Back to You

Whispers echo throughout the room. I can’t push this feeling of something being kept from me.

The look in his eyes makes me feel nervous.

Our parents clear their throats and slide a paper toward us. I glanced over it and my heart dropped. It takes a minute for the words to sink in.

"Marriage... what is this?” I stuttered. I feel a sharp pain in my head.

I look over at Theo for reassurance that this wasn’t true. The marriage agreement was in his hand. Theo turned his head away from me. His eyes wouldn’t meet mine.

“Did he know about this?” I thought. Even if he did he should have told me. We are best friends after all.

My hands slammed against the table. I glanced over at my parents and saw a hint of sadness in their eyes. What was the meaning of all this? It didn’t make any sense.

Theo and I have known each other since we were kids. I know every little thing about him.

When he is nervous he scratches the back of his head. His eyes are an open book in which I can see through him.

He’s my best friend and he always will be.

“You two head up to the loft. There is a box that you need to get” my mother sighed.

I rolled my eyes brushing past the table. Theo walked behind me as we went up the stairs. The door opened and near the window we saw a dusty box.

“This must be it” he said, blowing the dirt off. He looked at me as if he’d hoped I’d understand.

I opened the lid and inside there was a locket. It dangled in my hands. I don’t know why but this locket seemed familiar like I had seen it before.

Theo came from behind me and quickly grabbed the locket from my hands.

“Did you...” he began, before his voice stopped. “Never mind... let’s go back down.”

I watched as his hands clenched the locket. His grip broke the locket open as it dropped against the wooden floor. The locket rolled toward me and I fell to my knees.

“Camille... wake up” a familiar voice muffled.

My eyes began to open as I looked around the loft. “What... what happened?” I said, my voice shaking.

The loft seemed different than before.

I felt the warmth of his arms wrap around me. His fingertips brushed against my arms. A sense of familiarity ran through my body.

I could feel his breathing against my hair. “What did you see?“he said, quietly.

I brushed his hands of my shoulders, pulling away from his embrace.

’I... there was a picture.” I said. It all seemed blurry now.

He turned his back away from me. “Let’s head back down” he muttered.

I bumped against his shoulder as he looked confused. The living room was different.

In the distance, we could hear voices of laughter drawing near us. Theo grabbed my hand pushing me behind the couch.

My eyes were covered by Theo as he pulled me back. “Don’t look...” he whispered.

I pressed my hands against his hands trying to loosen his grip. “Theo, let go. What are you doing?”

He lifted me up as I heard the door closing from behind. I could feel a breeze brushing against my shoulders. He placed me down releasing his hands from my face.

“What was that?” I asked, my hands up in frustration. This was all very strange.

He looked at me and then walked off. I followed after him the sand getting caught between my feet.

My parent’s house was close to the beach. The sand trail lead us straight there.

He sat down his head in his hands. I couldn’t shake this feeling of him hiding something from me. I have always been able to read his him and see what he was feeling. But recently he seemed close off. I can’t tell what he is feeling.

I looked back over at the house. What was in there that he didn’t want me to see?

His voice was low “Let’s stay out here for a while.”

I sat down next to him as the sun began to go down. “Theo...” I began, before he stopped me.

“I know what you’re going to ask. But I just...” he paused, as the laughter in the house faded away.

He lifted his head up looking straight at me. The sunset reflecting from his face. His hand reached for mine.

I moved my hand reaching for the sand. “You are my friend” I said, looking down.

He leaned back and a soft smile appeared across his face “I know...”

“You’ve noticed it too right? The house is different than before. It’s because this is a memory” he began, facing towards the water.

I glanced at him “A memory?”

He sighed “I don’t know how it happened but yes this is a memory from the past.”

I grabbed a piece of sand, letting it slip through my fingers. “This doesn’t make any sense. How could this happen?”

He stuttered “The locket must have triggered it.”

“What does the locket have to do with anything?” I said, confused.

He stood up “It’s getting late. Let’s go back inside. It should be good now.”

As soon as we got back, he placed some wood in the fireplace. I watched as he walked through the room. He seemed familiar with this version of the house. Why was he in this memory too? I thought.

“You should get some rest.” he said, tossing a blanket over.

I leaned back against the couch “How can I rest in this situation?”

He placed a pillow on the carpet leaning his head back against his arm.

“Maybe your memory is trying to tell you something” he said, as the fireplace crackled.

I rolled over on my side as my eyes began to close. Was there something in the past I had forgotten?

I could feel the sun shining on my face. “Did I wake you?” he said, closing the curtains. My head started to hurt, why did this feel familiar?

He noticed me rubbing my head and quickly ran toward the kitchen. When he came back there was a glass of water in his hands with some medicine.

“This should help with your headache.” he said, looking concerned.

I took the glass and closed my eyes. I could hear the rattling of car keys.

“Let’s get some fresh air” he said, grabbing my hand.

He drove a few blocks away from my house until I saw a house that I recognized.

“Isn’t this your house?” I said, opening the door.

He walked in front of me unlocking the front door. I ran past him and headed to his room.

Everything was still in its old place. His Beatles posters were still hanging on his walls from when we were teenagers. The desk facing next to the window was where we used to study. I sat down on the bed and noticed a house set hanging on the top of his closet.

I heard his footsteps coming into the room.

I laughed “Do you remember when we were in kindergarten and you used to pretend to be my husband and I was your wife.”

He smiled “I remember.”

I looked out the window “This is nice. Thank you for this.” He faintly smiled as he rummaged through papers on the desk I noticed a letter that stood out to me.

“What is this?” I pointed, reaching for it. Theo caught my hand before I could reach it.

He took the letter and placed it in his pocket. “Let’s head back” he said, brushing past me.

I walked behind him “Theo... what was that letter?”

He began to open the car door and I slammed it closed.

“Let me see the it” I said, pressing my hand out.

His gaze dropped towards the ground. What was he hiding from me? I didn’t press him on the people in the house. I wasn’t going to let this one go.

“Leave it be... Camille” he said, starting the car.

He grabbed my hand “Let’s go... you need to rest.”

I yanked his hand off mine “No... no... I want you to tell me what is going on.”

His breath grew deeper “I can’t”

He got inside the car and backed up. “Come on, let’s go”

I scoffed heading towards the beach. I could hear the car door slam behind him.

He was keeping something from me. I just couldn’t understand why.

His footsteps drew closer to me. “I’m not going back Theo, not until you tell me what is going on” I muttered.

He took a deep breath and handed me the letter. I looked back at him and saw the hurt in his eyes. My heart ached for him.

I dropped the letter and it fell into the sand.

“Let’s go back” I said, walking past him. I couldn’t help but think that the letter had something in there he wasn’t ready for me to see yet.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the letter. I’d never seen him that upset before.

“I’ll be in the back” he said, closing the door behind him. I ran up to the loft looking for answers. I was in a memory something must of triggered it. I had to figure out the reason why.

The only clue I had was the locket and that was gone.

A slip of paper was stuck against the floor. I grabbed it brushing of the dust. What is this? I thought.

Before I could see it clearly I heard the same laughter again. I quietly headed back down looking towards the back door to see if Theo had heard it too.

He hadn’t.

The laughter was coming from the front of the house. My breathing began to quicken. I shook the doorknob open.

My heart dropped at what I saw before me. I screamed and fell to the floor. I could feel the pounding of my head echoing through my whole body.

Theo’s voice sounded muffled.

The two people were Theo and I.

Why couldn’t I remember this memory of us?

I could feel Theo carrying me towards the couch.

“Let me get you some water” he said, his voice shaking.

Something wasn’t right.

I grabbed the edge of the couch and opened the back door. I needed to see that letter.

I staggered through the sand trying to find where I dropped the letter. Theo called after me but it was no use. He wasn’t going to stop me this time.

He knelt down beside me, reaching for my arm.

“Camille... I have the letter” he said, softly.

I glanced toward him. “Theo, you’re my best friend. Why don’t you just tell me what is going on?”

His hands shake as his head fell down. He looks straight at me “I have loved you ever since we were kids.”

These words.

I felt as if I’d heard them before.

I closed my eyes and then it hit me.

On my eighteen birthday, he had told me this too. The pounding in my head grew.

He gave me a locket which had a picture of us. And he...

I felt my eyes slowly start to drift.

I opened my eyes to see my parents and Theo standing beside me.

Theo sighed in relief “Camille... you’re awake.”

I turned over to him and saw the ring on his finger. The letter he was holding and the paper my parents had given us were the same.

It wasn’t a marriage agreement... it was our marriage certificate.

Theo wasn’t just by best friend, he was my husband.

I reached for his hand and he took mine in his.

“I, I... remember” I said, light filling in his eyes.

He smiled kneeling beside me. “I knew you would come back to me.”