Let Me Forget.

Josh

I thought I was imagining things.

When Maddie, my therapist, walked in the room, I swore Max was just fucking with me. I was so pissed off.

But then she told me her real name and, after my suspicious comments, she showed me the necklace that I had gotten her for our year anniversary three years ago.

If it weren't for the necklace, I wouldn't believe her. At all.

I mean, all of it in general was just so hard to believe. But it was true. There was just no way it wasn't.

It felt so good holding her in my arms again. And, as much as I wanted to know why she left me, I was willing to wait until she was going to tell everyone else.

We sat around the lounge for a while, just talking. I asked her if she knew it was me when I came in and what she was thinking. She just told me she did, and she was hating herself for being the cause of all my pain.

She said she had beaten herself up over it ever since she left.

She told me about how she had gotten all the money from her band and came to the US, using all her money and student loans for college. After that, she got a nice job, but still hardly made it by. She told me about how she did, occasionally, look up my band to see how we were doing.

I was shocked, honestly. I thought she forgot about me.

I told her about how I tried to move on and find some other girl to fill my time, but all they did was fuck me over.

We sat there for an hour and a half just talking about how our lives went these past two years. It was only interrupted when I heard the bus door open and slam shut and Max walked in the lounge.

"I suppose things went well?" He asked, smiling. We both just nodded.

"Mate, you knew who she was and didn't tell me? How did you even find out?" I asked him.

He just grinned and looked at Maddie. "At our show, she did something that I've only ever seen our Maddie do. That's when I knew."

I stood up and walked over to him, giving him a hug.

"Thank you." I whispered to him. He just smiled at me.

"Well, Maddie, are you ready to tell everyone?" Max asked her. She looked nervous but nodded.

We headed into the little sitting area in the bus, he walking along behind me. It didn't escape my notice, though, when she intertwined her hand with mine.

When we came in, everyone looked up at us. Then Dan looked at Max, confused.

"Everyone, this is Maddie." Max said.

"Yeah, we know. You introduced us to her the other day" Dan replied. The rest were just quiet.

"Maddie Carver. I know that you know who I am" She finally spoke up. Everyone looked shocked and didn't seem to believe it. But at the sight of me holding her hand, she knew it was the truth.

"Why did you leave?" Matt asked. She looked at me, and then sighed.

"I guess it's time you all know. Max, call them." She said. Then, on command, Max took out his phone and dialed a number.

He put it on speaker and told us all to be quiet.

"'Ello?" I heard a voice sound from the other side. Maddie looked like she would cry.

"Mrs. Carver? It's Max. Remember what we talked about yesterday?" Max replied. There was shuffling on the other side.

"Yes yes, I remember. John and I are right here waiting. Now what is it you want to talk to us about?" She said. I heard another sound in the background, signaling that Mr. Carver was there too.

"There's someone here who wants to talk to you." Max said before handing the phone to Maddie. Her hands were shaking so bad it was thrashing the phone around.

Her mother just responded with "Okay." and we all held our breath, waiting for her to talk.

We sat there for a minute or two, in silence. She didn't say anything. Her mother made a frustrated sigh. Then, she spoke.

"Mom." She said quietly, "It's Maddie."

We heard a gasp on the other lone before her father asked, "Maddie? Is it really you?"

She just told them yes. Then her mother asked where she'd been all this time and why she left.

"I've been here, in the US, in California. And the reason Max called you is because I'm about to explain why to everyone, and I needed you to hear it too." She told her.

"Then tell us." Her mother urged.

"First you have to promise me that you won't tell anything. Absolutely no one." She pleaded, "If you tell someone, the whole reason I left will be for nothing."

Her mother promised her, and she smiled. She took a deep breath before beginning.

"Three years ago, I was at home with Easton. Mom, you and dad were out of town and were coming back the next day. I was watching tv with him in my room when someone rang the door bell." She paused, "It was those friends of his, the ones that were in a gang."

"Apparently, after I had gotten in an argument with this girl at school, she had put out an order on me. Someone was suppose to kill me. Easton asked them not to, and in return, they took him. They knew I was watching, but left anyway, and I knew they'd come back for me. So I left that night." She breathed for a second, trying to calm herself.

"I don't know if he's even still alive, I sure hope so, but I left in hopes that they wouldn't come and hurt any of you. And I wouldn't tell any of you, because if someone else knew of the deal, you'd have to be killed," She said, then handed the phone to Max, who was staring at her with a shocked expression.

I'm sure my face probably mirrored that.

"So..that's where Easton went?" Her mother finally asked. She just said yes.

Everything stayed quiet. Finally, Max told Maddie's mother that she'd send her Maddie's number and they got off the phone. I went over and hugged Maddie, immediately understanding everything.

She left to keep us safe. She broke off contact so we wouldn't be targeted. This whole time, she thought of all of us. Her friends.

All this time, even though she wasn't with us, she was keeping us safe.