Page 15 of When Forever Stays

My eyes flutter closed. I force myself to picture the message I received that told me his phone was no longer in service. He left me without a goodbye or even a backward glance. I need to keep these memories at the forefront of my mind when it comesto Rhett. Otherwise, history will repeat itself, and I’ll be back to being the girl who was heartbroken over a ghost.

I grit my teeth and take a step away from him, gently shaking my head. “Don’t–”

“Dana…” His voice is rough as if he feels the same turmoil I do.

I open my mouth to say something, anything, but before I can utter a word, I hear my front door knob jiggling like someone is trying to unlock it.

Rhett’s eyes narrow and he wraps a protective arm around me as he slides me behind him.

“Stay here. I’ll go check it out.”

“No, it’s fine.” I try to step around him, but he holds his arm out to block me from exiting. The door creaks open. “It’s just?—”

Rhett launches into action. A single blink and he’s in the living room with his forearm against Crew’s throat, pushing him against the wall, and mumbling something too low for me to hear.

“Rhett! It’s just Crew!” I exclaim, jogging up to them.

Rhett doesn’t step back, doesn’t lower his arm, but when he turns to me, his face takes on a new expression. “Who’s Crew?” he practically growls.

I break the tension with the first thing that comes to mind: “He’s the one who brought us dinner.”

FIVE

RHETT

I just pinned Dana’s best friend to the wall. Even though my first impulse was to protect her, my second was a feeling of pure possessiveness. There is not a single ounce of me that should feel possessive over her, but I was. I still am.

Just like at the hospital when that jerk in the parking lot called her over. I didn’t like the way he looked at her or how condescending he sounded when he said “another bachelor.” It took everything in me to play it cool. Dana’s entire countenance changed when she was in his presence. As if merely sharing a space with the man brought down her mood. He clearly hurt her in the past.

If only I could remember whatIdid to hurt Dana.

Something tells me it was pretty serious. Yet she’s done everything she can to help me without question or complaint.

Since the moment I woke up on the beach, I’ve felt drawn to her. Her sparkling eyes, smile, and sass draw me in like a moth to a flame. Or more accurately, a sailor to a siren. My siren didn’tlure me to my death, though; she gave me a second chance at life. My siren was an angel sent by God.

When Dr. Woodhouse told me he wanted me to stay with Dana, it was a relief because it meant I got to spend more time with her. It’s selfish, but I can’t help it. Everything inside me feels right when I’m with her. She said we had nothing more than a fling, but I don’t believe her. I can’t. My reaction to her is electric. And superficial flings don’t produce electricity. I don’t need the memories to know we were more—or on our way to much more.

Dana hands Crew a bottle of water, pulling me from my thoughts.

“I’m sorry again,” I say as Crew massages his neck.

“It’s all right, man,” he responds, then guzzles his water. Crew must read the disbelief on my face because he adds, “You thought you were protecting Dana. I can’t hold a grudge forthat.”

“I appreciate it.”

As if my nervous system realizes it no longer needs to be on high alert, all adrenaline leaves my body in a rush and a sharp ache spreads across my ribs. I hold my left side, the side that hurts the most. My eyes find Dana, whose expression is full of pity.

“Let me get you some ice,” Dana says before leaving me and Crew alone in the living room.

Crew eyes me skeptically, then shakes his head. He drops his voice to a snarled whisper as if he doesn’t want Dana to overhear him. “You have a lot of guts showing back up here after what you did to her.”

“I thought you said you couldn’t hold a grudge.”

“That’s a whole different grudge. You were trying to protect her then. This grudge is about you hurting her.”

My brows knit together, and I respond in a frustrated whisper. “What did I do to her? She refuses to tell me.”

His nostrils flare. “Don’t play stupid with me. Dana is the last person who deserves to be taken advantage of. I don’t buy this whole amnesia thing.” Crew putsamnesiain finger quotes.

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