Free Pure Redemption (Tainted Legacy) by Amity Hope

as she took in his ill-fitting clothes, similar to the ones he’d had on the night before.
    “No, you’re not dying,” Ava said softly. She reached for him but he jerked his hand away, the mistrustful look flooding back into his eyes.
    “I know my memory is trashed but isn’t that what ‘terminal’ means?” he snapped.
    Ava stepped in front of him, taking his hands and looking him in the eye. “Yes, that’s what it means. But you? You are not sick. There’s been a huge misunderstanding but I swear to you, you are fine.”
    “He doesn’t look fine,” Julia moaned.
    Ava ignored her. She slid her hand across Gabe’s face, cupping his jaw in her palm as she tilted his head so he’d have to look at her. “I have never lied to you. I am not going to start now. There are definitely some things we need to talk about, though.”
    “We sure do,” Molly said.
    She and Julia sat on the couch. Gabe tossed himself between them. To Ava’s surprise, Julia took Gabe’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He gave her a questioning look before the three of them turned to face her. She sighed and settled herself into the chair, across from them, hating how it felt like they were the jury and she was about to give false testimony on the witness stand.
    “Soooo?” Molly prompted. “He looks terrible, but he’s not sick.”
    Gabe scowled at her words but didn’t say anything.
    “Why did you say he was?” Julia asked. Her voice was curious, not accusatory.
    “ I didn’t,” Ava stressed. “Whatever you heard, you heard from Grier. No one ever asked me what was wrong with Gabe.”
    “Of course we did!” Molly said, looking offended.
    Ava looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Really? When?”
    This got both of her friends thinking.
    Julia slowly shook her head. “I don’t think we did. How could we not have asked?” She looked disgusted with herself at the thought.
    Ava couldn’t bring herself to tell them it was because an angel had messed with their heads. This conversation was going to be complicated enough. “I thi nk maybe,” she suggested, “ you were so worried about me, that you didn’t dare bring it up. You asked how I was doing and if I had heard from him . You never asked, specifically , where Gabe went or what was wrong with him .” 
    They both nodded, seemingly grateful to Ava for giving them a way out of feeling like neglectful friends.
    “ I never said he was terminal,” she clarified. “Maybe Grier led you to believe that?  I never corrected you because it wasn’t my place. Actually, I’m pretty sure if you thought back to whatever her wording was, that Grier did not flat out say he was terminally ill. I don’t think she would’ve flat out lied.”
        “So you just lied by omission?” Molly asked, her eyebrows shooting up. Ava was the most honest person she’d ever met. For her to lie was a little mind bending.
         “There were things going on with Gabe,” she said carefully, “that he asked me not to speak about. I was honoring that request. I guess if you want to look at that as lying by omission then…what can I say? Yes, I omitted information about him because he asked me to. It wasn’t my place to tell.”
         “Such as?” Molly pressed, not looking particularly convinced.
         Ava looked to Gabe, he looked as curious as the girls he was sitting in between. “Well?” he finally asked.
    “You don’t want me to talk about this in front of them,” Ava told him. He didn’t look convinced. “Gabe, trust me,” it was a gentle plea, not a command. “I’ll tell you everything I know but it’s best if we’re alone.”
    His eyes took her in. He nodded slowly. “Okay.”
    “What have you gotten yourself into?” Julia muttered.
    Molly shrugged but looked disappointed. “It’s none of our business. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.”
    “Ava, with his memory gone, do you really think this is a good idea?” Julia