Memories That Still Haunt Us

Chapter Fifty-Nine:

An icy chill blows through me. My hands are frozen and red as I pull open the restaurant door. Winter is sweeping in before fall can catch its breath. There's never enough time in the fall. Thanksgiving is only two days away, but nothing feels worth celebrating.

When I see Iris sitting in a booth by the corner, I point past the host, letting her know I'm meeting someone. Iris smiles up at me as I slip off my warm brown coat and slide into the booth, placing it on the seat beside me. She looks different. Like she's glowing in a sense. A new form of happiness has taken over. She doesn't seem so coiled into herself.

"Any big news you have for me?" I ask her, expecting her to tell me that she and Lake eloped somewhere and they're as happy as can be. The thought makes a deep irritation grow inside of me. Maybe it's jealousy. Or pure bitterness.

She shrugs, biting back a smile. "Nope, I mean, not really. It's not super important. How have you been? I hardly see you anymore."

I roll my eyes and pull the menu closer to me. "Well, go on. Just tell me."

She clears her throat and shifts in the seat. "I've moved in with Lake. We're living together now, and things have been really, really well. I mean, we're very happy." She presses her hands against her cheeks. "It's just sort of funny how things work out."

"Hilarious." I grumble and pretend to be interested in the writing on the menu. "That's great. Are you living in the same flat that Lake and I lived in together?"

"Oh, no. We found a place of our own. A little more spacious. Rent in Salem is ridiculous, so we moved a bit out of town. Between Boston and Salem."

The waitress comes by, and I ask for a plain coffee, and Iris just asks for water. When the waitress is gone, I lean back in the booth, one leg crossing over the other. It's kind of powerful to see how nervous Iris can be around me sometimes. How nervous she is about upsetting me. I wonder if she would leave Lake if I told her to. If I told her that, actually, I'm in love with her and we should run off together. How quickly she'd drop him for me. The thought makes my lips lift slightly. "I'll need to get you a lucky bamboo for your place."

She smiles. "You'll have to come by. We plan on having an apartment warming party."

"Lake wouldn't mind me coming by?"

"No, of course not. He still cares for you."

"Are you ever worried he's still in love with me?" I ask impulsively.

Her smile falters, body shifting again. "Um, sometimes, I guess. But he says he's moved on, and we're really happy together, so..." Her voice trails off.

"Well, if he says he's moved on, he must have." I see I've planted a seed of doubt in her mind. "Just let me know when you plan on having your party, and I'll be there. Hopefully it's soon, though. I don't think I'll be living here much longer."

Her eyes widen. "What? Why?"

"A lot has happened since I saw you last."

"Like what?"

"You know the woman I was working for?" She nods. "She killed herself. That night, when we met up last, Ellis called, looking for her, and then the police showed up, saying they had found her body. She jumped off a bridge."

Iris's mouth drops, eyes widen. "Oh, my God. That's horrible. Jesus, Reign. That's crazy! What about her son? Why would she do that?"

I shrug. "She was mentally unstable. Clearly."