Page 23 of Help Me Remember
“For what?” I asked, pushing myself upright.
“For helping him, that old guy from the store.”
“Oh, Mr. Reyes.”
Eric looked up. “You know him?”
I shrugged. “Not really. But I’ve seen him a few times and talked to him. He’s kinda weird, but he’s a good guy. Pretty sure he’s the grandfather of the kid who always works behind the register.”
“Even I didn’t know who he was,” Eric said strangely. “I stop by that store almost every day, and I never really bothered to talk to him.”
“Eh, he…uh, talked to me, to be fair. Asked if I was your new roommate.”
“He knows where I live?”
“Not sure, but he knows enough to know I’m staying with you.”
“Huh. Isn’t that interesting?”
“Is it?”
Eric smiled, unwinding his arms. “It is because I never really paid him much attention, but there he is, knowing more about me than I do him. It’s just…interesting how people can be a part of your life in ways you never realize. How often do we get to learn about our lives from other people’s perspectives?”
“He didn’t really give any perspective,” I said.
“And I bet you didn’t ask either.”
“No, why would I?”
“Why wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t you wanna know?”
“Not really. Just because he might have an idea about our lives doesn’t mean he knows us. I would kinda like to know how he knew I was staying with you, though. That’s handy information.”
Eric laughed softly, shaking his head as he stepped forward to sit on the bed. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, curling my legs up under me.
“It’s just…another piece of you that I used to see all the time. There are a lot of things you are that I recognize, and then there are things that I don’t. It makes me wonder what things are hardwired into us individually and what we pick up along the way.”
“What’s…what’s different?” I asked, suddenly unsure if I wanted to know the answer.
“Well, you didn’t used to argue with me about every little thing I did, even if I knew you didn’t always agree with it,” he said dryly, arching a brow. “I’m not sure why because you used to dislike it when I did certain things.”
“Things like what?”
“Things like I do now. I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I’d swear I could hear you grinding your teeth or chewing on your tongue just so you wouldn’t say anything to me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Maybe I learned there wasn’t any point in arguing with you. It clearly isn’t going to do me any good.”
“Probably not,” he said with a chuckle. “Or maybe it was some other reason. One you never shared with me, and now you can’t remember. But you also used to be a lot more cautious.”
“Haven’t I been cautious?” I asked.
“Well, paranoid would be a better way of putting it, but I don’t hold that against you. With everything you’ve been through, I’d be more surprised if you weren’t feeling a little paranoid right now,” he said softly. “But I can’t remember ever seeing you willingly throw yourself into danger. You barely hesitated.”
“Mr. Reyes isn’t exactly a young man. Even then, it’s not fair for three people to go after one,” I said with a scowl.
He tilted his head slowly. “Yeah?”