lly hate he

r requests and watch

now. She knew how badly they needed Twinkle. If thi

ther let Pama fall apar

. She hadn't done anything close to criminal.

really un

c let out a mocking scoff,

d her hand brushed of

ack?" His voice was low, clenched, heavy with re

stunned by how furious

hing felt wrong. Off in a w

pposed to react. None of

why didn't you work with them?" Cedric had been confused himself. Pama had pr

pride

, something cl

ossibility flashed

ned in, voice barely above a whisper, like it t

you can pay off with a lucrative de

each word sharp

turn around and offer you a deal

otally swing something like that. The

e, her mouth open, b

ee written all over Ced

life was he t

c didn't give her the chance

, it was like the air

umpled to

tely d

ust ha

e meant? Why did it feel like ther

ght hit

r of forgetting something important-it clawed at her,

lked to her-full of hatred and a kind of disgust-accus

ad she

d been watching the whole thing, and now hurried o

p, brow furrowed, pain

deeply wrong

ould she

ing realization that she was missing pieces of

conscious, t

, she could

was a complete blank. In fact, she couldn't even tell what was real anymo

just forgetful. But when things got

ents. Everyone had their own opinion, and after getting referred ar

rology" meant, but just hearing

ody, that falls under neurology. She told her not to stress-it was nothing majo

bulance for you?" the waiter asked k

stood up, unsteady on her feet. "N

waiter couldn't help but remind h

t of Auburn Dining. The chilly, dry wind hit her face the

r-her emotional state mattered the mo

forcing the tears back. Wiping tears was

curb and flagged down a cab, givi

*

of water and chatting gossip with the front desk nurse. She'd just set down her cup and was about

plague-said the clinic constantly reminded her she might have so

e came here

ittle to meet Sabrina's eyes and saw her pale, spiritless face-completely unlike her usual upbeat s

..

aking out, says you've been gone too long,

's work and quickly said, "I'm fine, really. Go

bucks downstairs. Go grab one while I finish up, okay? I'll

stepped closer. "Dr. Simpson, the patient's really

hatever the hell I want! If they're that impatient, they can go somewhere else. I told managem

d, caught off gua

sically a VIP. Whenever she showed up, Monica, who usually carried herself like some beauty queen, would

up heading downstairs together for

tention quickly shifted thanks to Dr. Simpson's

ly stunning. "He was never my patient anyway. I already told him to tra

en?" Sabrina asked cautiously,

y gotten a straight answer-then playfully tapped her on the head. "People like you. Scatterbrain

ietly. "You saw t

nt doctor should be clear about their field, and if she could just figure tha

linic listings ever mentioned a specific specialty. Even her business card was va

l by being herself-drawing in patients wit

appen?" Monica asked like she

e weight from earlier cre

while she went to the counter and came back with two strawberry drinks. Seeing that Sabrina w

y taste cut through her sadness like a reset button. Holding the cup in both hands, Sabrina looked

tion, she'd get super upset. She might try to hid

sipped her drink li

y and serious, you have to be the first to act like it's no big

ething... really, really important?" Sabrina

, and set down her drink, her tone more serious this time. "Before I answer,

g that made me feel like I've forgotten something-something big. And when they looked at me, it wasn't just

nd. That feeling-it wasn't somet

were angry when they talked to her-furious, even-but deep

the part that h