Harsh Light of Day

by Jaye A. Jones

CHAPTER 20

  The images flickered in my head at first like pictures in a slide show.

  These were my memories too, I realized as the images became clearer. It happened to me. This used to be me.

  I knew it was the truth of my past like I knew Will held my hand and that Annabelle was risking her life to protect me. It felt like so long ago, like something I knew happened because there were photographs as a record but wasn’t sure I actually had any memory of it.

  Declan, with his bare, pale, muscular chest lay in my old bed, in my old dorm room, with his arms around her naked shoulders. My naked shoulders. A content stare set his beautiful face aglow. His soft blue eyes with their ring of gold sparkled like I’d never seen them…never remembered seeing them.

  She breathed deeply, catching her breath. Sweat glistened off the moonlight out the open window on her tanned, smooth skin. He kissed her forehead and she nuzzled his neck, sighing into him with serene pleasure.

  “If I could live one day over,” she whispered in his ear, “I’d pick this day.” She slowly kissed him with so much passion, I could feel my heart speed up and my stomach tighten.

  Blood rushed to my cheeks as the memory got more vivid, more intense. Part of me knew I needed to reel in what I was feeling, concentrate on what was going on now.

  But I also knew if I was going to die tonight, I would not be able to stop it. Only Annabelle and Lennox stood between Will and my death.

  All I had to do was stay on my feet, keep hold of Will’s hand, stay behind Annabelle.

  So I let the memory shower over me like hot water.