Anew

13

The rest of the summer flew by for Scarlet. She spent most of her days with either Heather or Gabriel—sometimes both—swimming, going to movies, and savoring as much summer sun as possible.

She and Gabriel went on several more dates and got along perfectly. They laughed, they talked, they had fun. It was wonderful.

Heather still held reservations about Gabriel, but Scarlet wasn’t worried.

Sure, there was something in the back of her mind nagging her about him.

But there was also something in the back of her mind telling her Gabriel was safe.

Something told her he was good.

And she chose to listen to the pro-Gabriel side of her head, and snub the suspicious side.

Because Scarlet and Gabriel clicked.

They fit together like puzzle pieces, like they were made for one another.

Gabriel was amazing. In every conversation they had it was like he knew her.

Everything about their relationship was easy and carefree and Scarlet couldn’t think of a more perfect guy for her.

Summer eventually came to a close, however, and Scarlet had to say goodbye to lazy summer afternoons and hello to a whole new world of homework.

Senior year.

School began and Scarlet felt like her life was finally falling into place; she was finally beginning to take on an identity of her own.

No more amnesia girl. No more mystery girl.

She was becoming Scarlet Jacobs: normal high school student with a quirky best friend and a hot boyfriend.

A hot boyfriend the whole school seemed to adore.

To say Gabriel made a splash on the first day of school was an understatement. Everywhere he went, girls followed him with their eyes, if not with their bodies.

Even weeks into the first semester they still ogled him, whispered about him, and batted lashes at him shamelessly.

Scarlet wasn’t jealous, per se. But she wasn’t thrilled about her boyfriend’s fan club either.

Mostly because she was almost certain there was an I-Hate-Scarlet-Jacobs club meeting after school on Thursdays, plotting her demise so they could contend for the affections of her boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

The word made Scarlet smile.

She was crazy about Gabriel.

Not just because his eyes made her melt and he smelled good, but because she could be herself around him. He made her feel perfect just the way she was, broken memory and all.

Scarlet made her way to into the hall after second period and spied Gabriel leaning against her locker, flashing a smile that broke hearts and stole souls.

She smiled back. “Good morning.” She reached him and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, pushing away from the lockers. He glanced down at her shoes and examined them.

He did that a lot.

“You’re staring at my shoes again,” Scarlet teased.

Gabriel looked up at her with a smile. “Sorry. It’s just…interesting. You really don’t remember where you saw that symbol?”

Scarlet shrugged. “Nope. It just sorta…came to me.”

“Huh,” Gabriel said. His thoughts seemed far away for a moment before he looked at her with a sweet smile.

“What?”

He cocked his head for moment, still smiling. “Do you know you bite your lip when you’re nervous? It’s adorable. I love it.”

Scarlet stopped biting her lip and smiled.

Gabriel continued, “You know what else I love? Your smile. And your pretty face. And everything about you.”

Heart melting now.

Scarlet pressed her lips together and tried not to blush.

She was the luckiest girl in the world.

She looked at Gabriel from beneath her lashes. “Well, I love your dimples. And the sound of your voice.” A voice that still sang to her soul and soothed her lost memories. “You make me feel…precious.”

“You are precious.” He looked at her seriously and leaned down to kiss her—

“Ugh! Gag me!” Heather parted their bodies as she moved in between them to get into her locker. “You two are disgusting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally sweet and adorable, but could you turn it down a notch? Those of us who are not in love are puking in the hallways.”

Scarlet looked at her best friend. “And good morning to you, too.”

Heather, wearing a flattering green top and long dangly earrings, slammed her locker closed. “There is nothing ‘good’ about today.”

Heather had been a little grouchy for the past few weeks. She and a guy named Ryan had indulged in a summer fling that ended in tears, curse words and an expensive shoe being thrown from the window of Ryan’s car while they drove together down the freeway.

Apparently, if you make Heather mad enough, she’ll take off her shoe and throw it at you. It was just bad luck that she had terrible aim and Ryan’s car window happened to be rolled down when she chucked her high heel at him.

Heather’s shoe had fallen victim to the passing traffic. Which is why you should never throw shoes at anyone while in a moving vehicle.

Scarlet made a frowny face. “Are you okay?”

Heather sighed, looked at Scarlet and said, “Yeah, I’m just really sad. About my shoe.”

She pouted her bottom lip as Scarlet nodded in mock understanding.

Heather looked Scarlet up and down for the first time that day. “The brown shirt, Scarlet? Wow. I know you’ve already snagged the most delicious thing to ever walk this earth—” Heather shot Gabriel a smile, “but you’ve still gotta try to look like you care. No brown. I repeat, no brown. Brown looks like death on you.”

Scarlet smiled tightly. “Aw, I feel so pretty now.”

Heather’s phone buzzed. “Oh! Gotta go! This is Ryan.” She disappeared around the corner.

Scarlet and Gabriel turned back to each other. “So,” Scarlet began, “I was thinking maybe you could come over after school tomorrow and watch some bad reality TV with me.”

He smiled. “Sounds perfect.”

“Good. And hopefully, Laura will be there this time so you can meet her. She’s been so busy traveling for work lately.”

“Sure thing. See you at lunch,” he said, before kissing her cheek and disappearing around the corner.

Scarlet sighed as she entered third period.

Her boyfriend was dreamy.

At lunch, Heather and Scarlet sat talking while Gabriel was held up in the lunch line.

Heather took a bite of yogurt. “Angie Woods told me she saw Gabriel last night, talking to some creepy guy at Freemont Park.”

Scarlet wrinkled her brow. “Really? He was at the park? At night?”

Heather nodded. “Sounds like the behavior of someone who’s got something to hide, doesn’t it? Someone in the mob maybe?” She implored Scarlet with her eyes.

Like Scarlet was going to jump aboard her crazy train of Gabriel’s-A-Mobster simply because Angie Woods said she saw him somewhere.

“No, it’s just…strange. That’s all,” Scarlet said. “Was Angie sure it was him?”

“Yeah, she said he and the creepy guy argued about something before Gabriel left.”

Scarlet frowned. “That’s weird.”

“I bet it has something to do with Gabriel’s ‘vague’ family business. Why else would he meet another dude at a park in the middle of the night?”

“Heather,” Scarlet sighed, “would you leave him alone? I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for last night.”

Like….

Scarlet couldn’t think of anything, but she was certain Gabriel had good reason to be at the park.

Almost certain.

“Let’s ask him, shall we?” Heather raised a brow as Gabriel freed himself from the lunch line and sat down at their table.

Scarlet smiled at Gabriel. “Hey, did you—“

“So, Gabriel,” Heather interrupted, throwing Scarlet a let-me-handle-this look. “What did you do last night?”

“Rescued kittens. Saved the world. The usual.”

Heather gave a fake laugh. “You’re hilarious. But really,” she leaned in to him, “what did you do?”

Gabriel chewed and swallowed a bite of his sandwich while he thought. “I went home after school. Looked for the TV control for an hour. Watched TV. Had pizza for dinner. Brushed my tee—“

“Did you go to the park?” Heather asked impatiently.

Gabriel smiled at her curiously. “No. Did you go to the park?”

Scarlet touched Gabriel’s arm. “You didn’t go to Freemont park last night?”

Please don’t lie. Please don’t lie.

Gabriel shook his head as he took another bite. “No. Why?”

Scarlet and Heather exchanged a look.

“No reason,” Heather said, smiling cheerily. “Just curious.” She went back to eating her yogurt without looking at Scarlet.

Gabriel wouldn’t lie to her…would he?

Angie Woods must have seen someone else. Or maybe she was lying.

Yeah, that was probably it. Angie was lying.

The little bell sounded in Scarlet’s head again as she examined her boyfriend. Even though they’d spent a lot of time together these last few months, she didn’t know him as well as she’d like to.

But still.

Gabriel had nothing to hide.

Right?