Page 72 of The Way Home

“I know.” Caleb sighed. “Please look at me, J.”

The look on Jamie’s face when he turned broke Caleb’s heart clean in two. He looked sobetrayed.

“All essential traumatic brain injury therapyiscovered by the NHS.”

Jamie’s eyes flashed with anger. “Yes,essential.But you’re paying for weekly sessions, and they’re twice as long. And the testing last month was extra.”

“Okay,” Caleb said calmly. “But the testing gave you peace of mind.”

“Yes, but—”

“And the therapy is helping, right? You’re feeling better?”

“Not the point!” Jamie spluttered. “You lied.”

“Jamie, you told me when you got out of the hospital that you thought the therapy was really helping.” Caleb reached for his thigh again. This time, he didn’t move away. “Your short-term memory has improved, and your headaches have gotten better. You even said your anxiety is better, right?”

“Not at this moment.”

Caleb’s heart sank. “Okay, but in general. You’ve been improving, right?”

Jamie blinked. “I—well, it helps, but—I don’t need to go so much if it’s expensive.”

“Jamie,” Caleb palmed his face. “It’s helping you.”

“I don’t need them. Not if they’re a waste.”

“A waste?” Caleb reeled back. “How couldanythingrelated to your health be a waste?”

“They’re a waste if we can’t afford them.” He reached over to the side of the bed and held up a piece of paper. “I checked the post, and I can see how much you’re paying. Those sessions are bloody expensive.”

Caleb frowned and pulled away. “You’re checking my mail?”

Jamie laughed, but there was no humor behind it. “You think I overstepped? How ironic.”

“Fine, check my mail. I don’t care.” Caleb stood and crossed his arms. “The money is worth it to me.”

Jamie’s eyes flashed with anger, and it nearly knocked Caleb back. He’d never seen the man so pissed. “Is this how our relationship was, then? You make all our decisions?” He stood and pointed at Caleb with the bill. “And, what, I just twiddle my thumbs?”

“Of course not.”

“Because if I had known about this, I would have told you that Idon’tneed any more sessions—”

“Sweetheart,” Caleb sighed, reaching for him. “I didn’t want to stress you out. The sessions were helping, it didn’t make sense to stop—”

“I’m not achild.”Jamie’s eyes were glistening now, cheeks flushed with anger. “I deserve to make decisions for myself. If you knewme,you’d know that I hate being lied to.”

A mixture of guilt and anger flooded Caleb’s chest. “Well, if you knewme,then you would know that there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

He looked up to see tears streaming down Jamie’s face. “I’m sorry I lied to you, but I’mnotsorry I did it. Not if it helped.” Caleb ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t you understand? I fuckingmissyou, J.” Caleb’s voice cracked. “I feel like I’m standing here while you live in an apartment with a stranger you don’t even remember… loving.” His eyes burned as the truth tumbled out. “And it’s not your fault. Iknowit’s not. But I fucking—I missus.And I know I can’t fix this. But if there is even one thing I can do to help you get your memories of us back, I will.”

The room fell silent. The storm of anger inside Caleb quietedthe moment Jamie’s face fell. He put the bill down and sat on the bed, letting his head drop into his hands.

“Baby…” Caleb dropped to his knee, placing his hand back on Jamie’s thigh.

Jamie looked up, eyes puffy and red. “Is that why you won’t sleep with me? Because you’re waiting for me to get all my memories back?”

“What? Of course not…”