Moan. Grunt. Slap.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
Bile rises in my throat, and I can’t stop it when it spews from my lips. My mother is dying, and my father is fucking her best friend.
I don’t want to see anymore.
I don’t want to feel.
I don’t want to…I don’t want to remember.
Make it all go away. God. Take it all away.
Everything goes cold and dark.
Chapter 4
Liri
“You’re awake.” Clamping a hand over my mouth I fight the urge to scream as my tears blind me. My feet propel me forward, and I stumble over my shoelaces, throwing myself down on his body with more force than I should, but I need to hug him and kiss his mouth. Feel his breath on my face. To stare into his dark eyes that are swirling with so many emotions right now.
“Um, yeah.” He pats me on the back not quite returning my embrace, but I breathe him in and hug him tighter.
When I press my lips to his he doesn’t return my kiss, but I think he must be in shock. I pull back to give him some air and space. “Are you okay?”
“Sore,” he rasps. He doesn’t seem happy to see me. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this isn’t the reunion I have been praying for. I feel terrible and selfish, but I want him to hold me tight and swear to never let me go.
“You seem different.” I glance down at my rainbow leggings and paint stained t-shirt. I went home for a few hours to shower, and while I was getting shampoo in my eyes Josephine, his nurse was calling me with the good news. I grabbed the first thing I saw. I arrived here before anyone else. I couldn’t wait to see him. “Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know. Do we…do we know each other?”
“What?” I laugh. “Killian, don’t scare me.” I gaze at him but as he stares back at me, I can see him taking a mental catalog of my appearance. Fear grips me, and I am terrified I have walked into a new form of hell.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen you before in my life.” His lips that I’ve kissed a million times frown.
“You really don’t remember me?”
He shakes his head and my heart leaps to my throat. “Should I?” I blink and wait for him to laugh or crack a smile, but he only has this blank gaze on his face. He’s serious. Oh. My. God.
“Do you remember the accident?”
“No.”
“Killian, what’s the last thing you remember?”
“I—I’m not sure. My head hurts.”
I nod. “I’ll get the nurse.”
I walk slowly to the nurse’s station trying not to feel sorry for myself and failing miserably. I don’t know how much more my heart can take. Maybe he just needs a few minutes to get adjusted. On the phone Josephine said he was in and out. He’s been on a lot of medication. His brain must be foggy. The elevator dings and Conrad and Susie comes rushing toward me.
“It’s true? He’s awake.”
“Yeah. He is. He was complaining of his head hurting so I was gonna get the nurse.”
“He’s up and talking?” Susie beams, and I don’t want to crush her happiness, but they need to be prepared.
“Um…well he doesn’t remember the accident or me apparently.”