Remind Me

Chapter Forty-Three

"Owen," I hurried into his room, shaking his sleeping self. "Wake up, I need to tell you something."

"Brinley?" Owen asks tiredly, eyes hardly open. I try to ignore the fact that he looks incredibly attractive when he's tired. I also try to pretend I don't notice his shirtlessness. "What're you doing?... Why're you wearing your swimsuit?"

"I need to tell you something," I repeat, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

He sits up, now alert. "What is it? Did something happen? Did you realize your face is bleeding?"

"Yes," I sigh, biting my lip. "I went out to the beach after all..." I avoid his eye contact. "And I wiped out really bad and passed out..."

"Are you okay?" Owen asks, reaching up to touch the sore spot on my temple. I wince, closing my eyes tightly. His hand retreats and he stands up from his bed. "Let's clean it up."

"No, I have to tell you-"

"Tell me while I clean you up," he says, finally putting on a shirt. "I can't let it get infected."

He pulls me off to the bathroom and then looks through the cupboard mirror. He pulls out the disinfectant wipes that I already know sting very badly from experience.

"Why'd you go after we decided not to?" Owen asks, concentrating on dabbing the wipe against my head.

"Jake came-ouch-sorry, Jake came to my room and convinced me to join them out there," I see the look on his face and I quickly continue, "I know, stupid idea. But I went out to the bigger waves with him and wiped out, yeah? And then I wandered off to your little hiding place..."

"You were followed, weren't you?" Owen clenches his fist harder around the wipe.

"Yes," I reply. "It was Jake."

"I knew he was trouble," Owen frowns, going back to disinfecting my battle wound.

"I thought he was going to attack me, obviously," I sigh. "But no, he just... Forcibly kissed me. And I beat him up a little and came straight here."

"He did what?" Owen's jaw clenches, and his hand freezes in place.

"I took care of him pretty well, I think," I say. "Of course, I'm not opposed to you going down there. Giving him a piece of your mind."

"I'm not just going to give him a piece of my mind," Owen says, glaring at my gashed forehead. "I'll give him a nice piece of my fist as well."

"Owen-"

"No. He's got to know what's up. That kid is..." He presses his fist to his mouth, sucking a deep breath through his nose.

"I'm fine now, alright?" I put a hand on his cheek to bring him back to me. "I didn't come here to rile you up. I came to tell you that it's one down. One less person on the suspect list, right? We know it's not him."

Owen sighs, eyes searching mine. "I don't think we should rule him out. It could still be him."

"I don't think so. He had more than one chance to attack me tonight and make it look like an accident, but he didn't," I say.

There is a knock at the bathroom door. "Come in," Owen calls.

I'm relieved when I see who walks in. Just who I've been wanting to see. Clarin.

She's wearing a beautiful blue dress and hair pulled up in a fancy do that I helped her with hours ago. She grins at me, running over to hug me.

"How was the date, missy?" I ask, pulling away to look at her.