PARKER TOSSES A yellow raincoat in my direction as soon as we exit Audrey's car, and I catch it, fumbling slightly. Glancing at the jacket that is now in my hands, I frown, before looking up at the sky. There are several puffs of clouds dotting the sky, but other than that, it looks clear.

"Are you expecting it to rain?"

His mouth threatens to quirk into a smile. "Just put it on and follow me."

Sighing, I do as he says, sliding my arms through the sleeves and flipping my hair out of the collar, letting it fall across my shoulders. Looking around, I take in our surroundings.

We're parked outside of a wooded area, next to a sign that reads Boulder Trail. He didn't tell me where we were going, so I have no idea what to expect. Parker sticks his hands into the pockets of his black pants and gestures with his chin for me to follow him onto the path.

As we begin to walk through the woods, I'm thankful I chose to wear boots today. Parker doesn't speak as we walk, but I think I hear him humming under his breath from time to time. I'm too focused on trying not to trip over the roots and twigs beneath my feet. The silence grows old after a while, and I get tired of staring at the back of his head.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I ask.

"Nope," he responds promptly, not sparing me a glance. "You'll see soon enough."

There's a part of me that feels like those words should frighten me, but they don't. Despite what happened yesterday, I still feel a warmth in his presence that I can't ignore. "That sounds ominous," I remark lightly.

"Maybe it is," he jokes.

It's quiet save for the sound of twigs snapping, the dirt crunching under our feet, and the occasional bird twittering in the trees above. My nose is met with the smell of pine needles and fresh air, and I slowly find myself unwinding from the day I had at school. There's something about being out in nature, away from it all, that makes me feel at ease.

"So, what does Audrey do?" I ask finally, my curiosity getting the better of me.

He crouches slightly, ducking under a branch. "She's a waitress at this Italian restaurant, Antonio's."

I mimic him, dodging the extension of the tree. "And you?"

He looks over his shoulder, only for a second, as though he's surprised I would even care. "Ah, I'm a line cook there."

The trail begins to get wider, and unexpectedly, a man on a bike whizzes past, going in the opposite direction. It's wide enough for us to walk side by side now, so I fall into step beside him, and he pretends not to notice, keeping his eyes forward.

"That's where you two met, then?" I inquire curiously.

"Oh." His face clears, voice growing quiet. "Yeah."

Silence overtakes us for a few beats, and I wonder if I should pursue the topic or not. Heaven knows it's uncomfortable, but I can't help the desire to find answers to all of my questions, no matter how insignificant.

I wait a while, keeping my eyes down, before asking, "How long have you been together?"

He pauses, and I think he won't answer, but then he does. "Six months now."

"And how long have you been living with us?"

I peek up with him, trying to gauge his reaction. His face is guarded once more, and he avoids my gaze. He clears his throat. "Just under two months."

My eyebrows raise again absentmindedly. "That's a while."

"Longer than I anticipated," he agrees, his voice low.

I try to think of how to change the subject, due to his reluctant responses, and my own discomfort . I glance upwards, noting that my view of the sky is obscured by the tops of trees. The path begins to incline upwards slightly, but I still have no idea where it's leading. I glance at him again, catching the troubled look on his face, and I sigh.

"What are my interests?" I ask lightly.

"What?" He blinks.

"What do I do in my spare time?" I elaborate, shrugging a shoulder, and his face softens a little.

His shoulders relax visibly and a smile plays about his lips. "You're a great actress," he tells me.

I frown. "Really? That's interesting."

"Oh yeah," he continues. "I've been told the school's theatre program would be garbage without you."

"Huh," I remark, eyebrows still furrowed.

When I think about it, it's really not that surprising. I must've been quite the actress if I could kiss my sister's boyfriend and get away with it. My mind categorizes this new piece of information in the Things We Don't Like About Allie category. It seems the list gets longer with every passing second.

"You're also fluent in Russian, Turkish, and Pig Latin," he states casually.

I bark out a laugh. "Okay, that's so not true."

As I look at him, his face blooms into a grin, and it's infectious enough to hold my own smile in place. "Yeah, that's a lie. I just thought it would make you smile." He glances at me, causing my cheeks to warm. "Looks like I was right."

Dropping my eyes shyly, I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to will the smile away. We shouldn't be getting along. I'm still angry with him.

"You do speak Spanish, though," he remarks. "Not fluently, but passably."

I open my mouth to reply but I stop short. His footsteps falter, and he looks back at me over his shoulder. I stay completely still, straining to make sense of the sound I can hear faintly. It's a rushing sound, sounding urgent, and as though it would be loud up close. I meet Parker's amused brown eyes as I frown, sending him a confused look.

"What is that?"

"We're almost there, come on," he says, by means of an explanation.

I follow him wordlessly, and the sound continues to grow louder, distracting me from any conversation. Focusing on not tripping over roots, we fall out of step, and I end up a few paces behind him. We walk this way for a few minutes until he suddenly stops, and I nearly crash into his back.

The sound has reached its peak, and I look up slowly, locating the source. A waterfall stands proudly before us, and I feel foolish for not recognizing the sound earlier. Absently, I feel my mouth fall open as my eyes travel the length of it, trailing upwards to the top. The view of the water descending is breathtaking, almost like an optical illusion. The sound is loud in my ears, and I feel dazed and overwhelmed by the beauty.

Parker places his hand on my back gently, ushering me out of the way of a couple trying to leave, starting on the trail, and the action snaps me out of my trance. He says something, but it's drowned out by the noise, and he points to an area near the falls.

We climb up slippery rocks, bringing us closer to the natural wonder, and despite the danger, a large grin takes over my face. Water splashes up to meet us, and I understand the need for the raincoat. I lose my footing at one point, ending up clutching a handful of Parker's shirt. He latches onto my arm in return, keeping me upright. He doesn't seem to trust my feet for the rest of the way, which is probably wise, and his grip remains as we make our way up the last of it.

I stick my hand out, letting it get drenched from the downpour, and it splashes up onto my face and hair, soaking both instantly. Parker watches with a knowing smile on his face. I'm sure I resemble something of a child right now, but I don't care.

It's only when we're back on the trail, heading home, me with dripping hair, him with a damp hat, both of us with soaked shoes, the adrenaline fades. I shiver slightly from the chill that has taken over my body. The air has cooled down significantly, especially when we're in the forest without the help of the sun, and the fact that I'm soaked through to the bone doesn't exactly help. But it was worth it.

"Did I come here a lot?" I ask, a while into our journey.

"You haven't in a while," he explains, sticking his hands in his pockets. "But I know your dad used to take you all the time."

I feel a spark of curiosity at the words, and I hurry to follow behind him. "Where is he? No one has mentioned him..." I trail off.

He gives me a sympathetic look over his shoulder, shrugging. "Don't know," he remarks. "They don't talk about him much. All I know is that he left a long time ago."

I frown, disappointed at the lack of answers. He's quiet for a while, and after a pause, he glances in my direction again. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, lowering his gaze. "I never should've went up to your room last night."

Just like that, I feel the walls go up and the doors slam shut within me. Any progress we made in the past hour disappears, and the feelings of anger and confusion return at breakneck speed.

"We could have started over," he laments, and I can hear the regret in his voice, without looking at his face. "It would've worked out perfectly. You wouldn't have remembered me. Things would've been the way they're supposed to be."

I don't say anything for a while, wondering if I should respond at all. But the pain in his voice makes some of my anger melt away, and it just leaves me with a feeling of melancholy, of an internal battle that feels familiar, like I've already fought and been defeated. "We can't change the past," I tell him, feeling uncomfortable. "But it's not going to happen again."

"I know," he says, voice low, sticking his hands further into his pockets, before looking up. "We're almost to the car."

Just like that, the subject is dropped, and neither of us say a word the whole way home.

✘✘✘

Hours later, Sofia is busy lighting scented candles around the house.

I watch her from the dining room table, seeing a tendril of hair slip out of her bun, which is looser now, after work. She insisted on having a small dinner party in honour of my return from the hospital, pointing out a dress for me to wear, then busying herself by creating a warm ambiance, turning down the lights and playing old jazz music through the stereo.

Audrey curled my hair after she came home from work, apologizing for our mother's behaviour once again. The kitchen smells like expensive food and red wine, and I feel out of place.

"Are we having guests over?" I ask Sofia, a frown making a crease between my eyebrows.

"Just one," she answers smoothly, stepping back from the candelabra to make sure the candles will stay alight.

Before I can ask her more about the mysterious guest, she vacates the dining room, going to tend to something in the kitchen, and I sigh, feeling useless. I could ask if she needs any help, but Audrey and Parker are here, and unlike me, they can actually do things on their own without asking questions every five seconds.

Glancing out of the French doors that lead to the backyard, I see eyes glinting in the dim light. Scout is chained to the fence, her eyes steady on me. She's been outside the majority of the time since I came home yesterday, and I feel bad about it, but Sofia doesn't trust that she won't harm me, and the thought is frightening enough to keep my guilt at bay.

Parker enters the room then, donned in a grey dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, carrying a plate of fresh bread, placing it on the table. I find my eyes drawn to his profile as he ignores me. He hasn't looked at me at all since we came home from the falls, and it leaves me feeling complicated.

He leaves the room shortly after, and I push back my chair, standing up and smoothing out the skirt of my dress. I can't wait until this dinner is over; my amnesia is hardly something to celebrate. The doorbell rings moments later, and I assume the mystery guest has arrived.

My feet pad along the wooden floors as I make my way to the entrance, following the sound of Sofia's voice, and I hover a few steps away from the door. A man has arrived, his hair salt and peppered with grey, his appearance clean and fresh, smile dazzling. Sofia greets him, kissing him on the cheek, and then he's inside the house, locking eyes with me.

I shift my weight uncomfortably as he extends his hand for me to shake. I comply, giving him a brief smile.

"It's good to see you out of the hospital, Allie," he says, his voice friendly, but for some reason, it doesn't seem genuine.

"Thank you," I reply politely, my eyes jumping to Sofia, who takes a second to notice me, her eyes preoccupied with the man.

"Oh," she says, blinking. "Allie, this is my partner, Clark." Her mouth forms a smile around his name, and she smooths a hand on his back.

We linger in the doorway for a few moments, before Sofia directs us to the dining room. I turn around to find Audrey watching Clark with a hard look on her face. He nods at her as he passes but she makes no effort to respond. Frowning, I follow them into the other room, and we take our seats; Clark, at the head of the table, Sofia next to me, Parker and Audrey sitting opposite.

"You're looking lovely as ever this evening," Clark says smoothly, reaching over to place a hand on Sofia's knee.

Sofia gives him a small smile, and it's hard to tell in the dim lighting, but it looks as though her cheeks turn slightly pink. Audrey reaches for the bottle of wine, pouring some in her glass and taking a sip, looking unimpressed by the interaction. I shoot her a look of confusion but she only raises an eyebrow, as if that explains everything.

"The roast should be ready soon," Sofia addresses the table, and it's the happiest I've seen her since waking up.

She turns to me, looking content. "So, Allie, how was your first day back?" She asks the question calmly, as though she doesn't remember the argument we had this morning about the same thing, or she's just choosing not to remember.

"Um," I mumble, noting the attention shift to me. Clark's eyes are gleaming in the candlelight, and across from me, Audrey gives me an encouraging smile, her arm resting on Parker's shoulder. "It was okay."

She scoffs, though she's not angry. "Just okay? I'm sure your friends were happy to see you."

I nod, picking at the napkin on the table. "They were."

She smiles, taking the cloth napkin from in front of her and placing it across her lap. "I bet Dylan was over the moon," she remarks.

Swallowing, I drop my eyes, thinking of the incident that occurred this morning. I think of Dylan's hot breath on my face, of my hands shoving him away, of the three pairs of eyes that stared back at me in shock. Just don't make me wait forever.

I look up again, forcing my lips to upturn slightly, pushing away the memory. "He was pretty excited," I say lightly.

Sofia brings the wine glass to her lips. "They all came to visit you in the hospital, you know."

"Yeah," Audrey chimes in, smirking. "We couldn't get Dylan to leave. It was horribly sweet, isn't that right?" She turns to Parker, smiling, still leaning on his shoulder, and he nods, looking uncomfortable.

His eyes flit to mine briefly and I reach for the wine bottle.

Sofia gives me a subtle look of warning as I pour myself a glass, but I ignore it, taking a long sip. It's a deep red in colour, and it tastes bitter as it passes my lips. I take another swig, hoping it'll take the uncomfortable edge off the evening soon. It seems Audrey has the same idea, and the more she drinks, the more affectionate she gets, and the more Parker sends me furtive glances.

A burning anger begins to boil in my blood, and I don't think the wine will take it away. Distantly a timer goes off, signaling that the roast is finished, and Sofia pushes her chair back, making to go get it. I beat her to it, flying up from my seat.

"Let me," I say hastily.

She blinks, looking surprised. "Thank you," she says, her tone mildly confused. "Be careful, don't burn yourself.

I flash a quick smile. "Parker can show me where the oven mitts are," I say, looking at him pointedly.

Thankfully, he understands my message, nodding and extracting himself from Audrey's hands. "Oh, uh, sure."

I'm silent as I stalk toward the kitchen, and his footsteps pad along behind me, several paces behind. We enter the room, and he locates the oven mitts, handing them to me. I take them a little aggressively, pulling open the oven and pulling out the chicken. I set it down on the stove, then whirl to face him.

His eyes widen at the fierce look on my face.

"You need to stop looking at me like that," I hiss, pointing at him.

His head jerks backward slightly from the sheer force of my words, and his eyebrows furrow. "I didn't realize I was—"

I don't bother to listen, picking up the dish, and heading out of the kitchen. I place the piping hot dish on the pot holders that are placed on the table, then return to my seat. Parker returns moments later, looking perplexed, but listening to my demand, keeping his eyes safely away from mine.

Audrey grins at him when he takes the chair beside her again, and she gives his arm a squeeze.

I swallow down the rest of my glass, then pour out some more, raising it like I'm making a toast. "Dinner is served," I say grandly, my smile sardonic, before taking another generous sip.

The evening continues, despite its rocky start, with plenty of annoyed looks from Sofia, and mildly impressed looks from Audrey, as I don't seem to let my glass remain empty for long. The novelty wears off though, and soon she's quietly advising that I slow down. The buzz hits me hard halfway through the meal. I start to feel like my head is floating, or like half of my brain has fogged over, and I learn quickly that the more alcohol I consume, the mouthier I become.

Clark is in the middle of his fifth story about his recent travels to Rome, Vienna, and Santorini, when I cut him off, completely uninterested in whatever pretentious thing he's saying.

"Sofia," I start, frowning, and my face feels warm from the drink in front of me. She looks at me, her eyes flashing, her red lips pursed tightly. "I was in a car accident."

"That's correct," she says stiffly, her eyes darting to Clark.

I lean forward, resting my chin in my hand. "Was I alone? What happened?"

She blinks, obviously taken aback by the abrupt question. "Well... you lost control of your car and hit a tree," she replies, clearing her throat.

"Hm," I hum. "Where's the car?"

Her eyebrows furrow, and she shakes her head. "What?"

"I want to see it," I reply simply, shrugging.

She laughs shortly, as though she doesn't know what else to do. "It was totaled. It got hauled away to the junkyard soon after you crashed it," she says, not seeing where I'm going with this.

"You never saw it?"

"It wasn't something I wanted to see," she says briskly, smoothing out her napkin.

I ponder the words for a few moments, and Audrey begins to say something, attempting to change the topic, but I speak without thinking again, silencing her. "Kind of crazy how I only walked away with amnesia, then," I remark.

"We're very lucky," Clark agrees, trying to save the conversation from crash-landing. He raises his glass, showcasing his dazzling smile. "I think we should have a toast to celebrate Allie's well-being."

Raising my glass absentmindedly, my mind jumps to the wound on my side, and it's almost like it flares up in pain in response. Dr. Meyer never mentioned anything about it, and no one else has either. "You would think I would have some other injuries," I press on, trying one last time. "There must have been shattered glass and—"

"We can discuss this later," Sofia says, her voice snippy, and she extracts the glass from my hand, effectively cutting me off.

Every feature on her face looks tight, and the tension in the room is thick, everyone apart from Sofia and I casting their eyes downward. Reluctantly, I decide to drop the subject, dutifully keeping my mouth shut for the rest of the dinner. If all I'm going to get are evasive answers, I'm wasting my breath anyway.

✘✘✘

Later, after Clark has left the house and the table has been cleaned up, Sofia stops me, her voice stern as she calls my name, and I pause, standing in the doorway of the dining room.

Her face is still angry, her features sharp as she folds her arms. "That was not okay," she says firmly.

"I'm just trying to understand what happened to me," I say, holding my hands up in surrender, but my brain is still fuzzy, and everything feels surreal.

"By getting drunk?" I start to walk away, feeling a wave of anger, but she stops me again. "Look at me, Alina." I do. "You completely embarrassed me tonight. This dinner was for you."

Raising an eyebrow, I can't stop the biting remark from escaping. "Are you sure it wasn't for Clark?" I ask, and the moment feels vaguely familiar, as if it's happened before. All I want to do is go upstairs and crawl under the covers, but I know walking away without a word will only make things worse.

She narrows her eyes. "What are you trying to say?" She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Doesn't matter. I've had about enough of this for one night."

The words hurt, but only a little. I turn on my heel, heading for the stairs, leaving Sofia behind.