Page 85 of Forgotten
Ash sighs. “Ford.”
“You should have told me.” I point at him, the man I’ve known forever, and my hand is shaking. My whole arm is shaking.
“You get into a deadly accident a day after I propose, you’re miraculously alive, you spend weeks in a coma, you forget everything that happened in the past years,” Ash lists, holding four fingers up for me to see. “Sorry for thinking this is clearly your mind sending you a signal.”
“That’s bullshit, Ashley, and you know it!”
“Is it, though? Is it?”
I force myself to lower my voice to a whisper. The last thing I want is for Winnie to wake up in the middle of the night, in the middle of this conversation. “I didn’t choose to lose my memories because I secretly didn’t want to marry you.”
“Sure seems like it.”
“Well it’s… no. I do.”
Ash stands perfectly still, looking into my eyes, before then resuming his pacing. Outside, the birds are chirping their good mornings. “No, you don’t.”
I follow Ash around as he moves bits and bobs meaninglessly and I babble. “I… Yes, I do.”
“You don’t want to get married,” Ash states, opening and closing the closet. He stops, opens the closet again and pulls out a pair of underwear for me, and one forhimself.
“You don’t know what I want,” I say, ignoring the piece of clothing he’s handing me.
“Yes I do, Ford. And your mind’s been pretty clear.”
I step closer then, placing both hands on Ash’s chest.
“I said,I do.” I give him a gentle push, surprising bothof us.
Ash stumbles backwards so that he’s pressed against the wall. He looks so guilty, so fragile. His shoulders are curved inwards, his legs are stretched long. I want to eat him, shake some sense into him.
“I said,no.”
“You already asked the question though. So… I do.”
Ash bites his lower lip. “I’m taking the question back.”
“You can’t.”
“You don’t even remember how I asked you.”
I push him again, this time more strongly. Ash grabs my wrists at the last second, without losing balance. He squeezes, holding me close, and stands a little taller. His shoulders are pulled back, his Adam’s apple is right in my line of sight.
“Ask me again then,” I demand, looking up.
But Ash is unmovable. “No.”
“Ash.” Between gritted teeth, I plead “Ask me to marry you.”
“It’s not what you want. We’re good like this.” He lets go of my wrists and I bring my hands behind his neck, pulling him down. I stare into the blue eyes in silence before leaning in. Our foreheads are touching; the tips of our noses too.
Ash is shaking his head no, no.
“I do, Ash. I want to marry you. I want this family with you. I want it forever.”
But Ash is still shaking his head, unconvinced. Then, I get an idea. I step away from Ash, our eyes locked. I drop down on one knee and the floor is cold against my naked skin. “Marry me, Ashley Bergman.”
Ash’s lips part, but no sound comes out.
