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I whip around and narrow my eyes at him. My hands fist at my side. “I’m more—”
His jaw tightens, and his eyes bore into me as he interrupts me and says, “Stop. She doesn’t remember any of us.” Everly’s mom places her hand around his arm and gives me a sympathetic nod. She pulls on his arm and nods her head to the side, gesturing that he leaves us. He hesitates for a beat but gives in. “Don’t say anything to upset her,” he warns me before leaving.
She really did forget me. Literally.
I slowly turn around, wringing my fingers. What do I say? The love of my life is staring at me like I’m a stranger. Shit, I am a stranger in her head. Does her heart not feel anything when she sees me? I blink back the tears that threaten to escape.
“What was your name?”
I have dreamt of her voice for months, the pure, sweet angelic tone that I could never get enough of. But I could double over in pain from those words. I hold myself together so I don’t upset her, but this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
Choking on my name, I clear my throat and try again. “Kase.”
“That’s a weird name.”
I chuckle and nod. Her answer takes me back, eight years ago, when she said the exact same thing. “So, you don’t remember me?” I whisper.
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t. Were we good friends?”
I pull in a harsh breath and it shakes coming out. My knees weaken, my whole body wants to collapse, but I stand tall. “We were. I mean…we are.”
We love each other. We’re getting married. The words are seconds away from slipping from my mouth. I begin to close the gap between us. Maybe if I touch her, it’ll spark her memories. She scoots to the side of the bed, stands up and holds up her hand. It’s not until then, I see the newly scarred cuts on her arms.
“Please, stop,” she says, tears trickling down her face. Rejection from her is so foreign, it’s difficult to understand. “Can you just leave?”
“Everly, you’re getting upset because you don’t know why you’re feeling something, but there’s a reason. Let yourself feel it,” I plead with her, trying to pull out what I know is still in there. Her brain might not be working right, but her heart is still beating, and I know it beats for me.
She shakes her head quickly. “No. That’s just it. I don’t feel anything, and I can see how much I mean to you. It’s…” She pauses, taking in a quick breath. “It’s killing me that everyone looks at me, expecting me to remember them and I just don’t. I’m tired of people touching me, telling me stories that sound more like a book I read than a memory. The disappointment in everyone’s faces when they leave… I don’t know what to say to make y’all feel better,” she cries.
“Kase, I think it’s best you leave,” Everly’s mom says, coming into the room. She places her hand on my arm like she did her husband’s. The gentle gesture feels like a hand of steel crushing me. I wipe the tears running down my face. I don’t know what to do. I’m supposed to go back to training in a couple of days, but I don’t want to leave her. She’ll remember me. She has to.
I find her gaze again, but she looks away.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” My heart splits open as I walk out of the room. Everly’s dad is on the porch as I pass. I’m sure he’s loving the fact that his daughter can’t remember me. Everly’s mom takes her place next to him.
I swallow back my emotions and spin around. “What happened?”
“We’re not exactly sure. She drove right through a red light, running head-on into a truck. We’re lucky she’s alive,” her mom answers.
My brows furrow. “She didn’t stop. At all?”
She shakes her head. “A witness said they saw her leaning forward like she was passed out before she hit the truck, but we can’t be sure.”
“How long… how long until her memories return?” I stutter, pointing at her door.
“We don’t know. The doctor says it could be tomorrow, it could be never.”
I double over, gripping my jeans at the knees to keep me standing. It’s hard to breathe. “How can she not remember me?” I whisper to myself.
“We need to tell him,” I hear her mom say.
Standing, I murmur, “Tell me what?” Her dad glares at her mom. Whatever she wants him to say, he’s not happy about. “Tell me what,” I say louder this time, taking a step toward them. He firmly shakes his head twice at her like he’s not going to tell me.
He sighs, looking back at me. “We’re moving her to a facility that specializes in helping patients with amnesia.”
“O…kay,” I respond, wondering why he didn’t want to tell me that? The quicker she can get help, the faster she’ll come back to me. “Where?”
“It’s in Arizona.”
