The Memory Keeper: The Sin In Our Name

S2 Chapter 9: Pay the Piper

I sat in my office, staring blankly at the financial reports on my desk. The numbers and graphs blurred together, meaningless without Rain's reassuring presence. She was the calm in the storm, the one who made everything make sense. And now, she was gone-at least emotionally.

Jane knocked softly on my door and poked her head in. "Ms. Stanton, you have a meeting in ten minutes with the EcoEnergy team."

"Thanks, Jane," I said, forcing a nod. "Any updates from Rain?"

Jane hesitated, her hand still on the doorknob. "She emailed me the budget revisions and a couple of proposals this morning. She said she'd join the meeting virtually."

"Virtually," I muttered under my breath. The distance was unbearable, even in her professionalism.

Jane lingered for a moment. "Ms. Stanton, if I may... Rain's strong. But even the strongest people need time to heal."

I looked at her, surprised by her insight. "Yeah," I murmured, more to myself than to her.

As Jane left, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. How could I fix this? How could I make Rain see that she was everything to me? The weight of the mistake with Ella bore down on me, and I knew I couldn't undo the damage. But I could try to rebuild what we had-if she would let me.

The meeting started, and true to Jane's word, Rain joined virtually. Her voice was calm and professional, but there was a coldness to it that I couldn't ignore. It wasn't the Rain I knew.

At the end of the meeting, I stayed behind in the conference room and unmuted my mic. "Rain," I said softly, hoping she was still there.

There was a pause, and then her voice came through. "Yes, Ms. Stanton?"

The formality hit me like a punch to the gut. "Can we talk? Please."

Another pause. "I'll email you my availability," she said curtly, and then the line disconnected.

I sat there in the empty room, staring at the blank screen. Rain was slipping away, and I had no idea how to hold on to her.

•••
Rain's POV
As Alex left, I sat at the dining table, staring at the plate of waffles, bacon, and eggs. My heart swelled at her thoughtfulness-it had been so long since someone paid attention to the little things about me. The taste of the warm waffle brought back a flood of memories from simpler times, back when my parents and I would gather around the kitchen table on lazy Sunday mornings, laughing and sharing stories.

But as comforting as the moment was, it was fleeting. The gnawing ache in my chest remained, a constant reminder of the storm brewing in my life. Khai's betrayal, or whatever it was, loomed over me like a dark cloud. I couldn't even bring myself to look at my phone anymore, dreading the flood of missed calls and messages from her.

I finished the meal in silence, cleaning up the dishes to keep my mind occupied. Dr. Simmons's apartment felt like a sanctuary, but even here, I couldn't escape my thoughts. The photographs and paintings on her walls were beautiful, but they couldn't distract me from the turmoil inside.

I wandered over to the bookshelf, my fingers trailing along the spines of the books. Titles about art, psychology, and self-discovery lined the shelves. One caught my eye-The Courage to Be Disliked. I pulled it out and sat by the window, letting the natural light pour over the pages.

But no matter how hard I tried to focus, my mind kept circling back to Khai. Her laugh, her smile, the way she used to look at me like I was the only person in the world. Had that all been a lie?

I sighed, leaning my head against the glass. Maybe Alex was right-maybe I needed to mend my broken heart before I could face any of this. But how did you heal from something that felt like it had ripped you apart completely?