Page 150 of Counting On You

I turn my head to the side and glimpse the small shape of a woman.

She’s sleeping in a chair with a book clutched to her chest. There’s a blanket crumpled at her feet, and her features are relaxed, as though she’s been asleep for a while. But her face is pale and dark circles frame her eyes, as though even sleep hasn’t been quite able enough to wipe away her worries.

She’s so beautiful I forget to breathe, and memories begin to play inside my mind.

Vicky.

She’s here.

What the hell happened? Why can I remember her but not why I’m in the hospital, surrounded by whirring machines?

I take in the bouquet of flowers on the table, the iPod station, the bag on the floor next to her feet.

She’s wearing slippers and her nails are painted a soft shade of pink. A jacket is draped over the back of another chair.

She looks like she’s living here.

“Vicky.” My voice is barely more than a whisper, but it’s enough to wake her, though. Her eyes fly open and she jumps up, disoriented for a moment.

Her gaze turns to me and shock passes over her face.

“Oh, my God.” She dashes for one of the machines and presses a button before turning back to me.

“Kade.” Her steps are slow, measured, and there’s hesitation in her eyes, like she’s afraid she might be dreaming. “You’re awake.” She pauses to take me in. “Do you know who I am?”

“It would take a whole lot more than an accident to forget you, Vicky.” I try to smile but even that’s too much effort.

She stares at me. “You remember.”

“I do. I think I even got the name right.”

Finally getting my attempt at infusing humor, she laughs and a tear rolls down her cheek. I wish I could get up and wipe it away.

“You remember me.” She leaps onto the bed, throwing herself on top of me as she settles into my arms.

I inhale her scent and moan slightly. Good thing some parts of me are still working the way they should be.

“You have no idea how much I missed hearing your voice.” She pushes up on her elbow and places a soft kiss on my lips. “You were asleep for so long I thought you wouldn’t make it.”

I frown, unsure what she’s talking about.

“Please don’t ever go back to sleep. Promise me. We’re all scared of losing you.” Her voice chokes up.

“I must have taken a bad fall on those stairs.” I suddenly remember that part. The stairs were slippery and I stumbled, right before getting into the car that was supposed to take me to the airport. I don’t remember the fall, but that must be it.

“Stairs?” Vicky looks at me, confused.

“I tripped.”

“Kade.” She hesitates. “You didn’t fall down the stairs. You had an accident.”

An accident?

I don’t recall any accident, not even a fragment of it. But then I don’t remember how I got here either. I only remember my last night with Vicky. Our last kiss. My promise to her. The goodbye.

As far as I remember I never got in a car. Or did I?

My mind’s blank, but it feels like I’m missing something. The gaps are there, waiting to be filled.

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