Read Online The Immortal Circus: Act Two by A. R. Kahler - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: A. R. Kahler
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yet.”
“Michelle,” says the girl. She speaks her name like she’s
wielding a blunt object at my face.
“Craig,” says the guy.
Neither takes my hand. I keep it there for what I hope to
hell is an awkward slow five seconds. One Mississippi …
“How are you guys settling in?” I do my best to keep my
voice cheerful, which, as anyone who knows me would quickly attest, is a sure
sign I’m acting, especially so early in the day.
Craig shrugs. Michelle looks away.
“Fine, I guess,” Michelle says. “We should get going. Some
of the stakes on the west end need adjusting.”
“Have a lovely day!” I call out to their backs. And then,
when they’ve disappeared around the corner of the tent, “Fucking assholes.”
Today is not a day I want to be screwed with or vilified or
any of that shit. Today I just want to find Kingston and have him apologize and
maybe have some makeup sex so we can go back to the way things were. None of
this evading the subject. None of this treating me like I’m radioactive. It’s
not my fault he’s feeling guilty about erasing my memory. It’s not my fault I can’t remember the men of my past. Okay, maybe it is sort of my fault
if I put it in my contract, but I’m not responsible for the fallout. The
growing ache in my head isn’t making any of it better, either.
I don’t realize I’m shaking until Mel comes up beside me and
puts a hand on my arm.
“You okay, sweetie?” she asks.
I glance at her. She’s in a loose T-shirt that almost covers
the tiny pink shorts sticking out underneath. Her hair is all mussed, and her
smudged eyeliner tells me she’s just woken up.
“I’m …” I sigh. I don’t want to lie to my only friend, but I
don’t know how much she knows about my contract. And 7 a.m. isn’t any time to
try and explain it away. “Boy troubles,” I say. It’s the truth. Sort of.
She raises an eyebrow.
“Has he done something?” she asks quietly. Normally, I’d
expect her to make a joke or try to play things off, but her voice is deadly
serious. “If he’s done anything to hurt you or …”
I shake my head.
“Nothing like that,” I say. “It’s just …” Another sigh. God,
saying anything in this troupe is impossible anymore. “It’s my contract. The
whole ‘forgetting my past’ thing. Turns out I had a boyfriend.”
“Not surprising,” Mel says. She turns to grab some coffee,
now that it’s clear Kingston’s not being a dick. “I’d date you.”
“Thanks,” I say with a small laugh. “But … Mel, he showed up
yesterday. He knew me. And I didn’t know him.”
That gets her attention.
“I thought they couldn’t …?” she begins. And with that
little slip, I realize she’s known that part of my contract all along. She
actually blushes a little with her admission. Under normal circumstances, I’d
be upset she was hiding that from me. But it kind of pales in comparison to
what I’m keeping from her. “What happened?” she asks.
“I don’t know. Kingston told him to go away or something.” I
run a hand through my hair. Actually, what did Kingston say to him? I
never found out—does Austin still remember me? “But now things are awkward.
I don’t even remember this guy. What if I still have feelings for him,
underneath all the layers of contract?”
Mel bites her lip and is silent for a long while.
“I’m not really Miss Good Relationship Advice,” she allows.
“But what can you do? You don’t remember the guy, and even if you did, you’re
bound to the show now. Chances are you forgot about him for a reason, and
chances are even better that you’ll never see him again. So who cares? He’s
just a ghost from your past.” She pauses to take a sip of her coffee.
“Kingston’s real. He’s here right now. And he’s in love with you. Do you really
want to throw that away for a guy you can’t remember?”
She’s got a point, but she’s also not in my shoes. She still
knows the majority of her past.
“Michelle,” says the girl. She speaks her name like she’s
wielding a blunt object at my face.
“Craig,” says the guy.
Neither takes my hand. I keep it there for what I hope to
hell is an awkward slow five seconds. One Mississippi …
“How are you guys settling in?” I do my best to keep my
voice cheerful, which, as anyone who knows me would quickly attest, is a sure
sign I’m acting, especially so early in the day.
Craig shrugs. Michelle looks away.
“Fine, I guess,” Michelle says. “We should get going. Some
of the stakes on the west end need adjusting.”
“Have a lovely day!” I call out to their backs. And then,
when they’ve disappeared around the corner of the tent, “Fucking assholes.”
Today is not a day I want to be screwed with or vilified or
any of that shit. Today I just want to find Kingston and have him apologize and
maybe have some makeup sex so we can go back to the way things were. None of
this evading the subject. None of this treating me like I’m radioactive. It’s
not my fault he’s feeling guilty about erasing my memory. It’s not my fault I can’t remember the men of my past. Okay, maybe it is sort of my fault
if I put it in my contract, but I’m not responsible for the fallout. The
growing ache in my head isn’t making any of it better, either.
I don’t realize I’m shaking until Mel comes up beside me and
puts a hand on my arm.
“You okay, sweetie?” she asks.
I glance at her. She’s in a loose T-shirt that almost covers
the tiny pink shorts sticking out underneath. Her hair is all mussed, and her
smudged eyeliner tells me she’s just woken up.
“I’m …” I sigh. I don’t want to lie to my only friend, but I
don’t know how much she knows about my contract. And 7 a.m. isn’t any time to
try and explain it away. “Boy troubles,” I say. It’s the truth. Sort of.
She raises an eyebrow.
“Has he done something?” she asks quietly. Normally, I’d
expect her to make a joke or try to play things off, but her voice is deadly
serious. “If he’s done anything to hurt you or …”
I shake my head.
“Nothing like that,” I say. “It’s just …” Another sigh. God,
saying anything in this troupe is impossible anymore. “It’s my contract. The
whole ‘forgetting my past’ thing. Turns out I had a boyfriend.”
“Not surprising,” Mel says. She turns to grab some coffee,
now that it’s clear Kingston’s not being a dick. “I’d date you.”
“Thanks,” I say with a small laugh. “But … Mel, he showed up
yesterday. He knew me. And I didn’t know him.”
That gets her attention.
“I thought they couldn’t …?” she begins. And with that
little slip, I realize she’s known that part of my contract all along. She
actually blushes a little with her admission. Under normal circumstances, I’d
be upset she was hiding that from me. But it kind of pales in comparison to
what I’m keeping from her. “What happened?” she asks.
“I don’t know. Kingston told him to go away or something.” I
run a hand through my hair. Actually, what did Kingston say to him? I
never found out—does Austin still remember me? “But now things are awkward.
I don’t even remember this guy. What if I still have feelings for him,
underneath all the layers of contract?”
Mel bites her lip and is silent for a long while.
“I’m not really Miss Good Relationship Advice,” she allows.
“But what can you do? You don’t remember the guy, and even if you did, you’re
bound to the show now. Chances are you forgot about him for a reason, and
chances are even better that you’ll never see him again. So who cares? He’s
just a ghost from your past.” She pauses to take a sip of her coffee.
“Kingston’s real. He’s here right now. And he’s in love with you. Do you really
want to throw that away for a guy you can’t remember?”
She’s got a point, but she’s also not in my shoes. She still
knows the majority of her past.
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