Chapter 20

Chapter 20 (Eleanor’s POV)

The sound of my alarm clock rattled through my room.

I groaned, slapping it off without opening my eyes.

For a moment, I lay there, wrapped in the warmth of my blankets, pretending the world outside didn’t exist.

Pretending Rick hadn’t offered to erase my memories yesterday.

Pretending I wasn’t carrying the biggest secret of my life around like a bomb ready to explode.

But pretending didn’t change anything.

And hiding wouldn’t get me closer to the truth.

With a sigh, I threw the covers back and got up.

---

At breakfast, Mom chattered about work schedules and grocery shopping.

Chris argued about needing new soccer cleats.

Dad grunted from behind his newspaper.

It was all so normal.

So painfully normal.

And I was the only one who knew that under the surface, everything was wrong.

I nodded and smiled and pushed my cereal around in the bowl, pretending to be present.

Pretending to be fine.

The truth sat heavy in my chest, pressing down harder with every passing day.

But no one could see it.

No one even looked closely enough.

Maybe that was a good thing.

---

At school, I tried to focus.

Tried to act like nothing had changed.

Tried to be the Eleanor everyone expected.

The quiet one.

The good student.

The girl who always smiled politely and did her homework on time.

But inside, my thoughts spun out of control.

Was Rick watching me?

Were there others?

How much did they know?

How much could they take from me if I wasn’t careful?

I caught myself glancing over my shoulder more than once.

Paranoid.

Jumpy.

Afraid.

But I couldn’t help it.

I wasn’t just fighting for myself anymore.

I was fighting for Alex.

For us.

For the life they tried to erase.

---

At lunch, Lena dropped her tray onto the table with a loud thud.

She flopped into the seat across from me, pouting dramatically.

"I am officially dying," she announced.

I smiled weakly.

"What happened now?"

"Three tests in one day," she groaned. "Who even does that? It’s like the teachers are trying to kill us before summer break."

I laughed, the sound surprising even myself.

It felt good — even if it was small and brief.

Lena perked up at my laugh, her eyes lighting up.

"There she is," she said teasingly.

"I was starting to think you got body-snatched."

I shrugged, taking a bite of my sandwich.

"Just tired."

"You’ve been tired a lot lately," she said, poking at her salad.

I didn’t answer.

Because what could I say?

Hey, sorry I’m distant, turns out my memories are fake, my life might be a lie, and I’m pretty sure the government’s involved?

Yeah.

Didn’t exactly make for casual lunch conversation.

---

After a moment, Lena leaned forward, her voice softening.

"Hey... we should do something. Just us. Like old times."

I blinked.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Movie night? Shopping spree?

Eat an embarrassing amount of junk food and binge terrible TV shows?"

She smiled hopefully.

And for a second, I wanted to say yes.

I wanted to forget all of this — the fear, the confusion, the danger — and just be a normal teenager again.

But I couldn't.

Not completely.

Not anymore.

Still, I didn’t want to push her away.

Not completely.

"Maybe this weekend," I said finally.

Her smile widened.

"It’s a date."

---

The rest of the day dragged.

I floated from class to class, my mind elsewhere.

Flashes of Alex kept slipping through my defenses.

Small things.

A laugh.

A touch.

The way he looked at me like I was his whole world.

It was like my heart remembered even when my brain struggled to catch up.

And every flash made me more certain:

I had to find him.

I had to find the truth.

Before it was too late.

---

That night, after dinner, I locked myself in my room and pulled out my notebook.

I added a new line:

Plan: Sneak into hospital archives. Find records. Find Alex.

I chewed the end of my pen thoughtfully.

It was risky.

Stupid, even.

But it was the only lead I had.

I needed real evidence.

Real proof.

I couldn’t rely on dreams and feelings forever.

I needed something solid.

Something they couldn’t erase.

---

As I closed the notebook, another flash hit me — stronger than anything before.

---

I was sitting on a big, soft couch.

Alex sat beside me, flipping through a thick book filled with house plans.

We laughed as he pointed to ridiculous designs.

"A three-story closet?" he teased.

"You sure you need that many shoes, Princess?"

I shoved his shoulder playfully.

"Hey, a girl needs options."

He laughed, the sound low and warm.

I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

His arm wrapped around me automatically, pulling me close.

We weren’t rich like my parents.

But we were planning a future.

A real one.

One we were building together.

"You think they'll ever approve?" I whispered.

He kissed the top of my head.

"I don’t care if they do," he said quietly.

"I care about you. About us."

I closed my eyes, memorizing the feel of him, the steady beat of his heart against my cheek.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you more," he whispered back.

---

The flash ended, leaving me breathless and shaking.

Tears blurred my vision.

It had been real.

All of it.

The love.

The dreams.

The promises.

They were real.

And someone had stolen them from me.

---

I wiped my eyes roughly and stood up, pacing the room.

I couldn't sit around anymore.

I couldn't keep letting fear freeze me in place.

If I wanted my life back...

If I wanted Alex back...

I had to fight.

---

I pulled my hoodie over my head and shoved my phone and notebook into my backpack.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow after school, I would go to the hospital.

I would find the old records room.

I would find something — anything — that proved what they did to me.

To us.

And no matter what I found...

I wasn’t going to stop.

Not until I had the full truth.

Not until I had Alex back in my arms where he belonged.

---

The night stretched long and dark outside my window.

But for the first time in a long time...

I wasn’t afraid of the dark anymore.

I was ready to step into it.

And take back what was mine.