Nathan felt odd. He had no memories of what happened recently but there were two mugs in the sink instead of one and he got an email from Jordan saying he received the manuscript when he couldn't recall sending it.
Had Sierra been here? There was a sticky note on his desk that said 'Sierra coming to help with novel Monday at 8' and it was close to noon now. She probably had been here.
What was her deal, anyway? Even now he couldn't remember anything about her aside from her name. Their interactions and what she looked like were completely erased from his head. That wasn't normal.
Well, neither was he. If he ever told anyone he could see visions of the short-term future, he would be locked up and accused of being a paranoid schizophrenic. Keeping his power a secret was better for everyone involved.
===
Sierra had been worrying about Nathan the entire time they weren't in contact while he was with his family. She figured he wouldn't reach out to her first because no one ever did so she ended up calling him. Finding out there was something she could actually help him with made her feel a bit better.
She had already known he was a meticulous person—all those rewrites as he struggled to dictate rather than type himself weren't surprising—but there were definitely things about that little visit that threw her off. Like his bedhead and the fact that he offered to make her coffee even though he was the patient here.
Unless he was smiling at Amber, he had a rather severe air about him. Before she saw him sleepily stumble to the door, she had thought there wasn't anything even slightly cute about him. That he was too serious.
But Sierra couldn't deny that it was cute. So were his reassurances that he hadn't forgotten about her even though she doubted they were true until she saw the sticky note on his desk. He truly hadn't forgotten.
The thought made her feel a bit sweet. The only other people she knew of that made an effort to remember her like that were her family members.
Because Nathan was so serious it was also a bit surprising to find out he was a Pokémon fan. She had been too when she was younger. To this day she still had a stuffed Charmander kept in a box of childhood memorabilia that she hadn't been able to part with.
That humanized him for her a little. Before this, she had been under the impression he was little more than a paranoid stick-in-the-mud, albeit a kind one. It wasn't as if the two of them had talked all that much though.
This was the most he had ever talked to her but it was almost entirely about work. Since that was the whole reason he asked her to come over, she couldn't blame him for it.
Scarlett, who only had afternoon classes on Mondays, had been confused when she left so early since she normally hung around the house then and left errands for Tuesdays. "Where have you been?"
"Typing the end of your favorite author's newest novel," Sierra said flatly.
She shot up in disbelief. "No way! Why?!"
"Because he had a deadline he already missed because of me and I felt bad so I offered to help. And before you ask, no, I can't give any spoilers. I promised I wouldn't say anything and I'm a woman of my word."
"Yeah, yeah," Scarlett muttered bitterly. "But why did he miss his deadline because of you? I know he helps you out a lot but there shouldn't be a reason for that to happen."
Sierra hadn't told her about the bus incident because she knew she would freak out but it seemed she had let too much slip just now. "…you're going to flip if I tell you. It's better for you not to know."
"Well, that makes me more curious! What did you do?!"
"Technically, I didn't do anything…but in the process of saving my life Nathan got hit by a bus."
Scarlett's eyes popped out of her head. "A bus?! Sierra! You nearly got hit by a bus and didn't tell me?! Forget that…your bad luck nearly killed the most brilliant literary mind I've ever come across! What exactly happened?"
"The heel of my shoe got stuck in a grate in front of a bus stop," Sierra said with a sigh. "It was one of those strappy ones so I couldn't slide my foot out either. He saw I wasn't going to get out in time and pushed me out of the way so hard the heel broke off and got hit in the process.
"He got a concussion and broke his shoulder…that's why he couldn't type. I feel like a terrible person anyway so that's why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you would make me feel worse for nearly killing your idol."
Scarlett scowled. "Glad to know I inspire so much confidence, sis. Though to be fair, I probably wouldn't have forgiven you if you had killed him. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book that you refuse to spoil for me. Is he doing okay?"
"He's fine. A little out of it because of his pain but that's understandable. Aside from that, he's coherent so it looks like there wasn't any lasting brain damage."
"Good! I can't imagine a world where there aren't any new Nathan Grant books coming out. I've been a fan since his very first book came out six years ago. A brain capable of weaving such intriguing stories absolutely cannot be damaged!"
Sierra was beyond relieved he hadn't received any permanent damage. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself if he had. She decided to mess with her sister.
"You'll really like the new one. I'm not even a mystery fan and I thought the premise was interesting."
Scarlett groaned and ran a hand down her face. "You can't tease me like that, Sierra! Ugh. What's he like, anyway? The way he signed my book was a little goofy. Who thanks someone for being their fan?"
"Someone that isn't used to having fans? I don't know. I get the feeling he doesn't get out much."
"Huh. Well, are you going to see him again?"
Sierra sighed. "If he asks me for help with anything. But you know people never come to me first. I don't think I'll be hearing from him again, at least not until he's doing well enough to go out on his own and we inevitably bump into each other. I swear, that guy is omniscient. He's everywhere right when I need him."
Scarlett shot her a suggestive grin. "I told you it was fate! Go for it, girl. You could do a lot worse."
She rolled her eyes. That was true but it was beside the point. She had just about given up on dating because of her invisibility problem. She wasn't important enough for anyone to text or call first. That didn't exactly make her prime girlfriend material.