Chapter Twenty — The Memory
1079 Words
I didn’t sleep.
Not even for a minute.
The photograph was still on my bed when morning came.
I kept staring at the sentence.
If anything happens, don’t let Amara remember.
Who wrote it?
And why?
I picked up my phone and read the messages again.
Why your mother wanted you to forget.
Why Damien agreed.
I felt a strange pressure in my chest.
I needed answers.
And this time, I wasn’t going to let Damien avoid me.
I found him outside the lecture hall before class.
He was standing alone, scrolling through his phone.
The moment he saw me, he put it away.
“We need to talk.”
His expression became serious.
“About what?”
I handed him the photograph.
His eyes immediately dropped to the writing.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
“You’ve seen this before,” I said.
He didn’t deny it.
“Where did you get it?”
“My mother’s things.”
He looked at the sentence again.
“Who wrote this?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re sure you didn’t write it?”
His eyes snapped toward mine.
“Why would I?”
“Because your name is on the back.”
He went quiet.
I stepped closer.
“What happened two years ago?”
“Amara—”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I’m tired of hearing that I’m not ready.”
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he sighed.
“You were at Student Affairs Hall.”
“I know.”
“There was an accident.”
“What kind?”
“A fight.”
My stomach dropped.
“A fight?”
“Yes.”
“Who was fighting?”
Damien hesitated.
“Marcus and another student.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
I stared at him.
“You don’t know?”
“I wasn’t there when it started.”
“But you were there.”
“Yes.”
“And my mother?”
“She came looking for you.”
“Why?”
“Because you had called her.”
I frowned.
“I don’t remember calling her.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you were already hurt.”
The hallway suddenly felt too quiet.
“What happened to me?”
Damien looked at the photograph.
“You fell.”
“That’s all?”
“No.”
He swallowed.
“You hit your head.”
My fingers went cold.
“Was I unconscious?”
“For a while.”
“How long?”
“Long enough for everyone to panic.”
I stared at him.
“Why don’t I remember any of this?”
“Because your mother didn’t want you to.”
I shook my head.
“That still doesn’t explain anything.”
Damien stepped closer.
“She thought forgetting would keep you safe.”
“Safe from Marcus?”
He didn’t answer.
“Damien.”
He finally said,
“Not only Marcus.”
My heart pounded.
“Then who?”
Before he could answer, someone called his name.
“Damien!”
We both turned.
Adrian was walking toward us.
He looked worried.
The moment he saw the photograph in my hand, he stopped.
“Where did you get that?”
“My mother’s things.”
Adrian looked at Damien.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing.”
Adrian exhaled.
“You need to leave this alone, Amara.”
I almost laughed.
“That’s becoming everyone’s favorite sentence.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Adrian glanced around the hallway.
Then lowered his voice.
“Some people from that day never wanted the truth to come out.”
“Who?”
He didn’t answer.
“Who?”
“Marcus isn’t the only person you should be worried about.”
Damien immediately looked at him.
“Adrian.”
“What?”
“You said you wouldn’t—”
“I know.”
Adrian stopped himself.
I looked between them.
“You two are hiding something.”
Adrian’s expression softened.
“We’re trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection.”
Damien looked at me.
“You did two years ago.”
His words hit me harder than I expected.
I turned to him.
“What exactly did I forget?”
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Then suddenly—
A sound.
A faint buzzing in my ears.
I blinked.
The hallway disappeared.
For a second, I wasn’t at university anymore.
I was somewhere else.
A hallway.
A loud crowd.
Someone shouting.
My mother’s voice.
“Amara!”
I felt a sharp pain in my head.
Then another voice.
A male voice.
“Don’t let her see him.”
My breathing became uneven.
A hand grabbed mine.
Damien.
“Amara?”
I looked at him.
His face was blurry.
The memory was fading.
“No…”
“What happened?”
“I saw something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
He held my shoulders.
“Look at me.”
I did.
“Breathe.”
I closed my eyes.
The memory disappeared completely.
When I opened them again, Adrian was staring at me.
And he looked terrified.
Not worried.
Terrified.
“You remembered something,” he whispered.
I looked at him.
“How did you know?”
He didn’t answer.
Damien turned toward his brother.
“Adrian.”
But Adrian was already backing away.
“I need to go.”
“Adrian.”
He ignored him.
He walked away quickly.
I looked at Damien.
“What was that about?”
He didn’t answer.
“Damien.”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“You remembered the hallway.”
“How do you know?”
“Because that’s where everything started.”
“What started?”
He looked directly into my eyes.
“The reason I’ve been watching you.”
My heart skipped.
“Why?”
He stepped closer.
For a moment, I thought he would finally tell me.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed instantly.
“Who is it?” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
He picked up.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then his face went pale.
“What?”
I watched him carefully.
He ended the call.
“What happened?”
He looked at me.
And this time, there was no teasing.
No arrogance.
No sarcasm.
Just fear.
“Your mother is in trouble.”
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