Page 86 of Lust & Lies

AIDEN

I PUSHED OPEN THE HEAVY bar door and stepped inside. Dim lights and the low murmur of conversation greeted me. I scanned the room until I saw him: Dr. Mercer, sitting at the back, just where I’d asked him to.

He was dressed in khakis and a beige cardigan, looking out of place in this seedy bar. I walked up to the table and sat down opposite him.

“Hello, Dr. Mercer,” I said.

“Hello, Aiden. I was happy to get your message to meet. How is everything going with Noelle?” the doctor asked, taking a sip of his whiskey.

I leaned back in my seat. “Well,” I said slowly, letting the tension hang. “For starters, she remembers that her name is not Noelle.”

Dr. Mercer froze mid-swallow, his hand trembling. He looked at me over the rim, astonished.

“Oh, dear,” Dr. Mercer whispered.

“You told me she wouldn’t regain her memory,” I reminded him.

“I did...” Dr. Mercer said, lowering his glass with shaky hands. “But remember, I also told you that she’d need to take her pills once a month. More, if her memories started to return.”

“You also told me the side effects of those pills included migraines and suicidal thoughts, so I didn’t give them to her.”

“Right. But the initial elixir can only suppress the hippocampus... That’s the part of the brain that deals with memory. The elixir only affects that part of the brain for so long. You need to continuously take the pills to keep the hippocampus suppressed. I did tell you that.”

“You’re right, you did. But you also told me that even without the pills, it would be years before she regained her memory. That’s why I paid you such a large sum for the elixir. But her memory has already returned. Shouldn’t you reimburse me for that money?”

“Well... you see....” Dr. Mercer looked at a loss for words.

“Or, we can make some other kind of arrangement.”

“What is it? I’ll do anything.”

“My grandfather is an old man. I hate him. I want him to suffer, but not die. Not yet. Is there anything you can give him to make him hallucinate or have bad dreams? I want him to see the dead, those he’s hurt.”

“Now, I can’t ensure he’ll see exactly what you want him to see. But there is something I can give you that will make him hallucinate and have bad dreams.”

“Meet me at the Park Estate in two days. No longer. My fiancé and I are leaving the country soon. I want to take care of my grandfather before we do.”

“So... uh... Noelle... I mean, Noe... she has her memory back?” the doctor asked.

I nodded, watching his face go pale.

“And she’s still willing to be with you, so she’s happy, right?” the doctor asked.

“Yeah. Why are you sweating?”

“Oh, no reason...” Dr. Mercer dabbed at his forehead with his napkin.

“See you in two days.” I rose from my seat.

I patted the doctor on his shoulder, making the man jump. Laughing, I left the bar. I still had to stop by the store to get Noe a soda and some chocolate. I couldn’t wait to get home and cuddle up with my princess.

NOELANI

I WAITED IN THE ALLEY, my hood pulled low, watching people walk past. The streetlights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows on the pavement. I didn’t have to wait long. Dr. Mercer came walking by, looking nervous.

Once he was in my sights, I rushed over, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed his frail ass against the side of the building. His glasses tilted on his face, one lens catching the light. He let out a terrified grunt, struggling against me.

“Be still, it’s me. Noe,” I told him.

He froze. “Noe?” he squeaked.

“Yes. Who were you expecting, Aiden?”

Dr. Mercer’s gaze darted left, then right.

“Don’t worry. He’s gone. But I now know you gave him the same drug you promised me. Only, he used his on me, and I forgot I’d even purchased mine. How unfair is that?”

“Noe, listen,” Dr. Mercer started. “You came to me first. And I sold you the drug. But then he came, and since you both had the same goal, I thought it was okay to give him the drug too. It didn’t matter which one of you lost your memory, as long as you were able to be together, right?”

“That’s true. What’s unfair is that we both paid you a lot of money. But only Aiden got to use his elixir. Shouldn’t I be refunded?”

“I still have your vials ready for whenever you want to use them.”

“I no longer need them. I want my money back. I want it within two days. I’m leaving the country soon. Don’t make me have to hunt you down to get my money. You know I’m a great huntress, right?”

He nodded fast. “Don’t worry. I’ll wire the money back to your account.”

I tapped his face. “Good boy. Now run along. It’s not safe out here at night.”

“Yeah, you and your fiancé make it not safe,” he murmured under his breath as he rushed away from me.

I smiled as I watched him scurry off like the little rat he was. I glanced at my watch. I still had time to beat Aiden home. I had a lot of things to get done. Tomorrow, I had to try on my wedding dress.

Then I needed to start packing for our trip to Seoul. So much to do, so little time to do it in. I turned to head to my car and came up short when someone stepped in front of me. I reached into my pocket, ready to grab the blade I always kept on me.

But I paused when I saw who it was. My man. Aiden stood there, hands in his pockets, looking smug as hell. He smiled at me. I smiled back. Shit.

“What did you hear?” I asked.

“Everything,” he told me. “Were you in the bar when I was in there?” he asked.

I nodded. “And I heard everything.” I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Aiden, what is wrong with us? Are we crazy?”

Aiden grabbed my hand and pulled me close. “Yes, we’re crazy in love.”

“We both planned to have the other’s memory erased,” I told him. “I wanted your memory gone so you wouldn’t remember that I’d left you or that you’d married Ellie.”

“I figured that was the reason.”

“And you’re not mad?”

He shook his head.

I sighed. “That’s insane. We’re insane.”

“I love our brand of insanity, beautiful. It works for us.”

I stared up at him. “Do we need therapy?”

“Definitely. Let’s save that for after the wedding. Now, let’s go home. Follow me in your car.”

“We need to stop and get chocolate first.”

“Oh, right. Chocolate and soda, then home.”

Smiling, I held my man’s hand as we headed to our cars. We were two crazy people in love. Our brand of love wasn’t normal. It was actually kind of toxic. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This was what happily ever after looked like for us.