Gabriel’s POV
We arrived in front of the bakery in time to see a tall, blonde man talking to Aria. I couldn’t see her face, but I saw him smiling coldly at her.
Nick growled loudly. “Who the fuck is that?”
The man walked away from her and left the bakery. He crossed the street, got into his car, and drove away. I barely could keep Nick from going after him.
“If that was Jack, I’m going to lose my shit,” he said angrily.
“I don’t think so, man,” I said and got out of the car.
Something in the way he was smiling at her made me so angry and afraid. Jack liked her. His smile wouldn’t have been so cold.
Nick and I walked inside and as soon as I saw Aria’s face, I could tell she was terrified. My heart stopped beating. Something was wrong.
Nick was too wrapped up in his anger and jealousy to notice. He walked up to her clenching his fists. I didn’t have time to stop him.
“Who the fuck was that?” he growled. “Was it Jack?”
She looked at him terrified. She couldn’t speak. But it seemed like Nick didn’t notice that. He was blinded by jealousy.
I ran towards them, pushed Nick aside, and took her face in my hands.
“What happened?” I asked and looked into her eyes. “Who was that man?”
She was so scared.
Nick growled at me, and I lost it.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yelled at him, not letting go of her. “Can’t you see she is terrified?!”
Her eyes were on me the whole time.
He blinked and unclenched his fists. He looked at her and his anger was replaced by fear and sadness. He kneeled beside me and grabbed her hand.
I turned back to Aria. “Who was that?”
“I… I don’t know,” she said quietly. “I think he knows me. But I don’t know him.”
Before I managed to ask her another question, I heard the back door open. A middle-aged man walked inside carrying a bag of flour. He looked at us and narrowed his eyes.
“Aria? Are you okay?” he asked her. “Are these men bothering you?”
She removed my hands from her face and smiled slightly. “It is okay, Pete. They are my friends.”
“Okay,” he said, still suspicious. “I am here if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Pete,” she said and got up. “It is okay, really.”
“We should go,” I said and took her hand.
Nick walked behind us with a guilty expression on his face. I couldn’t care less about him right now. I needed to know who that fucker was and what did he say to her. I would rip him apart if he had hurt her.
Aria waved at Pete, and he gave her a warm smile.
I tossed my keys to Nick, and he looked at me confused. “I am riding in the backseat with her.”
He nodded, but I could see he was not happy about that. I didn’t give a fuck. I wasn’t going to let him scare her even more. He needed to learn to control Nate.
We got inside and Nick started the car.
I turned to face Aria. She was still pale and afraid.
“Tell me what happened,” I asked quietly.
I saw Nick looking at us in the rearview mirror. He looked worried and guilty.
“I think we should wait until we get home,” she said, looking through the car window.
I wasn’t happy, but I nodded and took her hand. I felt her relax and I smiled a little. I was glad she felt safe around me. I am her brother, and I will always protect her.
The drive from Pete’s to my house was not that long, but Nick was driving like a madman, and it took us only a little more than five minutes to get home. Normally, I would be pissed at Nick, but I too wanted to get home as soon as possible.
Nick pulled up my driveway and we got out of the car.
Annie opened the front door and smiled at us.
Her smile disappeared as soon as she saw our faces. “What the hell happened?”
We walked past her to get inside.
“We don’t know exactly,” Nick growled.
She looked at me confused. I grabbed her hand and led her to the living room.
Aria was already there, sitting on the couch. Her face was pale, and she was shaking a little.
“Nick, go get her a glass of water,” I said and sat beside her, taking her hand in mine.
Annie walked quickly to Aria. “What happened, A?”
Aria looked at her and gave her a weak smile. “I am okay. Just a little scared.”
Nick returned with a glass of water and gave it to Aria.
“Thank you,” she said and smiled at him.
I waited for her to finish her drink before asking her to tell us what happened. She took a deep breath and looked at me.
“I was sitting in the bakery waiting for you to come and get me,” She started talking. “This man came inside and walked up to me. He called me a little bird and asked me if I missed him. I told him that I didn’t know who he was and that he must have confused me with someone else. He told me I will remember who he is and that I belong to him.”
Nick growled loudly and all three of us flinched. I could see his eyes going from brown to black. Nate wanted out.
“Nick,” I said slowly. “Don’t let Nate out.”
He continued to growl, and he dug his nails into the sofa. I thought Nate was winning.
Aria quickly got up and walked over to him before I could stop her. He will hurt her if he shifts.
Nick looked at her, confused, his eyes shifting from black to brown.
She sat in his lap, wrapped her hands around his neck, and placed her head on his shoulder.
He was surprised, but only for a second. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed in her scent. His eyes immediately went back to brown.
Annie looked at me and smiled brightly.
“Who the fuck is that man?” Nick finally spoke.
Aria tried to get away from him, but he tightened his grip on her.
She sighed and sat in his lap so she could see both Annie and me.
“I don’t know,” she said, and her brows furrowed. “I have never seen him in my village.”
“What about that place you and your grandma lived before you came to Redwallow?” Annie asked her.
She lived somewhere else? I didn’t know that.
Aria looked at her like she had suddenly grown two heads. “What are you talking about, Annie? I’ve lived there my whole life.”
Nick and I looked at each other. What the hell was going on?
Annie had a shocked expression on her face. She looked between Nick and me, confused and scared.
“No, Aria,” she said slowly. “You were 16 years old when you and your grandma moved to our village.”
Aria’s POV
Was she crazy? We played in the mud together when we were kids. We went to the same school. Every important memory from my childhood had Annie in it.
Is she doing this on purpose? Why would she do that?
I couldn’t speak. Annie was looking at me with a confused expression and I could see that Nick and Gabriel were shocked. They were nervously looking between Annie and me.
What is going on?
I got off Nick’s lap and this time he let me.
I walked to the couch, sat beside Gabriel, and turned to Annie.
“Annie, please,” I said slowly. “How can you not remember our childhood?”
“Honey, I remember it,” she said and came to sit beside me. “But you were 16, Aria. You were the new girl in our high school. We met there and we became friends. And I will always be your friend. But I didn’t know you before. And I wish that I did because my life would be a lot better, I am sure of it.”
I could feel tears running down my cheek. This couldn’t be true. What was happening to me? Why was she saying that?
I couldn’t speak. What could I even say?
Gabriel cupped my cheek and turned my head toward him. “What do you remember?”
“Everything,” I cried out. “Annie and I grew up together. She is in every memory I have from the day I was born.”
Gabriel looked toward Annie and sighed. “I don’t know what to think.”
“Aria,” Annie called me and I turned back to her. “You know I love you, right?”
I nodded, tears falling down my cheeks.
“I love you so much, but you weren’t a part of my childhood. As much as I wish you were,” she said with a sympathetic look in her eyes.
My heart clenched painfully inside me. What was happening to me? I wanted to scream. I wanted to get away from here. My breathing picked up.
“What if somebody has put a spell on her?” Nick said quietly.
“On whom?” Gabriel asked him.
“Aria,” he said and looked up at me. “You can’t remember that man who obviously knows who you are. Your memories are different from Annie’s. Maybe you are under a memory distortion spell.”
My heart started beating faster. Could it be? But who was I then? Why would somebody do that to me? Was it my grandma? Or was she under a spell too?
“Good thinking, Nick,” Gabriel said. “That would explain everything.”
“But why would somebody do that to her?” Annie asked with sadness in her voice.
I slowly got up and walked to the window taking a few deep breaths. They didn’t notice me. They were too wrapped up in their conversation.
If what they were saying was true, my whole life has been a lie. Who was I even? If my grandma did this, what was she trying to protect me from? Did I even want to remember?
My heart started to beat painfully fast. I struggled to breathe. Voices behind me became distant, my vision darkening.
I could feel my knees giving away and I fell into darkness.
