She only remembers me and given the current set of circumstances, I think I’ve got a solid shot with her. The kind of shot I’ve only ever once been stupid enough to believe I had.

I know. I’m the worst, right? The love of my life was in a life-altering car accident and all I can think about is how I can finally have her.

I groan inwardly because I know how this is going to play out. If I go for it and she gets her memory back, she’s going to hate me. I’ll lose her forever. If I help her get her memory back, or at the very least, push her in Logan’s direction, I’ll probably keep her as a friend, but I still lose her forever to Logan. This is a no-win scenario for me.

I know. I skipped over the one where I go for it and she doesn’t get her memory back, but I can’t go there. It actually doesn’t matter that I’ll lose her forever either way. There was only ever one way I was going to play this.

God. I want to be so selfish right now. I just want to pick her up and carry her off into the sunset. Well, in the dark because it’s late, but you get the idea. I remember her at fifteen--which is apparently how old she thinks she is--she was so much happier then. We could be so happy.

Maybe I’ll strangle myself later for this, but for the moment, I’m going to help Logan. Not because I think he deserves her. He doesn’t. But because…because I know it’s what she wants. And all I’ve ever wanted is for her to be happy.