Page 10 of Forever Mine
“I guess so,” she hesitantly replies.
After we get her digits, she cautiously approaches Jay. “Do you want my number, too?”
One eyebrow arches. “Do you want me to have it?”
“Do you think I should?”
He laughs, and she smiles. A genuine, honest-to-goodness smile. Like fucking sunshine.
“I’ll take a hug, if that’s okay,” Elijah says.
The veil of unease that had been shrouding her falls away when Liz readily gets enveloped in his arms. She seems to be more comfortable with him, but Elijah’s sweet personality has that effect on people.
“I’m so happy you’re okay. You need anything, call anytime.”
Her cheek brushes his shirt when she nods. “Thank you. I might just take you up on that.”
Our goodbyes are brief because we can tell she’s ready for us to be gone.
As soon as we get down to the parking lot, Jay slams the tailgate closed, sits on the edge of the bumper, and blows out a ragged breath.
“That was…”
Intense. Heartbreaking. Confusing as hell. Upsetting. Really fucking weird. Take your pick.
Feeling them all, I reply, “Yeah.”
Liz is back. She’s here. No more searching or wondering or worrying. But she doesn’t remember us. A myriad of raw emotions tangles me in a web of gossamer strings made from anger, guilt, and happiness… and fear. I’m terrified that she will disappear again, for good.
Ryder sinks his hands deep into his front pockets. “At least we now know what happened to her.”
Jay collapses in on himself, hunching over, elbows to knees. “But fuck, Ry. Amnesia? It’s like losing her all over again. I don’t know what to do. I need someone to tell me what to do.”
“I don’t think there is anything we can do right now.”
“What if she never remembers? What if she doesn’t want anything to do with us?”
I take the optimistic, glass-half-full approach. “I refuse to believe that.”
Ryder accordions his long legs and sits against the backs of his heels, putting himself eye level with Jay.
“What we need to do is be there for her in whatever way she’ll let us. Elizabeth isn’t lost to us. I refuse to take that defeatist viewpoint. Our Elizabeth is in there. She’s not gone. Think about it. She didn’t call the police tonight, even though she had every reason to. She trusted us enough to be alone with four guys she doesn’t remember. She was very interested in all the pictures we showed her. She talked to us about Seattle. She even bought a Hellcat,” Ry muses with a small chuckle.
He’s right. Liz is still in there. But how do we get our old Liz back?
Chapter Three
ELIJAH
A thousand timesI had questioned my decision to give up Stanford and come to Carolina University for Julien. Because he needed me. Because I loved him. Because I would always choose him.
But Julien wasn’t the only person who needed me.
It only takes three short raps of my knuckles before the ornate wood door swings open. The chill of air conditioning pouring out of the house clashes with the humid late summer air, causing goose bumps to explode over my arms and legs.
“Hey, man,” Alex says, stepping aside to let me in.
I step inside the frat house and immediately see a difference. “Place looks surprisingly clean,” I comment, looking around.
