who seemed a bit reserved, her lips drawn into a tight, unnatural smile. “Hey! Sorry I missed breakfast.”
“Still got some left. Grab a plate.” I got up to get her some juice.
“Aww, thanks! I’m starving.”
I walked over to the buffet, filled a plate with pancakes, bacon, and home fries, and handed it to her.
“Wow, nice!” She broke into a grin before she chomped into the food. “Where’s Gertrude?” she asked as Tallulah came tearing in and jumped on her.
“She left last night,” I said.
“Oh! I wanted to say goodbye. So, what have you guys been doing?”
“Just chatting,” Ali said. “We’re trying to figure out what Arizona remembers from the last year, if anything.”
“And?”
“Nothing.”
Ariele looked up at me in surprise. “Like nothing at all?”
I shook my head.
“Our trip to New York?”
“Nope.”
She stood up and paced the floor. “And Gertrude didn’t help you remember anything?”
Since I had no idea who this girl was, I wasn’t about to share what I had told Ali and Maria. I just shook my head. It was kind of true. Whatever Gertrude had shown me was certainly not
my
memory.
“Tell her about the girl with brown hair,” Maria prodded.
I threw her the death glare.
“What’s that?” Ariele stood at attention.
“Nothing,” I said, daring Maria to argue.
“Whatevah.” Maria sighed.
“Arizona, tell me.” Ariele gently placed her hand on my shoulder.
She didn’t make me flinch. Her touch felt natural and friendly. When I looked into her eyes, I felt warmth and genuine concern shine through. The girls seemed to trust her, but there didn’t seem to be a reason to share anything with her. It’s not like she really knew me. If we had been friends last year, she only knew that person. And maybe that wasn’t even me, but a doppelganger! “It really isn’t anything.” I kept my tone as light as possible. “Here, let me get you a refill.” I picked up her glass and poured some more juice into it. “So, what do you guys want to do today?”
Ariele shrugged at Ali and Maria but took the glass from my hands. She clenched her jaw. “What the fuck’s going on,
A
?” As soon as she said it, she covered her mouth with her hand and stared at me wide eyed. “I’m sorry, it just slipped out,” she whispered through her fingers.
“
A
? Who’s that?” I demanded. Did she know something about David’s girlfriend?
“Ali and Maria don’t know. Are you sure you want me to spill?”
“Spill what?” I was getting very frustrated. “If you know something about
A
, just tell us.”
She took a step back and glared at me. “Sheesh, you don’t even remember who you really are?”
“I am Arizona Darley!” I shouted angrily.
She threw her hands up in the air and stormed out.
Ali rolled her eyes. “What’s with you, Arizona? That was a bit insane. What about the
A
? She sometimes calls you that, no biggie. Right?”
I took a moment and then nodded. I needed time to process this. “Guess I’m just tired. I barely slept last night, and all this has me feeling like crap.”
“I can see that. Still, no excuse for taking it out on Ariele. She’s having a hell of a time dealing with you not remembering her. She’s really cut up about it,” Maria said.
“Yeah, I’ll apologize.” I felt ashamed. It wasn’t Ariele’s fault that my memory was shot. “What’s her number? I’ll call and ask her to come back.”
“No, get some sleep first,” Maria suggested. “Call us when you get up, and we’ll come over with Ariele. That sound okay?”
I yawned, more tired than I’d realized.
After the girls left, I popped my head into the study. I watched as Kellan tapped away on the Mac, his face bathed in concentration. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I silently enjoyed watching him work.
When he noticed me, he held out his hand but kept typing, probably hoping to get his thought down before I interrupted his concentration. I took his hand and
“Still got some left. Grab a plate.” I got up to get her some juice.
“Aww, thanks! I’m starving.”
I walked over to the buffet, filled a plate with pancakes, bacon, and home fries, and handed it to her.
“Wow, nice!” She broke into a grin before she chomped into the food. “Where’s Gertrude?” she asked as Tallulah came tearing in and jumped on her.
“She left last night,” I said.
“Oh! I wanted to say goodbye. So, what have you guys been doing?”
“Just chatting,” Ali said. “We’re trying to figure out what Arizona remembers from the last year, if anything.”
“And?”
“Nothing.”
Ariele looked up at me in surprise. “Like nothing at all?”
I shook my head.
“Our trip to New York?”
“Nope.”
She stood up and paced the floor. “And Gertrude didn’t help you remember anything?”
Since I had no idea who this girl was, I wasn’t about to share what I had told Ali and Maria. I just shook my head. It was kind of true. Whatever Gertrude had shown me was certainly not
my
memory.
“Tell her about the girl with brown hair,” Maria prodded.
I threw her the death glare.
“What’s that?” Ariele stood at attention.
“Nothing,” I said, daring Maria to argue.
“Whatevah.” Maria sighed.
“Arizona, tell me.” Ariele gently placed her hand on my shoulder.
She didn’t make me flinch. Her touch felt natural and friendly. When I looked into her eyes, I felt warmth and genuine concern shine through. The girls seemed to trust her, but there didn’t seem to be a reason to share anything with her. It’s not like she really knew me. If we had been friends last year, she only knew that person. And maybe that wasn’t even me, but a doppelganger! “It really isn’t anything.” I kept my tone as light as possible. “Here, let me get you a refill.” I picked up her glass and poured some more juice into it. “So, what do you guys want to do today?”
Ariele shrugged at Ali and Maria but took the glass from my hands. She clenched her jaw. “What the fuck’s going on,
A
?” As soon as she said it, she covered her mouth with her hand and stared at me wide eyed. “I’m sorry, it just slipped out,” she whispered through her fingers.
“
A
? Who’s that?” I demanded. Did she know something about David’s girlfriend?
“Ali and Maria don’t know. Are you sure you want me to spill?”
“Spill what?” I was getting very frustrated. “If you know something about
A
, just tell us.”
She took a step back and glared at me. “Sheesh, you don’t even remember who you really are?”
“I am Arizona Darley!” I shouted angrily.
She threw her hands up in the air and stormed out.
Ali rolled her eyes. “What’s with you, Arizona? That was a bit insane. What about the
A
? She sometimes calls you that, no biggie. Right?”
I took a moment and then nodded. I needed time to process this. “Guess I’m just tired. I barely slept last night, and all this has me feeling like crap.”
“I can see that. Still, no excuse for taking it out on Ariele. She’s having a hell of a time dealing with you not remembering her. She’s really cut up about it,” Maria said.
“Yeah, I’ll apologize.” I felt ashamed. It wasn’t Ariele’s fault that my memory was shot. “What’s her number? I’ll call and ask her to come back.”
“No, get some sleep first,” Maria suggested. “Call us when you get up, and we’ll come over with Ariele. That sound okay?”
I yawned, more tired than I’d realized.
After the girls left, I popped my head into the study. I watched as Kellan tapped away on the Mac, his face bathed in concentration. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I silently enjoyed watching him work.
When he noticed me, he held out his hand but kept typing, probably hoping to get his thought down before I interrupted his concentration. I took his hand and
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