by J. M. Witt
“Thank you, Smith.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Charles, I can put you up at the hotel if you like.”
“I don’t want her to be alone. We’ll make due. Thank you.” My dad turned down the offer and we headed out.
I fell asleep in my dad’s truck on the way home. It’d been one hell of a long day. The sun was already starting it’s decent in the summer sky when we walked in my front door. I missed the sound of Chessa’s bell greeting me and started crying.
I filled Lisa and my dad in on what had happened as they consoled me. They walked me up the stairs and into my room. Most everything was in order, but a chill ran over me. Just that morning I’d been Dan’s captive in that room. My only comfort was knowing he was dead. Now I just had to deal with the memories.
“Why don’t you take a bath, dear? I’ll make you some tea.”
I agreed as Lisa and my Dad started picking up the broken pieces of my table lamp and the turned over chair. I pulled some clothes out of a drawer and walked into my bathroom, closing the door. I stood there for several minutes. I didn’t have the energy to take a bath, though I knew I needed one. Changing my clothes, I discarded the scrubs and re-entered my bedroom. The mess was gone. I crawled into bed and I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
~<>~<>~<>~
I woke to the smell of bacon and pancakes. Bacon. Smith had told me that they found the note, but not before he figured out my car had left the hotel. I needed to get to the hospital. I looked for my phone on my night stand and remembered Dan had thrown it out the window. Now I needed a new phone.
“Ugh!”
Hitting the side of my bed with my fists, I then climbed out of bed and into the shower. Once I was dressed I headed downstairs where Dad and Lisa awaited. I ate way too much, but I was famished! When I was close to finishing there was a knock on the door. My Dad answered it and Smith walked in.
“Hey, I have your car.” I walked over to him and took the keys. “These are James keys, we’ll have to order another spare set, so don’t lose them.”
Smiling, I thanked him. “You’re a lifesaver, literally.”
He just shrugged his shoulders. “I took it upon myself and got you this too.” He handed me a new cell phone. It was charged and seemed to have all my info in it. “Good thing he’s overbearing and backed up all your stuff.”
“Right! Thank you. I was dreading having to go replace it.” He said hello to my father and Lisa and they asked if he’d heard anything new.
“No. I haven’t heard anything. I was planning to head up there now. You want a ride?”
I looked to my dad and he said, “We’ll probably head home soon. Its ok, you go ahead. We’ll lock up here.”
“Ok. I’ll follow you so you don’t have to cart me around.” I headed to the door and realized, “Shit, I don’t have my license or anything. Guess I know what I’m doing tomorrow.”
“I can still drive you. I’ll check and see if your purse was in the car wreckage.”
“No, wait, hang on. I think it’s here.” I ran back upstairs and found my purse on my dresser, license inside. “Got it!”
I hugged my dad and Lisa and told them I’d stay in touch with any update. Dad didn’t want to overwhelm James and I understood. Smith followed behind me as I pulled out the drive. I started to wonder how he got my car here and his car, but knew he had plenty of resources at his disposal. When we reached the intersection, the same one that Dan had flown through the night before, I panicked.
I was stopped at the red light, oblivious of when it turned green. Everything grew quiet as the previous day’s events flashed through my mind. A tap came on my window and I was sinking again, banging on the glass. Someone was saying my name, but I couldn’t figure out from where. I looked to my left and saw Smith, looking nervous. Shaking my head I saw the honking cars driving around us and giving us dirty looks.
I rolled down my window as he asked, his voice full of concern, “Are you ok?”
“Yeah, sorry. I don’t know what happened.”
“I can drive you. Pull over to the side and you can ride with me.”
“No, it’s ok. Sorry.”
“You sure?” I nodded. “Alright. Just call me if you panic again.”
“Ok.” The light was red again and I watched as he climbed back into his car.
We made it to the hospital without further incident. Smith and I headed up to his floor and I knocked on the door before entering. He was still roommate free, which never happened and I couldn’t help but wonder if it’s because of who he was. It didn’t matter.
“You first.” I motioned Smith ahead of me and he didn’t hesitate.
“Hey, man. You here to get me out of here?” I walked in hesitantly and watched their exchange. He was oblivious to my presence.
“That’s up to the doctor’s, not me.”
They had some special handshake and were laughing when he spotted me. I should’ve done more to get ready. I had on no makeup and my hair was pulled back. Way to impress, Cassidy! I hung back and waved, unsure what to say. The man I loved, more than life itself, didn’t know me anymore. I became uncomfortable as I felt his eyes scan my body, like he was seeing me for the first time.
“I can leave if you don’t want me here.”
He smiled and eyed Smith before returning that seductive glare my way. “No, you should stay. We should probably talk.”
“I’ll give you two some privacy.” Smith pulled another cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to James. “Here you go. New phone.” James looked the phone over and commented on how thin it was. “Yeah, technology’s come a long way in the past few years.”
“Right. It’s 2014.” He shook his head as Smith smiled at me and headed out. “So, where should we start?”
I was fidgeting as he watched me like he had all the time in the world. “Um, I don’t know. What do you want to know?”
He chuckled, “Everything, of course.”
“Right.” I took a deep breath and went to sit down on the window seat, the furthest spot from him, when he interrupted me.
“You can come closer. I won’t bite, unless you’re into that sort of thing.” I felt the blush spread as I opened my mouth to speak and shut it just as quick. “You are into that sort of thing. Ok. Noted.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “I don’t think I can do this.” I started pacing and he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer. He was wearing a t-shirt and sweats. Someone must have brought him some clothes. Why hadn’t I thought about that?
“Relax Cassidy. We’re married and while I don’t remember, I know that I wouldn’t marry someone who didn’t have similar likes and desires.” I just stared at his chin before he tilted my chin up, my eyes meeting his. I took a shaky breath remembering all the times he’d done that when he knew who I was. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. Smith sat with me last night and answered some of my questions. But now I want to hear from you.”
He pulled the bedside chair closer and directed me to sit. What had Smith told him? Not sure why, I apologized. “Sorry. Did you get any rest last night?”
“Eh, as much as to be expected in this place. The docs want to keep me another day, but I’m doing everything I can to get out of here today.” I pulled a leg up underneath my body and tried to get comfortable in the chair. “Are you ok? Smith told me that we both almost drowned, but they didn’t admit you, only me.”
“I’m ok.” His hand reached out as he ran his fingers over the bruises on my face. “I didn’t, I mean, shit. How did that happen? The accident?”
“Yes, it was the accident. It wasn’t you.”
“Smith said the same thing, but I had to make sure. I’ve never hit a woman…”
“I know that. You’ve never hurt me, well, not like that, I mean…ugh.” His expression was priceless as we started laughing.
“Another mental note taken.” I just shook my head. His charm was still there and I wasn’t immune to it. “So, how did we mee
t?”
The doctor came in at that time and gave me a reprieve to get my story together. He was ordering some tests and as long as they were fine, he’d release James in the morning. He stressed the importance, that due to his previous brain injury they needed to take every precaution.
“Understood. I don’t like it, but I get it.” James conceded and I was grateful.
The doctor walked out and I looked to James, “I’ll be right back.” I left before he responded and stopped the doctor in the hall. “He’s asking questions and I just want to make sure it’s ok to tell him things.”
“It’s hard to know what helps in these situations. There’s a good chance he’ll remember everything in an instant. Others, it takes longer and only small pieces come back. But you need to prepare yourself that he may never remember.” He placed his hand on my arm as I rubbed my fingers across the pounding that was beginning to form in my head. “Try to keep any traumatic events at bay. I understand that his mother has recently passed. Don’t lie to him, but I wouldn’t jump right into it either. Just follow your heart and be patient with him.”
“Ok. Thank you.” I headed back into the room and James wasn’t in his bed. The door to the bathroom popped open and he barreled into me. “Sorry.”
His hands were on me, just like that night at the Blue Horse. I gently pushed myself out of his arms as he apologized. I walked back to the chair as he took his seat on the side of the bed and faced me.
“Where were we?”
“I think you asked how we met.”
“Yes, so, tell me everything.”
“Ok. We met at your bar, the Blue Horse.”
“Wait, my bar?”
“Yes, on 4th Street.”
“Shit. I’ve really missed a lot. Ok.” I went to speak as he stopped me again. “Wait. We didn’t meet,” he stopped and looked to me.
“At the club? No, it was the bar.”
“Huh. Ok. Go on.”
“We met there. I was there with friends and we flirted on and off for several weeks.” I thought about my tattoo and showed him my wrist. “We first started talking about my tattoo after several bouts of eye ogling.”
He took my wrist and looked at my tattoo. “Eye ogling, huh.”
I wasn’t about to tell him I called it eye-fucking and there he was, eye-fucking me in his hospital bed. “That, right there. Stop it!”
He smirked as his gaze returned to my wrist. “Cool. It’s a raven, right?”
My heart plummeted to the floor of my stomach. “Yup. So anyways.” I pulled my wrist back and continued my story. I told him how it was a few months before we saw each other again. Leaving out the nasty details about Holly and Sam’s murders and Dan’s involvement. “We saw each other again at your Aunt Bev’s masquerade and, well, the rest is history.”
“So, this all happened last summer?” I nodded. “And we’re already married? Are you pregnant or something?” His eyes traveled to my abdomen as I tried not to react. He didn’t know, didn’t remember. Breathe Cassidy. “Why’d we get married so quickly?”
“No, I wasn’t pregnant. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing.”
“Wow. Ok.”
A technician came in then and took him out for some scans. He told me he’d be back and I told him I’d be there. There was a knock on the door and Smith came in holding two coffees, one frozen, one not.
“I got you a vanilla frapp thingy. Delaney said that’s what you like.”
“Thank you.” I was grateful for the distraction and filled him in on James potential release.
“Ok. Well, I just talked to Paul downstairs. He’s going to stay for a while to help out at work. James was planning to take over, but given everything that’s happened.”
“No, that’s great. I’m happy he’s staying.” I sighed and pulled out my phone, checking my notifications to kill some time. “So, what all did you tell him last night?”
He shook his head and smiled at me. “Just what he needs to know.” I narrowed my eyes at him as he chuckled. “That you’re the love of his life. That’s the only thing that matters.”
“You told him that?”
“Of course I did. I’m his best friend. He’s told me on more than one occasion and I let him know that.”
“Thank you.”
“I know what it’s like to lose someone and having no control over the situation. If I know you like I think I do, you’ll do anything and everything to prove your love.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant about losing someone as it related to him and didn’t feel it was the time to inquire. “You’re too kind. I really fucked up while trying to prove I didn’t love him.”
“He made his share of mistakes too. Don’t stress too much over it. Everything will work out.”
“I’m not sure what to do with him when he’s released.” Smith tilted his head and after a moment seemed to understand my quandary. “He offered to move back in and I told him to wait. Most of his things are at the penthouse. How do I explain that?”
He thought for a minute and then said, “You don’t. I’ll move his stuff to the townhouse today.”
“Wait, are you sure?”
“If you said he offered to move back in, then that’s where he wanted to be. Being with you is most likely the thing that’ll help him remember. He doesn’t even know about the hotel. That was a pipe dream in 2011.” I nodded, still unsure it would work. “It’ll work.”
“If you say so.” Then all the things about him moving back in with me ran through my head. We were married, that meant sharing a bed, and all the other stuff. “Christ.”
“What is it?”
Sighing, “It’s just so complicated. I probably shouldn’t be discussing this stuff with you.”
“What stuff?”
“He doesn’t remember me, but I remember him and, well, I find him irresistible. How do I not have sex with him?”
He snorted, “Well, why do you have to not have sex with him?”
“Never mind. You’re a guy, of course you’d say that.”
He was laughing and trying to apologize at the same time. “Hey, I’m sorry. In all seriousness, just take it slow. I know how intense his connection was, is with you. Maybe sex is what will trigger his memory.”
“Perfect. I can see the headline now. ‘JB3 amnesia cured by wife’s mad vagina skills’.” I was cracking up as he pretended to be offended.
“Not quite sure any headline would include the word ‘vagina’ in it. And I don’t want to hear you talk about your vagina again.”
It was my turn to start snorting. Delaney had walked in and we weren’t aware until she spoke. “You better not be talking about her vagina!” Smith and I were laughing hysterically as Delaney established, “Clearly I missed the joke.”
Chapter 18 ~ Unhinged
~ JAMES ~
It seemed like I spent hours inside machines as they scanned my brain. I’d been through it before and knew the routine. I was eager to get upstairs to her, my wife. The word was so foreign to me. I’d gotten married. It just seemed crazy. Smith and my Dad all confirmed so it had to be true. Dad and Mom. It wasn’t like my Dad to stay away, or my mom. I wondered if she was out of the country getting more treatments. I was sure I’d see or hear from my dad later in the day.
I was still having trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that I’d lost almost three years. What the hell had happened in the ‘accident’ and what the hell was the accident? Smith had just said it was bad and involved a car, a bridge and us almost drowning. How the hell had we driven our car off a bridge in July and who was driving? Cassidy or myself. I had to find out.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to her. I was. Almost instantly, too. Redheads weren’t usually my MO, but there was something about her. My dick was twitching just at the thought of it. Where were we living? What did she do for a living?
“Alright James, you’re all set. The orderly will be here in a moment to take you back to your room.�
�
As the machine turned off and I was able to stand, I stretched my legs and waited. When I made it back to my room Smith was there playing on his phone and Cassidy was asleep on the window seat. As I got back in my bed, she began to rouse. She smiled sweetly and grabbed what appeared to be an almost gone frozen coffee and took a drink.
I got as comfortable as I could on the hospital bed as Smith and Cassidy tried to make small talk. I couldn’t suppress the yawns that continued to escape me.
“You should rest, James. I can come back later.” Smith nodded, agreeing with Cassidy’s words.
“Talk to you soon, brother.” He shook my hand and walked into the hallway.
Cassidy made her way to follow him and as she paused by my bed, her body language revealing all, she waved and said she’d be back around dinner time. I reached out and snagged her hand. I wasn’t sure why, but I had plenty of time to think about what she must be going through. With us being married and as close as Smith assured me that we were; I couldn’t imagine the grief she was feeling. A tremor ran through my fingers as her eyes examined our joined hands. I pulled her a little closer and she tried resisting.
I was now standing at the edge of my bed and she was in front of me, avoiding my eyes. “James.” It was barely a whisper and her voice was broken. Her free hand traveled to her face and swiped at her eyes.
I bent my knees so that we were face to face. “Cassidy. I’m not sure what I should say or do, but I can only imagine what you’re going through. I’m sorry. I want to remember.” In less than twenty-four hours she had captivated me. Why the fuck couldn’t I remember? I wanted to remember. My body reacted to her immediately, every time she was near and I could sense that it was the same for her. Looking up to the ceiling, “Please, God, let me remember.”
A small sob broke from deep inside her and instinct had me pull her close. Slowly, she relaxed against me as I released her hand and wrapped my arms around her back. She squeezed her arms around my waist as her scent assaulted my senses. Oranges. She smelled like oranges, or tangerines, maybe it was both.
