Chapter 13: The Person Who Took My Memories
Nobody moved.
Not even Claire.
For thirty years, I had imagined what would happen if I ever saw her again.
I imagined anger.
I imagined questions.
I imagined demanding every answer she had kept from me.
But I never imagined this.
Her standing in my clubhouse.
Looking at me like she was afraid.
Not of me.
For me.
“The person who erased your memories is standing right here.””
Her words stayed in the air.
I looked around the room.
Victor.
Elijah.
Marcus.
Every person connected to my lost past.
Everyone had a reason.
Everyone had secrets.
“Who?”” I asked.
My voice sounded different.
Older.
Colder.
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“Bear…”
“Who?””
She closed her eyes.
For a moment, I thought she wouldn’t answer.
Then she whispered:
“I did.””
The room went silent.
Lily looked at her mother.
Confusion spread across her face.
“No.””
Claire immediately turned toward her.
“Lily.””
“You said he was going to remember.””
“I said he would when it was safe.””
“You said nobody hurt him.””
Claire looked back at me.
“I didn’t hurt him.””
I laughed once.
It had no humor.
“You erased thirty years of my life.””
Her expression broke.
“I saved your life.””
I stepped closer.
“Everyone says that.””
I looked at Victor.
“Elijah.””
“Marcus.””
“Everyone made choices for me.””
My voice rose.
“And now you want me to believe you were different?””
Claire didn’t defend herself.
That made it worse.
“I was the only person who knew how much you were willing to sacrifice.””
She looked at Lily.
“You were willing to lose everything for her.””
I glanced at my daughter.
A daughter I had forgotten.
A daughter who knew me better than I knew myself.
Claire continued.
“The people coming after you weren’t trying to kill you.””
“Then what?””
“They wanted your memories.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“They needed you to forget what you knew.””
Victor stepped forward.
“That was my part.””
Claire looked at him.
“No.””
The word was sharp.
“You helped create the procedure.””
Victor lowered his head.
“But you made the final decision.””
I looked between them.
“What decision?””
Claire swallowed.
“The decision to erase your memories completely.””
I stared at her.
“You.””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her eyes moved to Lily.
“Because you asked me to.””
The answer stopped me.
“What?””
Claire stepped closer.
“You don’t remember because you weren’t supposed to remember this part.””
She pulled something from her pocket.
A small audio recorder.
Old.
Similar to the one from the storage unit.
She placed it on the table.
“You recorded this for yourself.””
My heart sank.
“Play it.””
Nobody spoke.
Claire pressed the button.
Static.
Then my own voice.
Older.
Tired.
Afraid.
“Claire, if you’re hearing this, then I failed.””
I closed my eyes.
The sound of my own voice from another life felt like someone reaching into my chest.
“I need you to do something I hate asking.””
A pause.
“Make me forget.””
My eyes opened.
I looked at Claire.
The recording continued.
“If they find me, they’ll use my memories to get to Lily.””
My breathing slowed.
“I know what this will cost me.””
Another pause.
“I know I’ll hate you.””
Claire covered her mouth.
Tears fell silently.
“But if I wake up and I don’t remember my daughter…”
My younger voice broke.
“Tell her I never stopped loving her.””
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
I looked at Claire.
“You had no choice.””
She shook her head.
“I did.””
Her honesty surprised me.
“I could have refused.””
“Then why didn’t you?””
She looked at Lily.
“Because you trusted me with the one thing you loved more than yourself.””
I turned away.
All my anger had nowhere to go.
Because the truth was worse than betrayal.
It was sacrifice.
I had chosen this.
I had chosen to lose myself.
For her.
Lily walked toward me.
“Dad?””
I looked down.
“I’m sorry.””
She frowned.
“For what?””
“For not remembering you.””
Her eyes filled.
“You’re here now.””
That sentence broke something inside me.
After all these years.
After all the secrets.
She didn’t ask why I left.
She didn’t ask why I forgot.
She only cared that I was here.
Then the clubhouse alarm sounded again.
But this time, everyone knew what it meant.
Someone was coming.
Claire looked toward the door.
“They found us.””
Marcus moved.
“We need to leave.””
Claire shook her head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
“They’re not here for Bear.””
I frowned.
“Then who?””
May you like
Her face turned pale.
“They’re here for Lily.””
