6. Foster
6
FOSTER
H oly shit! I jumped out of my skin, lurching back as the girl from the roof walked toward me through the dark. Clutching my chest, I exhaled heavily and then demanded, How the hell did you get down?
I… She shook her head. I don t actually know.
You don t—? I stopped myself, needing a moment to digest that. But how could she not know how she d gotten down? Squinting one eye, I asked, Are you…okay?
You know, I don t think so, she admitted as she pressed a hand to her brow. Something feels off. Like, really, really wrong. I don t even know how I got up there or what I was doing before that or—or anything.
Fuck.
Were you just at the party down the beach? I asked, shifting worriedly closer. Do you think someone might ve slipped something into your drink?
I… After pausing to think her answer through, she started to nod. You know, I think I was at a party, she answered, her head bobbing growing more convinced by the second. Yeah, I was definitely at a party. Just a little bit ago. And I drank heaven in a cup.
That proved it, then. Someone had more than likely fed her some ecstasy. Dammit. The poor girl. Okay, I m going to take you to the hospital, I decided.
She tipped her head curiously. Why?
Uh, because I m pretty sure you ve been drugged.
Drugged? After pressing a hand experimentally to her stomach, she shook her head. But I don t feel sick.
We should go anyway, I encouraged, reaching for her arm. Just to be safe.
Except she shifted away from me. No. I don t want to go. Her voice started to quiver with fear. I wasn t drugged. I feel okay.
But—
I don t want to go to the hospital! she cried in agitation, sounding frantic and scared enough to make me lift both of my hands in surrender. I don t like hospitals. You re freaking me out!
Okay, okay, I murmured, making sure to keep my voice soft and calming. We don t have to go to the hospital. How about I take you inside and get you some water, though?
Or hopefully she had family or friends in there who could help her, even though unfortunately her place looked pretty dark.
After a few moments of settling herself down, she finally bobbed her head and answered, Yeah, alright. Water sounds good. I can handle water.
Great, I said, relieved she was going to be compliant on this issue, at least. Let s get you safely inside. When I held out my hand toward her, she looked at me uneasily, so I dropped my fingers and said, Just follow me.
Okay. She said amiably.
And when I started for the steps leading up onto the porch, she did too, trailing after me like a faithful kitten.
It was dark, and I had no idea where the door was, so I crept along slowly, only to curse under my breath when I rammed my shin into the armrest of a wicker porch chair. Son of a bitch!
Be careful, the girl cautioned from behind me. Are you okay?
Yep, I said, gritting my teeth through the nip of pain until we turned a corner, and I finally found a door halfway down the walkway. All good.
When it opened with ease, I stepped inside the cottage, saying, Give me a second to find a light. I patted around the wall until my fingers encountered what they were seeking. Here we go.
Then I flipped the switch, and the room exploded with brightness. I took a few moments, squinting through the sudden glare before my eyes adjusted.
She had a nice place. I was jealous. When I was younger, I d always dreamed of living in a beach house just like this one. It reminded me of my grandma s cottage.
Turning to tell her I liked her house, I stopped cold, realizing the dark had really concealed her looks. This was the first time I was seeing her.
And damn.
There was no question why someone had targeted her with a date rape drug. The girl was fucking gorgeous. Everything on her was simply stunning, from the springingly lively curls in her long, reddish-brown hair to the shapely curve in her hips and legs.
Her face was smooth with thick, long eyelashes, peach lips, and blushed cheeks. And her breasts were?—
Damn, I should not be checking out how full and lush her breasts were.
But I certainly wasn t the only one looking.
Holy crackers, you re beautiful, she blurted as she gaped back.
I laughed, a little unnerved by her blunt appraisal, while also charmed at the same time, especially by the way she said holy crackers . It was cute as hell.
Tipping her head as she kept watching me, she finally lifted a finger and shook it in my direction. But don t I know you?
Ah shit. Here it came. She seemed to be the same age as me, if not a year or two younger, so I said, Do you attend HaveU?
She looked confused for a second before her face lit up with a big smile. Yes! she said as if just then realizing that she did. I do go to Haverick. And you… She was back to shaking her finger at me. I know you, she murmured in growing excitement. You re the guy I m in love with.
Well.
That escalated quickly.
Cringing, she wrung her hands and confessed, I hope you don t mind that I just promised someone we d name our first baby after him. But you can name the second one all by yourself, I swear.
Um. Not sure what I was supposed to do with that , I laughed uneasily. Thank…you? I spoke slowly, turning my words into a question before I added, But first, how about I get you some water. That sound okay?
That sounds nice. Gosh, I knew you d be a total sweetheart. Following me into the kitchen, she added, Kinsey was convinced you had to be a conceited asshole since you re all famous and everything, but I refused to believe it. I mean, no one who remains living at home through college just to help his parents take care of his slew of younger siblings could be a selfish prick, am I right?
I glanced back in surprise, startled that she actually did know something about me after all. I guess, I said before trying the first cabinet I came to, in the hopes of finding her a cup. I hope I m not, anyway.
You re not, the girl assured as she sat in a chair at the table that had never been pushed in. Foster Union s an all-around good guy. I can feel it in my bones. Oh! Pressing both hands to her lips, she shifted wide eyes my way. I know your name. You re Foster.
I am, I answered, finally finding a glass. Dragging it off a shelf, I went to the sink and began to fill it. And you are?
I m… The girl at the table slumped her shoulders with a frown. Huh. How can I remember your name but not my own? This is so freaking weird.
Wait. She couldn t remember her own name? Yeah, that was weird.
Maybe it s some kind of selective amnesia, I said, from the date rape drug that you won t let me take you to the hospital to treat.
As I carried the water to her, she sent me a small scowl. Sorry, but that did not convince me to suddenly want to go.
With a shrug, I held out the cup for her to take. Well, I tried, I started, only to realize she had scratches on her arms and legs as if she d maybe run through barbed wire.
Oh shit. You re bleeding. Setting the cup on the table, I crouched in front of her to get a closer look. None of the scratches were very deep. They probably wouldn t even require a Band-Aid. But she d definitely just been through something .
Glancing up, I asked, Did someone hurt you?
I kind of wanted to beat them senseless if they had. She seemed way too sweet to ever be fucked with.
She paused from frowning in confusion at her superficial wounds to blink up at me in the same bewilderment. I don t think so, she said, only to lift her leg and give it a bizarre stare. This is just getting stranger and stranger.
Are you sure you don t want to go to a hospital? I asked.
She jerked her leg away from me. Hospitals scare the crap out of me. I feel fine.
I huffed out a breath and pushed my way back to my feet. Well, if you can t remember your name, I suppose it s counterproductive to ask if there s anyone I can call for you. We were obviously alone in the house, meaning no one was here to help her. Do you have any family or friends nearby?
I…
When that question only confused her more, I lifted hopeful eyebrows. Or maybe your phone s on you?
Ooh! My phone. She started patting herself down in search of it, only to frown in confusion. Huh. I don t think I have my phone on me. Or my purse. I wonder where they could be.
Yeah… I said, glancing around the kitchen, but there weren t a whole lot of identifying features here to pinpoint who she might be, either. What about Kinsey? I asked, turning back to her. Didn t you just mention a Kinsey a second ago?
Snapping her fingers, she pointed at me. Yes! Kinsey. I feel like I was just with her too. Huh. I wonder where she went. Kinsey ? she called, cupping her hands around her mouth and glancing around the kitchen. When no one answered, she winced at me and whispered, I don t think she s here.
Yeah, me neither, I muttered. Alright, then. I clapped my hands together and came up with a new plan. If you can t think of anyone we can call, and you still refuse to go to a hospital…
She grimaced over the suggestion.
Then maybe you just need to sleep this off. I bet you ll remember everything again in the morning.
I hope you re right. She didn t sound very convinced, though.
So do I, I agreed, only to look her over again and squint curiously at her scratches. They seemed to be getting worse. We should probably get those cleaned up. Do you have a first aid kit in the bathroom?
Whoa! No, she told me, surging to her feet and lifting her hands to stop me. You don t have to patch me back together. I m already crazy enough in love with you as it is. Let s not make my obsession even worse.
Huffing out an amused laugh, I took a step back, Yeah… I have no idea how to even respond to that.
No response necessary, she assured perkily. You just stay here, and I ll go clean myself up. But as soon as she started to turn away, she paused and glanced back at me. You ll still be here when I get back, right? You re not going to leave me alone like that boy did, are you?
I furrowed my brow. What boy?
She blinked as if confused. Huh?
I huffed out a nervous laugh. You know what… If you can t even remember your name right now —Or what she d said half a second earlier— then no, I m definitely not going to leave you alone, I promised.
She sighed dreamily, giving me a head-tipping smile of approval before flinging out an accusing hand. There you go again, she scolded. Making me like you even more.
I laughed. I couldn t help it. Darlin , I told her. I have no idea what you re under the influence of right now, but thank God it s making you happy instead of sick.
I know, right? She nodded in agreement. I feel really good. Everything s all light and airy as if I could just…float away. Flinging out an arm with a dramatic flourish, she whirled away from me, singing, Like a feather.
Then she danced out of the kitchen, swinging her arms as if she was tossing confetti at an adoring audience.
Alright, then. Blowing out a long breath as soon as she was gone, I shook my head and backed into the cupboards to rest against them, saying, Note to self: don t do drugs.
Then I eased my phone from my pocket and texted home.
I didn t have a curfew, and my parents didn t expect me to check in with them for everything I did, but they had requested that I at least give them the courtesy of a heads-up if I didn t plan on making it home on any given night.
So I wrote them a quick message.
Not going to make it home tonight.
And I started to pocket the phone, only to remember that Parker had been sending me some kind of gift. So I wrote to him too.
Change of plans. I had to leave the party before your gift arrived, and I m not going to make it to Archer House, either. Can you give everyone my apologies?
He responded almost immediately.
What the fuck?
When I heard footsteps approaching, I knew I didn t have time to fill him in with all the details, so I merely wrote:
Tell you everything tomorrow.
And I re-pocketed my phone just as the girl entered the kitchen.
Setting a hand against her heart, she exhaled in relief and said, Oh thank God. You didn t leave me.
Still here, I assured, waving hello. Any luck remembering your name yet?
Her shoulders slumped dismally. No. It s starting to drive me crazy too. I mean, why can t I just remember ?
What do you remember? I wondered.
Not much, she reported, wrinkling her nose in depression. I know I woke up outside on the beach in the dark. Then, there was this boy?—
What boy? I asked, shaking my head over his second mention.
Yeah. Pointing at me, she said, I thought that was weird too. He was just a little kid, standing along the shore all by himself. And when I called to him, he spun around in surprise, as if I were the strange part of everything. Then he told me he d take me to his brother to get me some help, except when he took off, he ran so fast I couldn t keep up with him. And suddenly—I don t even know how—I was on the roof until, seconds later, you appeared, walking down the beach. It was all like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland .
Yeah, I murmured, furrowing my brow in confusion. That s weird.
You re telling me, she mumbled as she ran a hand through her hair. It makes absolutely no sense at all.
How about we walk around the house, I suggested. Maybe something familiar will jog your memory.
She made a face, clearly not thinking that plan would work, but then she shrugged. I mean, I guess. I certainly don t have any other ideas.
Okay. Nodding, I started for the living room, hoping to spot some family pictures or something that she could recognize. But there weren t a whole lot of personalized pieces in the front room either. It was probably her summer cottage that her family also rented out as an Airbnb or something.
But I tried anyway.
Motioning to an interesting lamp sitting on an end table next to the couch, I asked, What about this? Anything?
She lifted one eyebrow at me. It s a lamp.
I deflated, then motioned toward the television on the wall. What about movies or television shows? Do you have a favorite?
I m sure I do, she said and plopped down onto the couch to stretch out across the cushions, obviously done with walking around the house.
Crossing her bare feet at one end and draping an arm over her brow at the other, she groaned in delight before telling me, I mean, I ve been impatiently waiting for the final season of Stranger Things to drop since—ooh!
Popping upright, she gaped at me before asking, It s still 2024, right? January?
It is. Easing into a side chair, I pointed in congratulations. It s Friday the twelfth. And classes resume on Tuesday, right after Martin Luther King Day.
Oh, thank God. She slumped back down on the couch in relief. At least I m in the right time.
Maybe I could guess your name, I said. She seemed to remember things when I brought them up.
She only shrugged, however, as she continued to gaze up at the ceiling. Knock yourself out.
Okay, then. Let s see. You look like a…Macy?
I do ? Wrinkling her nose, she lifted her face to send me a severe scowl.
Or not, I quickly corrected. We ll just go through the alphabet then. How about Abby? Alice? Anne? Allie? Ooh. My sister s name is Amaretto Alison, but we call her Amy?
Nope, nope, nope, and nope. Sorry. Shaking her head, she sighed, only to lift her face and ask, Hey, don t you have a sister you call Little?
I smiled immediately. Yes. Her name s Estelle, though. My mom wanted to call her Stella for short, but everyone referred to her as Little Bit for so long that it ended up just becoming Little. She s my tiny shadow. Amy is a mama s girl, while my second sister, Brey, is a clear daddy s girl. But Little is one hundred percent a Foster s girl.
Aww. Face softening with adoration, the no-name girl on the couch smiled before motioning toward me. See. I can remember the name of a little sister to some football player I ve never met but have a serious crush on, yet I can t remember my own name. That is just—I mean, what is even happening right now?
Good question. I sighed in defeat and scratched my hair a little uneasily, still not sure how to handle her extreme openness about her feelings toward me. What about Brenda? Or Brooke? Or Brittney? Or Breydan?
Meh. Shaking her head, she mumbled, Not ringing a bell.
I sighed but carried on into the Cs and then the Ds until I came to, Daisy? Dahlia? Daphne? Diana?
Diana? she repeated as if that one resonated with her.
I sat up straighter. You think your name s Diana?
No. But she didn t sound very sure of herself until, a second later, she snapped her fingers. Diane, she announced triumphantly. My middle name is Diane. After my mom.
I shrugged. Well, that s a start. No first name yet?
No. Sorry.
So we continued through the alphabet, both of us tossing out names that might belong to her, but none of them inspiring her enough to claim them, and with each letter, we started to yawn more and burrow deeper into our furniture to get comfortable.
I m not sure why the game dragged on for so long, but it lingered deep into the night, and I started to get drowsy, even though I liked talking and joking with her. She was fun and easy to be around. Still…
I think I passed out somewhere in the Ps.
* * *
When I came to, it was morning, and brightness was blaring through all the windows.
I could hear seagulls outside, telling me I was near a beach.
Cramped in the side chair I d slept in all night, I groaned and stretched my arms and legs, which made the girl on the couch stir and begin to wake up as well.
Morning, I mumbled as I pulled my arms from over my head so I could wipe crusties from my dry eyes.
The girl jumped in surprise and whirled her attention to me before blinking about a dozen times and hesitantly asking, Foster Union ? What re you doing here?
I laughed out a husky sound before scratching my jaw. What do you remember?
Uh. She glanced around the front room as if lost. Not a lot.
Well, I found you on the roof, I started. Suffering under the influence of something .
The roof? She tipped her head as if that suggestion was pure insanity before she asked, What in the world was I doing on the roof?
Yeah, we never figured that out, I answered with an uneasy wince. Nor did we learn your name. So do you happen to know your name this morning?
Of course, I know my name. She straightened self-righteously as if she couldn t believe I would dare ask her such an insulting question. But when she added, It s, nothing else came out.
Holy shit, she croaked. I can t remember my name, but—ooh! I do remember last night now. She pointed at me. We fell asleep going through the alphabet, trying to remember it.
That s right, I said with a nod. At least you remember that .
She brightened as if proud of herself. Then she sighed with a scowl and pressed a hand to her head. This is crazy. I can t believe I scaled Foster Union s cottage on the beach and ended up on his roof. How random is that ?
I paused in the middle of pushing my way to my feet. My cottage? I repeated in confusion.
She lifted her hands and swore, I promise, I had no idea this was your place. I m totally not a creepy stalker. It was just a complete and utter coincidence that?—
This isn t my place, I broke in, feeling frozen with shock as I blinked at her in disbelief.
The girl sat upright, looking stunned. What do you mean? she demanded. If this isn t your cottage, then whose is it?
I… I stood all the way up, realizing I should not be making myself at home right now. I thought it was your cottage.
It s not my cottage, she spat back, hopping to her feet as well. Why would you think it was my cottage?
Because you were on the roof , I said with more force and a chest full of growing panic. And there was no ladder, so you had to have gotten up there from the inside, like through a window. I assumed the place was yours . That s why I brought you inside and nursed you through the night here.
Oh, she said in a small voice. Well…oops.
Oops? I echoed. Why were you on the roof if it s not your cottage? Or at least the cottage of someone you know?
I-I-I thought we decided that was still a mystery.
Holy shit, I exploded, gripping my hair. Are we breaking and entering into a complete stranger s beach house right now?
Um… With a wince, the girl sent me a small, apologetic smile. I think so, yes.
My mouth dropped open, and I could only gape at her for the longest second before we heard what sounded like a car pull up in the driveway.
Oh, no, no, no, no, I chanted and hurried toward a window to peer outside. Please don t be— But when I saw the roof of a red car stop and park before the driver s side door swung open, I knew it was bad news.
The homeowners had arrived.
I spun back to my partner in crime. Okay, time to go. Time to go right now.