Page 6 of When Forever Stays

“Good, your short-term memory seems to be working fine so far.” After tending to the rest of my injuries, she says, “Okay, that will do for now since the bleeding has mostly stopped. But we should probably get you a shirt…” She trails off, appearing to take me in as if it’s the first time she’s seeing me.

In an attempt to impress her, I tighten my abs and flex both arms, immediately regretting the latter when I feel the drying gash on my bicep crack. It’s worth it as I watch her eyes go glassy and her attraction to me becomes almost tangible. The burn of my freshly opened flesh wound pales in comparison to the inferno her gaze leaves behind as it travels across my skin. She pays special attention to my shoulders. From my peripheral, I can see what looks to be the tips of a black wing on each shoulder. The longer her eyes travel, the harder I find it to keep my hands to myself.

“Dana,” I say, my voice husky.

Pink tinges her cheeks. “I’m going to get you a shirt,” she says, though it sounds like it’s more to herself than me. She darts back into her cottage for a few moments, then comes back out carrying a shirt.

“Here.” She hands me a navy blue button-down shirt that obviously belongs to a man. She eyes it, then my arms, and rips both sleeves off.

“Is this an old boyfriend’s shirt?” I try and fail to sound nonchalant as I shrug out of the afghan.

“Who’s to say it’s not my current boyfriend’s?”

An unexpected jolt of jealousy thrums through me. “Is it?”

Dana makes a noncommittal sound and ignores my question as she carefully slides the shirt over each of my arms and up my back. Her fingertips graze my ribs and waist, leaving goosebumps in their wake, before pulling the shirt around my torso and trying to button it. I wince. The shirt is too tight. The boyfriend must be closer to her size than mine. And for some reason, that’s a small comfort. Then I realize she hasn’t yet answered my question.

“Dana, do you have a boyfriend?” I repeat my unanswered question.

She steps back, raising one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

“Dana, I’m not in any shape to block blows from a jealous boyfriend.” I point to my arm.” I don’t think he’d take lightly to me wearing his clothes.”

She rests her hands on her hips. “You don’t need to worry about someone getting jealous.” Then she mutters something under her breath that sounds like, “There's no boyfriend.” But I can’t be sure I heard her correctly.

I’ve been in Dana’s presence for less than thirty minutes, yet she’s found a way to shake me to my very core. I shouldn’t be jealous or feel so possessive or territorial, but the thought of Dana with another guy has my blood pressure rising.

I have no business entertaining these thoughts or embracing these emotions. Especially when I can’t even remember her.

Dana watches me quietly for a few moments then stands.

“Are you ready to go?” she asks, grabbing her keys and wrapping her arm around me.

“Yeah,” I mutter.

I limp down the steps relying on Dana for extra support. We get in the car, and all the way to the hospital, I hope that no matter what happens I can keep Dana in my life. I don’t need my memories to recognize what an amazing person she is. That she’s not someone I ever want to take for granted. But something in my gut warns that I may have done just that in the past.

THREE

DANA

If someone told me yesterday that I was going to find Rhett Stryker washed up on the shore during my spur-of-the-moment walk, I would have told them they were crazy.

Yet here I am at an all-night big box store grabbing everything I think he’ll need while the doctor runs some tests. After checking out, I head back to the hospital.

Rhett’s smile greets me as I walk back into his room with my arms full of supplies. I set the bags on the extra chair and sit in the one next to his bed.

Rhett is donned solely in a hospital gown. His dark hair stands in contrast against all of the white in the room. From the floor to the bedding to the ceiling is all white. The once comforting smell of sea musk is now muted by the scent of disinfectant.

Despite this being one of the strangest situations I’ve ever experienced, something inside me knows being here with Rhett is a God thing. It was far too random, and I don’t believe in coincidences. Maybe my urge to take a walk was so I would find him and get him the medical attention he needs. Even morestrange was the fact that I had just disregarded the thought that God might have something more up His sovereign sleeve when it came to Rhett Stryker. God has a purpose for this, so I will do my best to walk in obedience and pray the Holy Spirit guides me to follow this uncertain path.

A nurse comes in and greets Rhett. “Hi, I’m Felicity. I’ll be your nurse tonight. How are you feeling right now?”

“Sore and confused,” Rhett answers honestly.

She gives him a sympathetic smile. “I heard about what happened, I’m sorry you experienced that and lost your memories.”

Rhett shrugs. “I’m grateful to be alive.”

---