"So let me get this straight... you remember who Elijah is after two whole weeks, and didn't think to clue me in?"

Even though she was doing her best to sound mad, the grin that was slowly forming on Skylar's face was a telltale sign of her excitement. She shook her head, a surprised but cheerful glint to her eyes as she stared at me wide-eyed.

Two weeks had passed since I realized that my memory of Elijah hadn't been erased, and I was just now telling her. It wasn't that I hadn't wanted to tell her; it was just that I wanted to make sure that my memory of him was permanent before I told anybody.

I had needed the time to ease any of my fears about it having been a spur-of-the-moment thing.

I hadn't seen Elijah either, considering we had been let out for the break. We hadn't talked much either, despite his text about wanting to get to know me. Maybe he felt as if he had been too vulnerable and was regretting it. If so, I could see where he was coming from. Even if I would never take the moment back.

On the bright side of it all, I could say happily that I hadn't had another nightmare.

"Well, technically, it was only after one week. I just didn't tell you until now, because I wanted to make sure it was permanent progress." I sent her an apologetic smile. "I am sorry for not telling you sooner."

"You waited a whole week to tell me?!" Skylar leapt onto her knees, grabbing one of her pillows. "I. Can't. Believe. You." She hit me with a pillow for each word, and I let out an exasperated gasp before rolling my eyes in mirth.

When she stopped, I braced myself, expecting to be smacked in the face with the pillow again. I relaxed and regretted it as soon as she launched herself over at me. Unfortunately, she miscalculated how close to the edge of her bed I was, and we both toppled over the side, landing in a heap on the floor.

I groaned before laughter took over me. If someone were to look in here, they would probably mistake us for children.

"You know you are crazy right," I grumbled. I couldn't hold in my laugh, however, as I tried to get off the floor.

"Babe, crazy doesn't even begin to cover it." She grinned, with a wink. "Rowan, this is huge. I am slightly annoyed that you are just now telling me, but this is great!" She added, picking up her phone and dialing a number, before bringing her phone to her ears.

I eyed her curiously from my perch on the floor, viewing the world from upside down.

"I don't understand why you are so excited, I barely know him."

"Maybe because he is a walking hunk of a guy, and you obviously are into him," she deadpanned before she spoke into the phone. "Hayden, you better get back over here quick." She waited one second before lifting her phone away from her ear and frowning. "Great my phone died." She crossed her legs. "Anyway... don't even try to tell me you don't like him. There is no possible way that is true."

I refrained from rolling my eyes as I laughed.

"Well yeah, he is attractive, but I need more than just good looks. He seems like a great guy, but this week has felt a little strange. We have barely talked..." I said before I trailed off, just now picking up on what she had said to Hayden.

'You better get back over here.'

I sent her a look.

"What?" She asked.

"Why was Hayden over here before? And why did he leave before I got here?" I asked in a sing-song voice.

Skylar didn't say anything at first, but a sheepish expression settled a second later, a crimson tint flooding her face.

Finally!

"No way!" I laughed, catching on to what she wasn't saying. "Oh my goodness Sky, that is great!"

She beamed at me. "I was going to tell you later, but well yeah...that didn't happen."

"That's totally okay Skylar." I grinned. "I might seriously be happier than you."

Truth be told, I always knew that they would be great together, but Hayden wasn't exactly the settle-down type. It wasn't that he got around; it was that he didn't. He always said that he hadn't found the right person yet and wasn't going to go through the whole population of females just to find 'the one.'

Skylar, on the other hand, always seemed to be looking at the wrong guys. But Hayden was different. They were really perfect together.

She winked at me. "I don't know, I am really happy."

I nodded, my smile growing. "You should be. You guys are literally meant for each other."

A rosy hue arose to her cheeks. She glanced at her hands, before blowing air through her lips and flashing a bright smile. "I feel like we are too. But enough about me." She began pulling her hair up into a ponytail. Blonde strands of hair framed her face gracefully as she looked at me expectantly. "Let's talk about Elijah. When did you realize that you remembered him?"

I smiled at her enthusiasm, giving her a quick recap on how everything went down.

"Gosh this is kind of crazy, isn't it?" She said as we got up from the floor and sat back down on her green and grey comforter.

"Yea it is. I don't know why things with him are so different. We have barely even talked." It was only a half-lie. Even though Elijah and I only had really had one real conversation, it had been intense. With all our cards laid out in the open, despite being perfect strangers.

"So are you going to tell him?"

I thought about her question. What he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him. Right?

I raised my shoulder. "He doesn't even know I have a memory issue. Maybe I don't need to tell him."

"You and I both know, that isn't the way to go," she said, with a serious look. "Even I can see that you guys have got this type of chemistry going on. He will eventually catch on. You may remember him, but there are still moments you might forget.

I flung myself back onto her bed, facing the ceiling. I hadn't thought about it before, but she was right. There was no possible way that I could get to know someone and they didn't catch on that to them multiple times that I would forget things.

Not knowing what to say, since I already agreed with her, I just sighed.

"Is it weird that I remember him already?" I sat up. "I mean it hasn't even been that long.

Skylar pursed her lips. "I don't think it's weird. Sometimes life works in ways that we can't possibly understand. I don't really like to give fate all the credit for what goes on in my daily life, but I feel like it plays a role."

I looked at her as she continued.

"You and Elijah definitely have a connection that is beyond explainable. I could see it when you first told me about him, and I hadn't even seen you guys together yet. Then, when he arrived at Hayden's he saw you through the patio door, and practically sprinted out there with you."

He had?

"I thought that he had come out there coincidentally. When he got out there, he acted like he didn't notice I was there."

She shot me a grin and shook her head.

"No honey, he definitely knew that you were out there. He was barely at Hayden's for more than ten min, before he Speedy Gonzalesed himself right to where you were."

Huh.

I thought back on the interaction, as we lay in Skylar's bed, staring up at her apartment ceiling. Now that I think about it, he hadn't been too surprised to see me out there. I smiled, the thought of him having gone out there to talk to me, doing something funny to my insides.

"I think this calls for drinks," Skylar said out of the blue, as she sat up, her blonde hair flat against her neck.

"You think everything calls for drinks."

She just flipped me off, smiling and climbing off of the bed. The doorbell rang before she made it out of her room, and we both walked out to her living room. She opened the door to reveal an out-of-breath Hayden and had barely managed to say hi when he grabbed her quickly but gently.

I paused, watching in confusion as he scanned her from head to toe, his eyes wide with worry, and she held up her hands.

"Hayden are you-" She started, but he cut her off.

"What is it, Sky? What happened?" He scanned her eyes, looking over her body. He stood there, relief slowly flooding his eyes as the seconds passed, before confusion set.

"Hey, it's okay," she reassured. "I wasn't calling for me. Rowan remembered another person." Hayden glanced over at me in surprise, as if he was just noticing I was there. From the way that he had come in, I wouldn't be surprised if he was.

"Why did you hang up like that? I called you back, and you didn't answer. I got here as fast as I could."

She sent him an apologetic look, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry Hayden, I didn't think that you would have been worried like that. My phone died."

I felt sort of bad as I watched them, considering that Hayden did have good reason to worry. A few weeks back Skylar had had a close run-in with someone who had been way too touchy-feely. Luckily Hayden and I had been coming over before things escalated, but she had been shaken up.

He looked at her again as if confirming that she was okay before stepping into the apartment. He hugged her as if reassuring himself, before looking at me.

"Who did you remember, Ro?" He asked, letting her go, but keeping his arm around her. "Who am I kidding? It's Elijah, isn't it?" He asked before I could say anything. My eyes widened and he shrugged. What?"

"How'd you know?"

"Um, how about the fact that despite you almost killing him-" he flinched as Skylar smacked the side of his arm, and I rolled my eyes at his words. "What was that for?" He asked and rubbed his arm.

"I didn't almost kill him."

"Yeah, he would have only had a slight bruise."

I glared at Skylar's unhelpful input, and she blew me a kiss in response.

Hayden grinned. "As I was saying, although you almost hit him with your car, he practically spent all of five minutes with everyone at my apartment. Practically ran out onto the patio when he saw you."

"And Skylar told me about 'Operation Remember Elijah'," he added nonchalantly. Hearing it out loud brought an embarrassed flush to my face, but I waved it down. "He also asked me for your number." He said it so casually as if giving out my number to strangers was perfectly okay.

So that is how he had gotten it. Why the heck hadn't Hayden mentioned that I don't know, two weeks ago?

"Do you give out my number to everyone who just asks?" I asked, not really annoyed, but wanting to mess with him a bit.

Hayden raised an eyebrow sending me a look that told me he wasn't buying my serious expression. "No, I don't. But I have a feeling that even while you might not admit it, deep down you are glad that he asked."

I frowned. Was I that much of an open book?

I sighed when I glanced at Skylar who winked. "Fine, I am because I want to be friends."

"Keep telling yourself that babe," Skylar chuckled. "It is clear as day that he doesn't want that and neither do you."

"I second that," Hayden added. He grinned at me, before grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge, and wrapping an arm around Sky. I guess he wasn't hiding that they were together from me anymore.

"Well, then, if even you can see the chemistry between them, tell her she needs to tell him," Sky said.

"You aren't planning on telling him?" A surprised expression took over Hayden's face. I just shrugged.

"I don't want to be seen differently. We are just getting to know each other and I don't want to scare him away."

Skylar huffed as she sat down beside me. "You literally almost hit him with your car, and he still hasn't run from your crazy behind," she said as a matter of factly. "I don't think that you have anything to worry about."

I shot her an annoyed look. "Are you guys going to keep holding that over my head? I don't even remember it."

"Yep," Hayden said, popping the p sound. He moved over to the couch and ruffled my hair as if I was a little kid, and I glared at him. "Which is exactly why you should just tell him what is going on."

I sighed, not saying anything. Skylar and Hayden didn't push it either, the latter giving me a knowing look before walking further into the living room.

But as we all settled on the couch and Skylar and Hayden argued over what movie to watch, my mind was somewhere else. My focus was directed on an undeniable truth that caused my stomach to twist. I needed to tell Elijah what was going on.

We got through all but thirty minutes of watching, 'How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days,' when Skylar sat up.

"I have the best idea ever." I glanced at her questioningly. "We should go out."

I sent her my best, 'does it look like I want to go?' face, before turning back to the movie.

If I was lucky I would spend my night right where I was. On the couch and doing nothing.

"Please Rowan?" She tugged on my hand. "This movie isn't going anywhere."

"We have gone out," I said, purposefully avoiding the huge puppy dog eyes that she was giving me.

"That's not fair. The only time that we have gone out, is to go get something to eat, and that was on your birthday. We always stay in on our off days."

I threw a pillow, which she dodged. It ended up hitting Hayden in the face.

"Hey," he grumbled with a laugh and chucked it back over at me.

"Sorry." I laughed with an apologetic wince. "I meant to hit your girlfriend."

I then aimed the pillow at Skylar. She caught it before peeking over it.

"Come on Rowan, it is just one party. It will be fun."

"I wouldn't mind going out either," Hayden added.

I looked at them both and could tell I was outnumbered. It was two against one. I stood no chance against Skylar's puppy dog face, and Hayden's...well, it was hard to say no to Hayden.

"Fine, I groaned." Skylar leaped off the couch as soon as I spoke, booking it to her room. before She poked her head out the door, pinning me with a confused look a second later.

"Come on, Ro, we have to get ready." I glanced down at my t-shirt and jeans.

"What's wrong with what I am wearing," I asked. "I'm comfortable."

"What's wrong is that your raggedy t-shirt is nowhere near party material."

So we were going to a party?

Great.

She walked over to me and grabbed my hand, dragging me off the couch.

"So, when did you and Hayden get together exactly?" I asked when she closed the door to her room behind us. I hoped that they hadn't been seeing each other in secret.

"Don't worry, Ro, it was just a few days ago."

"Okay yeah," I said with a smile. "But how did it happen? I want all the details."

She glanced at me, her cheeks slightly rosier than they had been before.

"After your birthday dinner, he drove me home, and he was just acting differently. I have liked him for a while, but I didn't realize that he liked me back because..."

I raised an eyebrow at her hesitance. "Because what?"

Skylar sighed. "I thought that he was into you," she mumbled. I glanced at her, and nodded, trying to conceal my laughter. But when she looked at me, I couldn't hold back. She glared at me as I burst into a fit of laughter, my hands on my knees.

"Skylar," I wheezed. "I don't know how you thought that..." I took another breath, straightening only to double over in laughter again.

"I don't know either. I guess I am just used to being the one the guy doesn't like."

"First of all that can't possibly be true because I know for a fact that you keep getting asked out, but turn down almost all of them."

She nodded, smoothing a hand over her hair with a nod. "I mean the guys that I want. I didn't care about any of them, because I really liked Hayden," she said softly.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me. I only see Hayden as a brother, and it is clear that he only has eyes for you," I said, and walked into her closet. I found her dresses and looked through them. "Besides, I think I have known that he has liked you for a while now."

I felt something soft hit the back of my head and looked down to see a pillow on the floor.

"Did you just throw a pillow at me?"

"Yes," she glared at me, with her hands on her hip. "Why didn't you tell me if you thought that he did?"

I shrugged. "I figured that he would tell you himself. Besides, he never straight out told me, I just caught the subtle glances that he stole at you all the time and the way he lights up when you come around."

She was blushing when I finished talking and walked over to join me in her closet. I took a step back as she started to fish through her rack of dresses.

"That makes sense, I guess," she said, with a smile.

I grinned at her.

"I am so happy that you guys are together," I said, giving her a quick side hug.

"Me too." Her eyes shone like stars, and the crinkle at the edges of her eyes showed that her happiness was genuine. It was about sometime someone like Hayden showed her that she deserved to be treated right.

Skylar clapped her hands suddenly, looking around excitedly. "Now, let's get ready for the party."

She looked almost giddy as she started to create potential outfits. I just stepped back, trying not to get hit with flying clothes. She usually took control when it came to what I was wearing to parties, so I would just let her do her.

A few minutes later, she had somehow wrangled me into a navy blue spaghetti-strapped dress and grey pumps. My hair was left a curly mass and flowed down my back. My make-up was done simply.

Today was one of my rare clear-skinned days, so I didn't bother with foundation or concealer. Besides, I didn't have my make-up with me, and Skylar's complexion was way fairer than mine.

Skylar was wearing a small black mini dress and red heels. Her hair was straight, and her makeup was also subtle. She was a natural beauty, so she didn't need much makeup in my opinion anyway.

We walked back out to the living room, and Hayden grinned as Skylar walked over to him. He whispered something in her ear that caused her face to redden.

May I add that he was still just wearing jeans and a black t-shirt? I don't get why I had to dress up when Hayden could wear literally the same thing I was wearing before and be fine. I envied the easy life that boys had sometimes.

"Okay, let's hit the road."

Her excitement was clear.

Skylar was a bit of a party animal. She wasn't wild, but she loved the excitement that parties held, as well as being surrounded by people. She was a people person at heart, so she always fit right into any situation she was in. I envied her extroverted personality sometimes.

"Okay," I said, trying to muster up excitement for something that I usually dread.

We made our way down to our cars. Skylar rode with Hayden, and I drove my own car since I was probably going to go straight home after. Truth be told, I was kind of looking forward to letting go of a little tension tonight.