Losing Hope

it came from.”

I lean forward, praying this bracelet isn’t the jewelry she was referring to. “Who gave you the damn bracelet, Sky?”

She gasps, still unable to give me an answer. She can’t answer me because she honestly has no idea. She’s looking at me like I just crushed her and hell . . . I think I did.

I know she doesn’t have a clue what’s going through my mind right now, but how could I even begin to tell her? How in the hell do I explain to her that she may not know where the bracelet on her wrist came from, but I do? How do I tell her that bracelet came from Les? From the best friend she doesn’t even remember? And how do I admit that she got that bracelet just minutes before I walked away from her? Minutes before her entire life was ripped out from under her?

I can’t tell her. I can’t tell her, because she honestly has no memory of me or Les or how she got this damn bracelet. From looking at her, I don’t even think she remembers Hope. She doesn’t even remember herself. She said Saturday night she has no memory of her life before Karen.

How can she not remember? How can anyone not remember being stolen from her own home? From her best friend?

How can she not remember me?

I squeeze my eyes shut and turn away from her. I press my palms against my forehead and inhale a deep breath. I have got to calm down. I’m terrifying her right now and that’s the last thing I want to do. I grip the back of my neck in order to keep my hands busy so that I don’t punch the table.

She’s Hope. Sky is Hope and Hope is Sky and, “Shit!”

I don’t mean to say it out loud, because I know I’m freaking her out. But this is as calm as I’m able to be right now. I have to get out of here. I have to figure out how the hell to explain this to her.

I stand up and rush toward the exit to the cafeteria before I do or say anything else. As soon as I’m through the doors and alone in the hallway, I collapse against the nearest locker, and pull my trembling hands to my face.

“Shit, shit, shit!”

Chapter Seventeen

Les,

I’m sorry I didn’t find her sooner. I can’t help but wonder if it would have made a difference. I’m so sorry.

H

Chapter Eighteen

Les,

She still has your bracelet, though. That has to mean something to you.

H

Chapter Nineteen

Les,

I don’t know what to do. It’s been over six hours now and I keep trying to figure out if I should go to her house and tell her everything or if I should give it more time.

I think I’ll give it more time. I need to process this.

H

Chapter Twenty

Les,

What if I call Karen and explain everything to her? Sky seems to have a good relationship with her. Karen could figure out what to do.

H

Chapter Twenty-one

Les,

Shit. What if Karen is the one who did it?

H

Chapter Twenty-two

Les,

What if I tell Mom? I could tell Mom and she could figure out what we need to do or if we need to call the police. She’s a lawyer. I’m sure she deals with this kind of stuff all the time.

H

Chapter Twenty-three

Les,

I can’t tell Mom. Mom’s in intellectual property law. She wouldn’t know what to do any more than I do.

H

Chapter Twenty-four

Les,

It’s almost midnight. Twelve hours I’ve let this continue without giving her a single explanation for what happened at lunch today. God, I hope I didn’t make her cry.

H