Chapter 6

I can hear her breaths but she doesn't speak a word and now I realize that maybe this is a bad idea and that I'm in one of those times when I tend to let my impulsive thoughts get the best of me or maybe she just didn't hear me, so I tried again but this time quite unsure.

"Uh-hello?" I say again glancing up to Scarlett and Colin who is really into our conversation which is not happening yet. Still, nothing. So I shake my head at Scarlett taking the phone off my ear and giving it to her.

"She's not talking." I say in a low tone quite disappointed on that. She eventually takes the phone from me with furrowed brows before holding up to her ear. I look away ignoring it, my eyes stuck on the screen right in front of me. I was really expecting her to say something, anything even just a faint 'hi'.

What happened to us anyway? Is she mad? Is shestill upset about us? What did I do so bad that she doesn't even want to talk to me? Oh how I wish I would remember the answers to all of my questions but its really not that easy. I'm still clueless on what is happening right now.

"Shan, maybe you should rest" Scarlett says pulling me out of my thoughts. Well maybe I really should because my head is still pounding from earlier.

"Babe can you lend Shannon some of your clothes because my clothes won't definitely fit her. I will just fix the guest room for her."

"Yea sure."Colin smiles before helping me up. Its just now I realize how heavy my body is like an extra weight has been placed on top of my head and force to carry it around until my back hits the bed. Now, I can admit I am tired physically, mentally and emotionally and that is something I can't laugh about anymore.

"You alright?" I hear Colin asks as we made our way upstairs. He holds my arms in a tight grip basically carrying me upstairs, its weird but I appreciate the gesture really, these people are so nice its really unbelievable. I smiled at him and nod.

"So we really need to be quiet because Rose is already asleep and we really don't want to wake her up." Right, I forgot Scarlett has a kid. I followed Colin in their room which is as big as their living room and to top it up a walk in closet. Yep, I would definitely know that this is a celebrity house if ever she sells it and put it out on the market, its really too obvious.

I lean against the door frame waiting for Colin just looking around. White walls, ground coffee toned floors, a modern looking fireplace and a glass wall leading to a balcony. I can go on and on about everything I see here in this bedroom alone, but my head is really killing me right now and I just really want to go to bed.

"Here you go." I snap my head around upon hearing Colin's voice. He looks up to me as soon as he's in reach and hands me some clothes neatly folded and piled up.

"Thanks" I say taking it with a small smile on my face. I suddenly have the urge to apologize for having to crash in the night. Its not really my thing to sleep in other people's houses let alone a far more sophisticated house than mine. "Uh- I'm sorry, I had to crash in here tonight-"

"Hey, its okay. Its better this way than having you driving back home after what just happened earlier."

"Yea, I'm sorry about that too." I say

"Can you stop apologizing really. Its cool." I gave him a small smile as he taps me on the shoulders. We made our way to the door but my eyes caught a glance of their wedding picture by the bedside table. And that makes me wonder, when did they got married?

"Uh right I might be too late for this but, congratulations on your wedding." He chuckles giving me a playful nudge on the shoulder. Well its better late than never and besides they really make a great couple. Good for them.————————Lizzie's P.O.V.I don't know how long I've been staring at my laptop with her face on the screen but it must've been a long time now since my eyes are starting to hurt.

Hi

With just that simple statement, I immediately knew it was her. My heart just starts beating differently as soon as I heard her voice again and it was not like in her videos. She was actually talking to me and it caught me off guard. I couldn't speak. Its like my throat just automatically closed up and my mind had gone totally blank. Even if I opened my mouth no words comes out, its like my voice doesn't exist and all I can do is just listen to her voice on the other line.

Just when I thought I was doing very well at moving on from her, this happens and now I'm back to square one. Staring at her as I watch her videos while waiting for Scarlett to call me again. She said she'll call me after Shannon returned the phone to her and in that moment all I wanted was to hear her voice again just a little bit more.

Buzz

My eyes snapped on the table where my phone rests and I immediately take it seeing a text from Scarlett. My heart starts pounding again, my blood draining out in an instant sending my hands to freeze. I opened the text

Give me five minutes then I'll call you. Just waiting for her to go to sleep.

She's staying at her place tonight? My brows furrowed at the thought of that as I felt a slight pang hit my chest upon reading that. a jealousy of some kind, I guess, but not in that way. What is she even doing in Scarlett's house unless, I knew it. What Mackie said about her not remembering them is all an act of her to just ignore a subject about us. Is that it? I'm pretty sure that's it. Why else would she be in Scarlett's house let alone spending the night at hers.

I look up to her face again, staring at those strong ocean eyes, her long lashes that really compliment those orbs, her perfect nose and her rosy lips with pearls hidden behind them. That sharp looking jawline which adds up into that gorgeous charming face of hers. Lizzie what the fuck are you doing?

Ring!

I jumped out of my seat at the sound of my phone almost dropping it face down on the floor. Fortunately, I caught it just in time. I silently curse myself for being a klutz before glancing at my phone. Scarlett's name flashes across the screen and without hesitation I answered.

"Hello?" I say this time finding my own voice. Glad she decided to work with me now.

"Hi, I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"That's alright." I try to force a little chuckle from me remembering the fact that Shannon is probably at her guest room right now sleeping like a log. " So, Shannon's there at your place?"

"Yea, about that." There is something about her tone that triggered the idea into my head again. Which is starting to annoy me by the way. "There is something that you should know"

"What?"

"Its Shannon, Uh-"

"Let me guess." I cut her off as I slide the glass door letting the cool air hit my bare shoulders. "She doesn't remember you too?" I step outside feeling the need to get some fresh air to breathe. I was rather pissed off at the moment with her use of an excuse in desperation to ignore all the memories that includes me and her.

"How did you know?" The confusion and curiosity in her voice is very evident and I feel so bad for her. I sit on the bench far from our spot releasing a sigh.

"Mackie told me. But I believe its all an act, she's just making it as an excuse for her not needing to talk about us  and all that comes with it-"

"Liz no-" No shit, she believes her. Damn, is she that good at acting now.

"Wait, please tell me you don't believe her"

"Yes, I do but at-"

"Oh my God." I let out a slight chuckle. "I can't believe you fell for that little trick of hers."

"Okay, Elizabeth can you stop." She says in a more serious tone this time and for some reason that shut me up and its only now, I realized how loud and fast is my heart beating, even louder than the sound of the evening breeze.

"What's happening? Are you okay? You can't say a single fucking word earlier and now you won't even let me speak to you properly. What the fuck is going on?" Guilt build up inside of me upon hearing that. Well, I don't really know myself. I'm hurt, confused maybe, frustrated about everything, about her, about me. I don't know.

"Would you let me speak now?" I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat before I say,

"I'm sorry." Its small, barely a whisper but I'm sure she heard it because then I hear her sigh.

"Alright, its okay. I'm sorry for snapping at you, this day had been so stressful for me. Anyway, this thing about Shannon not remembering anything is true." She sounds so sure and serious and it was making my heart race in my chest like a drum roll beating 140 beats per minute.

"How do you know?" I asked still in doubt with all of this but this time I was praying to the heavens that the coming words that will roll out her mouth will form a sentence that say 'I'm kidding' but then it didn't instead she says.

"I just know. You might've forgotten that Shannon doesn't know how to lie just like you suck at that too." I couldn't speak. Guilt rises up at the realization of that. She's right, Shannon doesn't lie, she fake feelings but to tell a lie straight to your face? Its just not her. God, how can I be so blind and fucking stupid.

"At first, I really thought she was just acting up but it really felt different. Its like meeting the awkward Shannon for the first time again. I invited her to dinner after our shoot and if what you were saying earlier was even true, she might've turn me down immediately but she didn't. I took her to the restaurant where we had our first dinner hoping she'll remember something but nothing that's when she told me, why she can't remember anything." She pauses and everything stops at that moment. I was dreading for it at the same time I was waiting for what she's about to say, an acceptable reason for all of this.

"She had a car accident two years ago." A few seconds, just a few seconds, that's all it took for that to sink into me and a tear to escape from my eye. It can't be. I feel all my blood draining out of me and it felt like someone had poured ice cold water all over me.

No, it can't be true.

"I told her about you and her." She whispers sadly and that just tells me so much. Another tear fell followed by another until they simultaneously drop on my pajamas like soft rain damping the fabric.

"She doesn't remember me does she?" It was barely there, a whisper to the breeze. Her silence says it all sending daggers to my heart silently killing me. I raised my knees up to my chest pulling my legs closer just to bring me some kind of comfort but it does nothing. It doesn't make me feel any better. How can something makes me feel better when I just found out that the greatest thing I've shared with her and still holding on to just vanished in her memory. Now it seems like we didn't even exist. What we did, we had, good and bad gone. Just like that.

"I'm really sorry Lizzie, I know its been a long time since you two broke up but I just thought that you should know."

"Yea" I subconsciously whispered.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yea, why wouldn't I be?" Yet again another lie. I try to sound confident letting out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Are you sure? You don't seem so sure" She knows, well I really suck at lying everyone knows that even though I try my hardest not to get caught.

"Yea, I'll be fine."

"She really wants to talk to you earlier Lizzie. Maybe you should consider it and just give it a thought." Hearing that just makes me want to burst into tears. How? how would I even handle seeing her looking at me with blank eyes knowing she doesn't even remember who the fuck am I? I should say forget it, I don't want to talk to her, I can't see her and all some stupid shitty excuse for me to not see her but instead these words roll out my mouth as I say,

"I'll think about it."

"Alright, I'll take her number tomorrow so-" Her voice fades into my head as scenarios of us meeting flashes in right in front of my eyes one scene at the time with numerous possibilities but there's only one thing in common. We've become two strangers meeting again for the first time and that's what hurts the most.————————Shannon's P.O.V.I woke up with the sound of birds chirping out my window which is an odd thing because I'm used to waking up with loud music blaring out from the living room, but this is nice. I reached for my phone on the bedside table to see the time. 9:00 am it read.

"Oh shit! I'm late" I sat up immediately and winced at the pain in my head and that's when I remember. I postponed my shoot on Storyblocks today because of this fucking migraine. That's right. Ugh, I feel terrible. This is far more worse than a hangover. Note to self, don't overwork thy brain.

I sighed as I fall back to bed bouncing a bit as my back hit the soft, more like a cloud mattress of it and stare at the white painted ceiling. My thoughts going to the events that happened last night. I felt some kind of rage lingering on the back of my mind not just because of what had happened last night but also because of the fact that my family didn't consider anything after deciding for myself to just throw everything that had been forgotten and move on as if it was that easy, like nothing happened perhaps. I really need to speak to them when I get out of here. I'm sure they probably know everything and I don't care if it takes us all day. I just want to know all of it up to the last detail of the accident.

As much as I want to just stay in this soft and cozy bed, I probably need to fix myself so I could go home. I might be overstaying here already. So I got up scrunching my left eye as pain shoots through it while I make my way to the bathroom to freshen up a bit.

"Looking good Beveridge" I say to myself as I look myself at the mirror trying to make myself look presentable in some way. "That'll do" I mutter to myself before walking out of the bathroom taking my things and making sure I didn't left anything. After last night's events, it might be a while until I would return to this house, if Scarlett would invite me over again that is. Either way, its fine by me.

When I made sure everything is back to its original place, I exit the room and cautiously made my way downstairs. The sound of a child's laughter fills my ears, right she has a kid. I keep on forgetting that bit. I followed Rose's cute voice because for sure I would eventually find Scarlett or Colin with her and that led me to the dining room where I see all of them sat eating their food.

"Hey" I say announcing my presence and all eyes were on me. It made me feel a bit awkward considering the horror look on the child's face. She clearly doesn't know who I am so maybe I never really met the kid yet.

"Hi good morning! Come on join us." Scarlett says as she goes to stand up but I stopped her and say,

"No its okay, I'm just about to-"

"Sit down" She demands and my body automatically follows her like she just pushed a button or something. I sat on the seat beside her as she puts down a plate in front of me before piling up some delicious looking pancakes on it. I can really feel a pair of eyes digging through my soul so I cautiously look up and saw Rose staring at me like I've grown two head or something. I offered a smile and she immediately turns her head looking at Colin asking for some kind of help. Do I look that scary? I'm child proof right?

"Now eat" And I did, I hear Colin sniggers. I was like a child being told off at the moment.

"Mommy who is she?" I raise my head glancing at Rose who really is puzzled at the moment. Well I would too if I wake up and a stranger comes in and suddenly eats with us.

"Oh right, I forgot." Scarlett smiles as I take in a mouthful of pancakes. "This is Shannon sweetheart, she's mommy's friend. would like to say hi?" I turn to Rose with pancakes stuffed into my mouth making her smile and slowly laughs at my face. Perfect timing Scarlett really? Scarlett and Colin turns to me while I try my best to chew and swallow my food.

"God, slow down. You're going to choke on your food silly." I smile at the use of a safe word. If Rose wasn't in here she might've called me dumbass or whatever curse word that will just mean stupid basically. Rose continue to giggle at my face and I join her.

"I'm sorry, the little dragons in my stomach are really hungry so I really need to feed them don't I my princess." I say in a playful tone talking mainly to Rose. Well, I figured she likes princesses seeing she's dressed as one right now.

"I am a princess!" She cheers before tilting her head to the side giggling so I copied her and it only led us to be told off again by Scarlett for not eating our food and that made us stop and eat. I took another bite of my food before glancing at Rose who is secretly looking at me. Ha! this sneaky little dumpling wants to play. So I stare and wait for her to look at me again and when she did I winked at her and made a face.

"Shannon!"

"What? I'm not doing anything" I say in defense but the laughter of Rose doesn't seem to support that statement of mine. She squints her eyes at me and I try my best to play as innocent as possible drinking the glass of juice in front of me flushing the food in my throat. I can still feel her eyes as I return the glass back to the table so I turn to Rose who is still giggling in her seat watching her mom torture me with her eyes so I say,

"Uh sweetheart please finish your food now and then we'll play princess later if you want and if you finish your plate." Rose's eyes lit up and dig in her food which is a relief for me because damn mama bear is probably killing me in her mind. Colin sniggers again and it made me smirk. I guess this might be the first and last time I will get to hang out with Rose since her mom thinks I'm a bad influence for her.

"Glad you got the message." She says giving me a nudge on the arm. I finish my food in silence as Colin and Scarlett starts talking about their plans since Scarlett will be on vacation until the press period for Black Widow. This gives me a chance to get lost in my thoughts again.

The truth is, I really feel so confused, in rage right now. So confused that I allow myself to be on autopilot. Its the one thing I'm good at, masking my true feelings. Its not easy to live in my shoes right now, it feels like there's a tornado in my head mixing up all my thoughts until they get tangled to one another making it even worse. I'd figure this day would come as soon as I went back here in LA, not meeting with celebrities and finding out they fucking knew me all this time and all that shit but, me finding out the truth about myself two years ago that I have no single memory of, but I didn't expect it to be so complicated. But I need this. I need to know what happened and this time, I want the whole fucking truth.