Page 20 of When Forever Stays

Her living room is simple and feminine with its white walls and the accents of purple found in the drapes and throw pillows. The shelf next to her television houses DVDs. Tucked in the corner is what looks like a record player. A shelf beside it holds albums that look like a mix of older and newer by the wear on their covers. I find myself drawn to the music for some reason. I pull out a couple of records. Bon Jovi, Puddle of Mudd, The Verve, Awestruck, and Phantom Echoes are just a few of the bands I find. As I go through them, an odd sensation of deja vu comes over me.

I shake my head, mentally ridding myself of the bizarre feeling, and decide it’s time to get cleaned up.

For some reason, the remnants of my nightmare come back to me after wandering around Dana's cottage. I hate that I can remember each moment vividly but can’t remember anything prior to waking up on shore yesterday. The hot water rains down, and I scrub as hard as I can, trying to rid myself of the haunting visions without inflicting pain on my various scrapes and bruises. It wasn’t just a nightmare; I can feel that it’s a memory. A terrible memory I wish I could permanently forget.

I lean my head back, and the water rinses the shampoo from my hair. I flinch as the cut on my scalp burns.

“Lord, please guide me and help me to seek You through all of this.” It’s a short prayer, but it’s all I have. One thing I know with unshakable knowledge is that God is an integral part of my life. Praying to Him has brought a comfort I’ve desperately needed since I woke up on shore. My faith is foundational to who I am. The other thing I know without a doubt is that Dana means a great deal to me. I don’t need my memories to tell me those two truths.

A wave of dizziness crashes over me the second I turn the water off. I sway on my feet and press my hands against the wall, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. Thankfully, the dizziness doesn’t last too long.

Getting out of the shower, I dry off the best I can, then slide on the boxer briefs Dana picked up for me. I drape my towel over my shoulders. I’m running too hot to put clothes on and needa few moments to make sure this bout of dizziness is gone. I’m grateful for Dana giving me privacy. Now I can cool off before getting dressed—not that I plan on going anywhere except my bedroom.

Steam pours from the bathroom into the hallway as I step out.

“Did you forget all about me?” a woman calls from somewhere in the front of the house. I stop dead in my tracks.

Footsteps grow closer. I should take the three strides to my room, but I’m frozen in place.

She walks into view at the end of the hall, and I take her in, scanning my minimal memories to see if she’s someone I once knew. I’d put her in her mid-to-late sixties. She’s at least a foot shorter than me with wild curly brown hair with silver highlights, oversized glasses, and a floral print dress that almost brushes the floor. Nothing sparks to tell me she’s someone I used to know.

“Oh my!” she exclaims, placing her hand over her heart. Her eyes widen and she asks, “Who are you?”

“Rhett.”

She sucks in a sharp breath. “Rhett? You meantheRhett?”

I think the question is meant to be rhetorical, so I only grunt in response.

“I’ll take that as a yes even though you sound more like a caveman than the man Dana has told me about.” Before I can apologize for my lack of manners, she rambles on. “Rhett, why don’t you go get some clothes on? I have a few questions for you.”

“Sorry but…who are you?” I ask.

“Rosa,” she states as if I should somehow know exactly who she is and why she’s in Dana’s home.

Since it seems like she’s meant to be here, I take that as my cue to get dressed even if it leaves her unsupervised. As I’m pulling on my pants, I hear the front door open and close. By the time I’m dressed and coming out of my room, Rosa and Dana are talking in hushed voices. When Dana says my name curiosity gets the best of me. I try to get closer to make out what they’re saying, but the floorboards protest and give me away.

Both Dana and Rosa turn to look at me. Dana’s face is flushed from her run, and she glistens with sweat. Slowly, my eyes scan her down to her toes then back up. Unbridled attraction thrums through my veins.

“Well.” Rosa’s lips turn up into a wide smile. “I’m glad I can finally meet you and put a face to the name.”

From the glances exchanged between the two women, Dana has, at a minimum, partially filled Rosa in on our situation.

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m sorry our introduction was so…” I trail off not knowing how to finish that thought.

“Raw,” Dana supplies, then covers her mouth to try and hide her smile. Rosa gently smacks Dana’s arm, her expression playful.

I scratch the back of my neck. “Uh, yeah.” The tips of my ears heat in embarrassment.

Rosa sends Dana a sharp look. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re hosting a house guest?”

Dana chews on her bottom lip. My eyes focus on the movement involuntarily, and what I assume is a memory flickers to life. The image is of Dana looking up at me through her lashes. She bit her lower lip as if she was waiting for me. After a brief tortuous second, I pressed my lips against hers and her body melted into mine. Swallowing hard, I attempt to rein in my thoughts, but the memory plays on repeat.

When Dana speaks again, it pulls me out of my haze. “It was kind of a shock, and I haven't really been able to think straight since I found him. I knew I was forgetting something on my way back from my run but don’t know how I forgot about our brunch.”

Rosa waves a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about that. I can see you have a lot on your plate.” She crosses her thin arms over her chest and eyes me warily. “You do realize if people at church find out about this little arrangement there will be talk?”

Dana sighs. “I know. But Crew stayed too! And Nancy Woodhouse already knows. I called her this morning, and she assured me I did the right thing.”

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