Who Are You Again?

Chapter 2

I pound on the door for what seems like forever before I realize he's not coming back.

Ah. The headache again.

I put my back against the door and slide down, landing on my butt. I guess this is what my life is now. How long until the wedding?

Tears stream down my face. My mother hates me. My father has no spine. And my fiancé is evil. What do I do? I wipe my tears, go to the sink, and wash my face.

"Okay, Jaelin. You've got to find a way out of here."

Then another headache comes. AH. This one hurts worse than before. I make my way to the bed and lie down, covering up with the thin blanket I've been given.

KNOCK KNOCK! I jump up. I must have fallen asleep.

"I can't open the door, Jonah! You know this! Just come in, dammit." I shout. The knob twists, and I wait for him to come in.

But the person that opens the door isn't Jonah.

"OH MY GOD, JAELIN, YOU'RE ALIVE! THANK THE GODS!"

I stare at the man in confusion.

"W-Who are you?" I say, my voice trembling.

He's tall and muscular, with emerald green eyes and blonde curls that could woo any woman he met. Almost the complete opposite of Jonah, aside from his eyes, which they seem to share. Jonah has a small build with dark, straight hair.

"It's me, Jae. Kellin. I'm your best friend. What happened to you?"

I stare at him, drawing a blank. Best friend?

"Come on, Jae. You've gotta remember me. We've been best friends since grade school."

I close my eyes, trying to recall anything. Then I remember something. I remember Kellin! He was rushing me through the rain to a car. He handed me the keys and told me the tank was full and to drive as far west as it would take me while he bought me some time. Then I remember the car losing control and me driving off a bridge.

I open my eyes, gasping for breath. He takes me in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Jae! We will try again. I've gotta get you out of here!"

"Wait! What happened? Why is it like this? Tell me what you know because I can't remember everything!"

So Kellin tells me everything.

Jonah is my ex and Kellin's older brother. We were together since high school. I found out Jonah had been cheating on me with my sister, Anessa, for years. I had been trying to leave for months, but every time I left, he found me and dragged me back here. He made this room just to lock me up in. My parents promised me to him to keep their company afloat. They had spent their small fortune on Anessa, spoiling her since she was a child.

I was never wanted. My mother never loved me. My father was too weak to stand up for me. I was an unwanted mistake, a child my mother despised because she had only ever wanted Anessa.

The memories start flooding back.

As a child, I was ignored, given second-hand clothes while Anessa wore designer dresses. I was left out of family gatherings because I didn’t look the part. When I finally got a brand-new dress for a school recital—a pale blue one I loved—Anessa took it, spilled juice on it, and laughed when my mother scolded me for "ruining" something that was never really mine.

Anessa hated me for one reason: I had our grandmother’s striking crystal-blue eyes, a rarity in our family. Boys in school were drawn to me for them. She couldn’t stand it.

She spread rumors. Flirted with boys I liked. Made my life hell in every way she could. And my parents let her.

But I wasn’t entirely alone. I had Kellin.

Kellin was my only friend, my safe place. He shared his lunch with me when my mother forgot to pack mine. He stood up for me when Anessa humiliated me. He stole money from his father to help me buy clothes when my parents refused to.

And then there was Jonah.

Jonah had seemed like my salvation at first. He paid attention to me when no one else did. Called me "little bird"—a nickname I once thought was sweet but now makes my stomach churn.

But it was never love. Jonah was possessive, controlling. He always found a way to pull me back. And then I caught him with Anessa.

She had smirked. "Oh, come on, Jae. You knew you’d never be enough for him."

Jonah had only smiled coldly. "You’re not going anywhere, little bird."

That was the night I ran.

Kellin had stolen car keys, packed me a bag, and told me to drive. But Jonah found me. He always finds me.

The crash. The hospital. The amnesia. And now, here I am, trapped in his house again.

I look at Kellin, breathing heavily. "So what do we do now?"

He runs a hand through his curls. "I haven’t figured that out yet, but I don’t have much time today. If Jonah finds me down here, we’re both screwed."

"Don’t tell anyone I’ve remembered anything. I’d like to use this amnesia to my advantage."

Kellin nods. "Understood."

"When is the wedding, Kel?"

He smiles softly at my use of his nickname. "Two weeks."

"Perfect... I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of planning to do."

With that, we give each other a hug, and he leaves, locking the door behind him.

I sit on the edge of the bed, my mind racing.

Jonah and Anessa stole everything from me.

This time, I’m taking something back.

But for now, I have to pretend. I have to act like I’m still the weak, clueless girl they think I am.

I have two weeks to escape.

And this time, I’m never coming back.