One Wish

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Ihave no idea how long I sat in that quiet studio, looking out through the huge window and the bright lights of LA ahead. At some point, I must have dozed off as I woke up with a start, a pencil stuck to my face, hair no doubt in disarray. A soft groan escapes my lips as my muscles scream out in protest from being hunched over the table for… lord knows how many hours. The sun’s beaming through the window, so at least it’s morning. I check my watch and see that it’s only just after six.

Stretching again, a soft whine permeates my ears. I glance down to find Max diligently by my side, his expectant beady eyes waiting for me to do something.

“I expect you want walkies, don’t cha?”

A tiny bark is his answer, causing me to chuckle under my breath. “Come on, little scamp. Let’s go find Eli first, shall we?”

I’m met with another bark, so I give him a little rub under his chin before making my way to the door, Max following right beside me like he always does.

Faint footsteps coming from the kitchen make my ears prick up. “Eli?” I shout, rounding the corner to find Eleanor instead.

“He went out over two hours ago.” She seems to note my disappointment as she places a cup of coffee and a tablet in front of me, then glances down at my dress. “Another late night?”

I shake my head. “No, Eli and I went to dinner at his parents’ house. It didn’t go very well, so when we came home, Eli headed straight to bed, and I fell asleep in the studio.” I pick up my coffee and pop the tablet in my mouth. “Thank you for this.”

Eleanor frowns a moment, taking me in. Today she has her hair up in a bun again, another floral dress, blue this time, flowing past her ankles. “You’re still acting weird. And Max still loves you, I see.”

I glance down, smiling when he looks up at me expectantly. “I better take him for a quick walk.”

She shakes her head disbelieving. “I can take him if you want to get a shower. You’re supposed to be resting, remember?”

If I take it easier any more than I have been lately, I’ll be permanently horizontal. A part of me knows, deep within, that I’m not one to simply lie around the house all day. I may be tired still, but I’m not dead.

“No, that’s fine,” I reply, taking another sip before standing up. “I’ll take him for a quick one now. Plenty of time to get ready.”

Her eyes scan me suspiciously and it seems as though she wants to say something but holds her tongue. I take that as my cue to leave, as Max is literally bouncing on his paws. However, first things first: I have to relieve myself, which I do with as much hurry as I can.

Upon opening the bifold door, the warm LA air hits my skin, coaxing me to inhale, the aroma of seaweed hitting my nostrils and making me smile. Despite the negativity of last night and realizing my husband still hates me, today is another day, so I’m going to seize it. Once my morning chores are done, I will make it my mission to find out more about my husband, what he likes, what he doesn’t like. Those are things I should know already, but there you go. I’m living in strange times. Maybe if I glance through old photos and nose through some drawers, something might just jog my memory. So far, I have been avoiding doing any of that stuff as it feels like I’d be trespassing and nosing around someone else’s home. The sooner I get to grips with the fact that this is my home, the better.

On the last step down, my bare feet hit the cool sand and I watch Max barking and running off along the beach like a bat out of hell. I laugh out loud, running behind him and rolling around on the sand together. Once he’s done his business, we slowly make our way back to the house, where I eventually get my shower and manage to change into something more casual for the day.

I rummage through some drawers, which don’t contain much, but when I stumble on some photo albums buried at the bottom of a box, I take them out, dust them off and sit at the kitchen island, nibbling on a croissant as I open the first one.

It’s our wedding album. Photo after photo shows what seems to be a happy couple, me in the most exquisite white dress, and Eli looking as handsome as ever in a tux. Smiling, I turn each page until I come across one of us feeding each other cake. I seem hesitant but I’m smiling as Eli beams into the camera. Was this the happiest day of my life? I can’t remember. I should remember. It saddens me that no matter how hard I try, my memory is still completely blank before that morning in the hotel room. Maybe I should see someone about this. A hypnotherapist, perhaps?

“Do I not get a kiss?”

The male voice startles me so much that I yelp, standing up so violently that the chair falls over. Max barks and the guy now standing in front of me in a pair of orange short shorts and a white t-shirt gapes back in amazement.

Without hesitation, I pick up the nearest knife I can find and hold it up in front of me. “If you come near me, I’ll kill you.”

The young man, who I would say was in his twenties, gazes at me like I’ve gone crazy.

Maybe I have a little.

Stepping forward, he says, “Kendra, what the hell is wrong with—”

“Stand back,” I snap, causing him to stop in his tracks. “However many times we slept together, it’s ending right now. I’m not interested.”

The strange young man’s jaw drops in an instant, but he quickly recovers, placing a hand on his hip. “Look, I don’t know what crack you’ve been smoking and I know that you’re in Hollywood movies where some creepy shit happens, but incest is a big no-no, and frankly… eeewwww.” He scrunches his nose up before stepping farther in like he owns the place.

My breathing calms, but the knife is still clutched to my chest. “Incest?” I ask, realizing I may have made a fatal mistake.

His amusement drops, his frown deepening with concern by the moment. “Kendra, what’s the matter?”

And that’s when it hits me. The man in front of me—same blond hair, same light blue eyes.