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  “And stuff,” Hanson chuckles.

  “You can tell us the truth,” Riley says. “Just be honest and this will all be over much quicker, and with a heck of a lot less trouble.”

  “I am telling the truth.”

  “Did Natalia still have her mother’s car at this time?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Do you know where that car is now?”

  “I don’t. I think it was stolen.”

  “From the motel parking lot?”

  “Maybe.”

  “But you never called the police.”

  “We were scared. Nat knew her mother would be angry. So we left and went to my dad’s house.”

  The officers glance at each other, then both look back at me. They’re staring me down, with a look that I’ve never really seen before. And then I realize what it is.

  They think I’m a criminal.

  Chapter Three

  Natalia

  “Where’s Cam?” I ask my mom when she comes back into my hospital room.

  “He went to the cafeteria to get some food,” she says brightly. She walks over to the windows and starts trying to turn the crank on one of them. “We should get some air in here, don’t you think?” But her voice sounds falsely cheerful, and something about her demeanor makes me instantly suspicious.

  “What do you mean he went to get something to eat?” I ask. Cam ate right before my mom got here, a turkey sandwich and an apple that he brought up from the cafeteria.

  We tried to share it, but I couldn’t really manage to get anything down. My stomach’s been churning every since Cam found me on the beach this morning.

  “He was hungry,” she says, shrugging. She’s managed to get a bit of the window open, and a slight breeze blows through the room. “There we go!” She sounds satisfied.

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” I say, frowning. “We just ate.”

  “I guess he was still hungry.”

  “He would have asked if I wanted something.”

  She sighs and then walks over to the side of the bed, brushes my hair back from my face. “Natalia,” she says. Her eyes look tired, and there’s a coffee stain on her light blue sweater. She must have been woken up by Cam’s call, must have jumped out of bed and grabbed whatever clothes were nearby. I picture her, bleary-eyed, still a little tired, being told her daughter’s in the hospital. I shiver.

  “Mom,” I say. “Where’s Cam?”

  “Sweetie. “ She sits down on the edge of my bed, and takes my hand in hers. Her hand is warm, comforting. It feels exactly like what a mom’s hand should feel like. Soft and worn from hours of braiding hair, rubbing backs, and stroking foreheads. “You’ve obviously been through a lot,” she says. “And the only person with you was Campbell.”

  “I know that,” I say. “So could you ask him to come back to the room and be here with me right now?” Doesn’t she realize that if the only person with me was Cam, that means he should be here, by my side, taking care of me?

  “Natalia,” she says again.

  “Stop saying my name!” I snap.

  Her eyes are looking at me with sympathy and worry, like she wants to spare me from whatever it is she’s about to say, but knows that she can’t.

  “Cam didn’t hurt me,” I tell her, my voice softer now.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because he wouldn’t do that.”

  “You haven’t known Cam that long.”

  “I’ve known him long enough.” She’s right, of course. I haven’t known Cam that long. But I know him enough to be certain he would never, ever hurt me. He loves me.

  We’ve been through so much together, and he’s always stuck by my side. I’m the one who doubted him. I’m the one who lied to him about being with Brody.

  “Please, sweetie, you need to stay calm.” Her hand is back on my forehead, pushing my hair back away from my face, but this time, I turn away. “You need to – ”

  She doesn’t get to finish, though, because a doctor enters my room. Dr. Palermo.

  He’s young, probably just a few years out of medical school, and he’s the one who ordered the MRI for me and kept telling me that everything was going to be okay. He’s put me at ease from the moment I got here, unlike some of the other doctors, who’ve been short and blunt, ordering tests and making notes, treating me like a case and not a person.

  Immediately, my mom’s all over him. “Doctor,” she says, jumping up from my bed. “I’m Beth Moore, Natalia’s mother.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he says. “I’m Dr. Palermo.” He walks over to my bed and gives me a smile. “How are you feeling, Natalia?”

  “Fine.” I twist the blankets in my hands. “Just a little anxious.”

  He smiles again, then turns a little toward my mom, including her in the conversation. “Well, the good news is the MRI didn’t show anything, so I think we can rule out a tumor or any kind of significant brain injury.”

  “Oh, thank God,” my mom says, her face flooding with relief. She squeezes my hand tight.

  “What’s the bad news?” I ask.

  “The bad news is that since everything looks normal, we don’t know what’s causing the memory loss. Sometimes after a traumatic event, the brain does things we can’t understand, which seems to be what’s happening to you.” His voice is comforting and calm, and I feel myself relax just a little bit.

  “What do you mean, a traumatic event?” my mom asks. She frowns, and a v-shaped wrinkle appears between her eyes. “I thought you said there was no injury.”

  I know what the doctor’s going to say before he even says it, and I know it’s going to make my mom freak out. I close my eyes . Cam, where are you?

  “There’s no physical trauma,” Dr. Palermo says. “But it’s possible that something psychological or emotional happened to Natalia, and as a result she’s repressed her memories. It’s not exactly common, and typically repression occurs in memories from early childhood, but there are rare cases where a patient can actually have amnesia caused by PTSD.”

  “PTSD.” My mom’s voice is quiet, like the doctor just said I have cancer. Her grip on my hand gets even tighter. This is just going to reinforce the idea that Cam attacked me, or whatever the hell it is that she’s thinking.

  The doctor nods slightly, his eyes uncertain. “It’s just one possibility, Ms. Moore.

  We can’t be sure right now what’s causing Natalia’s memory loss.”

  “But there’s no physical trauma?” my mom repeats. “What about the scratches on her face?”

  The doctor glances down at my chart. “Natalia did have some minor cuts and abrasions on her body. But there was nothing major that would give us a clue as to what may have happened to her.”

  I feel my mom bristle beside me. “Nothing major that would give you a clue as to what may have happened to her? How about the fact that she showed up here, with a boy she hardly knows, all cut up and bleeding, claiming she had no idea what happened to her!”

  “Ms. Moore,” Dr. Palermo says, his voice sympathetic. “I know this must be a horrible shock for you and your daughter. But the injuries Natalia has aren’t consistent with what we typically find in cases of domestic abuse. Still, I’m not ruling anything out at this time. We just don’t have enough information to form a conclusion right now.”

  “So that’s it?” she says. “You’re just going to send her home?”

  “Mom, please,” I say. “I want to go home. I’m fine.”

  “We can hold her overnight for observation if you wish,” the doctor says. “But I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s very possible her memory may come back on its own.

  And we can certainly schedule her a follow up appointment with a neurologist in a few weeks, to make sure that she’s well taken care of.”

  “I’d like to speak to another doctor about this, please,” my mom says quietly.

  “Mom,” I say. “Please. I just want to go home.” My eyes are filling up with
tears. I want Cam. I want my bed. I just want this whole nightmare to be over with.

  “You can certainly speak with another doctor,” Dr. Palermo says. If he’s insulted, he doesn’t show it. “I can send a colleague in as soon as I brief them on your daughter’s case.” He looks at me, like maybe he wants to say something else, but then he changes his mind. He turns back to my mom. “In the meantime, the officers in the cafeteria would like to speak with you.”

  “What officers?” I ask.

  “The police officers,” the doctor says. “They’ve finished questioning Campbell, and now they’d like to speak with your mother.” His pager goes off, and he checks it.

  “Excuse me,” he says. “I’ll send in another doctor, and order up the discharge paperwork in case you do decide to leave.” He pats me on the shoulder, and then he’s gone, out the door in a swish of his white coat.

  “Mom,” I say. I’m struggling to keep my voice even. White-hot anger is pulsing through my veins, and my hand twists the sheets on my bed tighter and tighter. “Please tell me you’re not the one who called the police on Cam.”

  “Natalia,” she says, “you’re my daughter. And I have to protect you.” She kissed me on the forehead. “I’ll be right back. If the new doctor comes in while I’m away, make sure he stays here until I’m back.”

  After my mom leaves the room, I sit in bed, numb from shock.

  Police questioning Cam? How could she do this to him?

  I sit there and stare at the white wall in front of me, trying again desperately to remember something from this weekend. But all I can recall is talking to Cam after the game and then things get dark…and nothing. The very next thing I remember is waking up confused on the beach.

  I’m so angry with myself. If I could just remember what happened to me this weekend, then Cam wouldn’t be in trouble anymore. I wonder if I should lie and say my memory came back, if there’s any way they could prove it hasn’t.

  All I know is I can’t let this continue. It’s already been nearly fifteen minutes since my mom left, and I can’t sit here anymore doing nothing.

  I grab my clothes off the chair by the door and slip into the bathroom. I drop my hospital gown, leaving it on the floor, and throw on my jeans and sweater.

  I have to find Cam.

  Chapter Four

  Campbell

  The cops are talking to Nat’s mom now. She’s outside the cafeteria but I can see her through the large glass windows. She’s very animated, gesturing wildly, occasionally pointing in my direction.

  The officers seem like they’re trying to calm her down, and I wonder what fucked up shit she’s telling them about me. Is she begging them to arrest me, telling them that I assaulted Natalia? I’m jittery, and my leg’s bouncing up and down. I take a sip of my tea in an effort to calm myself. It’s completely cold now, though, and all it does it make me gag. I wonder if I’m being stupid, cooperating with the police like this. Maybe it’s time to call my dad and ask him to find me a lawyer.

  Relax, Cam, and stop freaking out. You didn’t do anything wrong and there’s no reason for anyone to get arrested here.

  I try to get control of my racing thoughts and focus. Nat’s the one in danger right now, not me. Something’s happened to her, and it’s important that I figure out what.

  The conversation between Ms. Moore and the cops goes on for what feels like forever. Every time their eyes dart over to me, I get a chill and a queasy feeling pierces my stomach. Eventually, Natalia’s mom shakes her head like she’s disgusted. A few more words are exchanged and then she leaves. She doesn’t even look at me as she speeds off down the hallway like a woman possessed, back toward Natalia’s room.

  Officer Riley comes back into the cafeteria and his partner stays outside in the hallway, almost as if he’s guarding the door.

  “Cam, we’re almost through here,” he says.

  “So I can go now?”

  Riley grimaces. “Not yet. We still need to talk to Natalia.”

  “She doesn’t remember anything.”

  “Still.” He sits down, then sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “Cam, how did Natalia get the scratches on her face, arms and hands?”

  I shrug and swish the tea around in its Styrofoam cup. It makes a hollow sloshing sound. “We took a little hike through the woods.”

  “A hike? Why? And where?”

  “The motel room got boring so we decided to take a walk. It was stupid. We got scratched up and bit by mosquitoes and everything.” I show him the same scratches on my hands and arms. “See?”

  He nods and makes a note. I can’t tell if he believes me or not. But either way, I’m done with this. “I didn’t hurt Natalia,” I tell him. “And I shouldn’t be treated like a criminal.”

  He sighs again. “Nobody’s treating you like a criminal. Nobody’s doing anything except trying to figure out what happened to your girlfriend.”

  “Yeah, well, tell her mother that.”

  There’s a flash of movement outside in the hallway, and I look away from Officer Riley just in time to see Natalia coming around the corner. She looks in through the window and our eyes meet. She gives me a strained smile.

  “There she is,” I say, standing up.

  “Sit down, Cam, and relax. We need to talk to her. Alone.”

  I sit back down, breathing a sigh of relief. She doesn’t hate me. Her mom hasn’t poisoned her against me. At least, not yet.

  Officer Riley leaves the cafeteria and he and Officer Hanson start talking to Natalia. It strikes me how totally different Nat is from her mom. Where her mother was wild, frantic and angry, Natalia appears calm. Her energy is soft and she even smiles and laughs a few times. I know she’s scared, terrified even. But she’s holding it together for me. For us. The cops do a lot of writing and nodding and then it’s over. The three of them enter the cafeteria together.

  “Campbell, thanks for talking and being cooperative. No charges are being brought against you at this time.” Officer Riley steps forward and gives me his business card. “Please give me a ring if anything relating to the case comes up, or if you remember anything.” He hands another copy of his card to Nat.

  As soon as the two policemen are gone, Nat hugs me, burying her face in my chest. I hold her close, inhaling the scent of her hair, relishing the feel of her body against mine.

  “I’m so sorry,” she says, and starts to cry.

  “It’s okay,” I soothe. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

  “Yes, I do. I’m ruining your life.”

  I pull back and try to look at her but she can’t meet my gaze. She’s sniffling and crying still. “Nat, you hardly ruined my life.”

  “When I started at Santa Anna, you were happy and popular and you were friends with Brody and Raine and everything was fine. Now you’re miserable and you and Brody hate each other, and Raine tried to kill you and eat your heart, and now the cops are after you.”

  She stops to take a breath, and finally looks up to meet my eye. And then we’re both laughing.

  “Oh my God,” I say. “That sounded so ridiculous. Raine tried to eat my heart?”

  She keeps laughing. I love the sound, love that I was able to give her a moment of lightness. But a second later, she’s serious again. “My mom is such a bitch.”

  It sounds wrong coming from her, and I don’t like the fact that she’s saying it.

  “Don’t say that. Seriously. That’s your mom. You shouldn’t say things like that about your mom.”

  “She called the police on you.”

  “Listen, she cares about you. She loves you. She doesn’t know what happened, and so she’s just doing her best.” It’s true. If I were Natalia’s mom, I’d probably have called the police on me, too. Besides, calling her names and getting angry isn’t going to help anything.

  “I want to leave together.” Nat says. “Now.”

  I stare at her. It sounds great. The two of us getting out of here, hopping in my dad’
s truck (which he lent to me without asking when it would be returned), and driving somewhere. But where would we go? We’re just kids. Our parents will try to find us, especially after what happened this weekend. Natalia’s mom would make sure we didn’t get far, and then she’d really make sure I wasn’t allowed to see Nat. And she’d be right –

  it would be seriously fucked up of me to take off with Natalia.

  I shake my head no.

  Nat’s face is stricken. “Why not?”

  “We can’t leave together,” I tell her. “We can’t run away anymore.”

  “But I want us to be together!”

  “We will be. Just not right now. You need to go back home with your mom.”

  Her expression darkens and she pulls away from me. “Why is everyone trying to control me? Why can’t I decide for myself what’s best?”

  “Because. You’re hurt, Nat. Something happened to you. I have no idea what, but I’m going to try to figure it out if I can.” I reach over and grab my tea and swish the liquid around again in the cup. Then I take another sip, mostly just for something to do.

  If Natalia’s in my arms, if I’m holding her, it’s going to be hard not to give in, not to take her away from all of this. “But right now what you need is to rest and relax. You need--”

  “I need to be with you.” Her eyes are hurt.

  “I know. And I need to be with you.”

  “Then why do you want me to go back with my mom? And what are you going to do? Go back to your dad’s? And then what? We see each other in school and act like nothing happened?”

  I take her hand in mine. “I love you, Nat. You know that.”

  Her face lightens just a little, and her gaze drifts to the floor for a moment before meeting mine again. “I love you, too.”

  “Then trust me. Please. Go with your mom.” She thinks about it for a second, not saying anything. “Please.” It’s my final plea. If she fights me on it, I don’t think I’m strong enough not to take her my arms and run away with her. But she doesn’t fight me.