"Rei is right," I say. "Your brain is smart and powerful. If you don’t remember, it’s probably for a reason."
She shakes her head, chewing on her lower lip. "But I want to remember," she says. "I need to remember. This has taken years away from me. I need to get it back."
"It might be better if you don’t."
"I don’t care if it hurts," she says softly. "I don’t care if it’s hard. I need to know what happened to me. If you think literal demons took time away from me, then surely it’s your responsibility to help me get it back?"
It isn’t. None of this is my responsibility. I’ve already done my job. But the way she’s looking at me, the way her breath shakes, her eyes half-closed…I can’t imagine a world in which I don’t help her. I watch as tears slide down her pretty face, mascara sliding down her cheeks. "Sorry," she says, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "This is embarrassing, I…"
I put my hand on her bare shoulder. "Don’t apologize," I say. "You’re right. I’ll help you get it all back. I promise."
When she smiles at me, my heart flips in my chest. And I can’t take it back—but that expression on her face, the way it makes me feel, I realize I can’t tell her I’ve changed my mind.
And I know I’m in way over my head.