Remind Me

Chapter Sixteen

OWEN'S POV---

"Clarin," I say, getting her attention as I walk into her room. We're back at Brinley's house now, and have been for four days. I sleep on her couch in the living room. I'm too afraid to just leave her here.

Clarin lifts her head up, and her red, swollen eyes meet mine.

"You've hardly said a word since we got back," I say, sitting down beside her on the bed.

"I can't stop seeing it," she says quietly. "It's on replay in my mind. It won't go away. She tried to kill herself, Owen."

"I know," I say, closing my eyes. "It bothers me too. All the time."

"But Owen, you don't understand," she says, looking at me with a sullen expression. "You don't understand what's bothering me."

"What is it?" I ask, holding her gaze.

"She got that same look in her eyes as she had when she jumped out of the car," Clarin explains quietly, tears rising in her eyes.

I'm silenced for a moment, shocked by her words. When she tried to jump out of that car. That's what she looked like. And that time, it was fully my fault. Seeing that crazy look in her eyes brings back all the pain I originally felt because of my first mistake.

"I thought she would be okay," Clarin continues. "She was so happy. You made her so happy. And all of a sudden, she snapped."

"It's something neither of us have gone through," I say with a sigh. "I don't know what it is she's dealing with, and I won't know. The most we can do is be patient."

"I'm trying," she says, eyes filling with tears. "But seeing her like that..."

"I know. I get it, okay? I know, it hurts me too. I want to see her smile more than anything," I say, putting my arm around her. "We can help her through this. All of us."

"Thank you, Owen," Clarin says shakily.

<•>•<•>

Brinley's been asleep a lot of the past two days. It's a part of her medication that makes her drowsy. I spend most of my days sitting at the side of her bed, waiting for the rare moment when her eyes will open and fall on mine and I'll see her, who she really is, for even a split second.

Clarin has to go back to school, and her mom needs to get back to work. I'm supposed to stay here with her for the last three days of this week.

She's asleep upstairs now, her phone still playing the same ten songs on repeat. Just how she left it before she fell asleep. I'm downstairs, making us both some grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

She doesn't really like to talk to anyone much when everyone's home. But when it's just me and her, sometimes she opens up a little. I think that's improvement.

"Owen."

My heart skips a beat, and my knife I was slicing the cheese with falls to the ground, cutting my foot in the process. I wince, then look up and find Brinley standing in the kitchen doorway.

"I didn't mean to scare you," she sighs. "I'm sorry."

"No," I say quickly. "No, no, you're fine."

She hasn't been out of her bed since we came home from the hospital. She hasn't wanted to move since then. I can't help but stare at her in awe. Maybe the medication is working. Maybe she's coming around.

"Shouldn't you clean that up?" She nods to my bleeding foot.

I look down. "Oh. Right."

"I can help you," she says. "I'll go get the bandages."