The Memories of Marlie Rose by Miller Morgan Lee

Author:Miller, Morgan Lee [Miller, Morgan Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2023-12-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The morning after, I wake with a piercing headache, as if I tossed back a bottle of cheap wine all by myself. I fumble through the medicine drawer in my nightstand to relieve it. I know the more I erase, the more substantial the headache. I have no idea what I told Dr. Pierson to erase yesterday, but the headache clues me in that it must have been something significant for it to hurt this much.

God, I must have erased whole years from my memory. I run through my life again, question the milestones for each age, and then I come across a surprise cliff that plunges into a giant hole.

What the hell happened in my early twenties? I can see an outline of it, like a new coloring book, but those pictures don’t come alive without color and detail, and that’s what I’m missing.

Stop thinking about it. You’re not supposed to dwell on it.

I try to sleep off my headache and confusion until my fourth session on Thursday. However, even with the nagging headache that never quite left—even after Excedrin—I upheld my promise to Kristina and looked over the Hello, Dolly! script. I’m glad she forced me because after reading it once, I’m almost ready to rip the Band-Aid off and tell her that I’m sold on auditioning. It’s a perfect role for my comeback.

I look at my phone to check Kristina’s ETA to see if I have a chance to write my manager, Helen, an email about my interest. But right after I see Kristina’s text that she’s fifteen minutes away, my stomach drops when I see that I have one missed call and one voice mail from Nathan.

Why the hell is he calling?

My mind goes to the worst-case scenario: something happened to him or Elle. Panic snakes around my sternum, and I worry that if I wait too long, the incessant wondering will choke me. I play the voice mail.

“Hey, it’s…um…it’s Nathan. Just calling to check in to see how you’re doing. I know it’s been a while but, well, I have some exciting news to share. Call me back when you get the chance. I…I miss you, Marlie. I hope everything is well over there. I’ve been thinking about you a lot. It would be nice to catch up so, um, yeah, please call me back when you have time. I’ll talk to you later.”

The message ends, and my phone feels like a brick in my grip. Just hearing his voice again sends my heart to beat in erratic patterns of sadness and nervousness. I replay the message, and after the sixth time, I’m finally able to mute my anxiety, and I hear what seems to be hope in his voice. He doesn’t sound as upset as he has in the past. He sounds a little nervous, a little eager, and a little defeated. Hearing him again without the sharpness of anger fills me with hope that maybe he’s ready to forgive me.

It’s been a

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