Page 26 of Lost and Found

I laugh and sit on her bed. “Why am I at your house? I don’t remember having a fight with Codi last night. Actually, I don’t really remember last night at all.”

Arden turns as white as a ghost and I’m actually worried something is wrong with her, and maybe I should call an ambulance. I jump up from the bed and go to her. “Paige,” she whispers.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I ask.

“You remember Codi?” she asks, in a barely audible whisper.

Okay, apparently my friend fell down, hit her head, and is suffering from amnesia. I laugh as I’m about to joke with her when it all comes flooding back to me-- every sickening detail. The rainstorm, the headlights, grabbing the steering wheel, going over the side, Corey’s silence, and Codi’s head slamming into the steering wheel leaving me alone with just the rain. The intense cramping in my abdomen and the wetness running down my legs before I hit my head against the window and everything went back.

I jump up placing my hand on my abdomen. I had a tiny baby bump forming, but placing my hand there confirms what I already know. I look up into Arden’s eyes. My body is tense with panic and denial. This can’t be happening. Codi and Corey have to be okay. But if that’s true, then why am I here, in Arden’s house?

“Where’s Codi and Corey?” I ask her, but I have this sinking feeling I already know this answer.

She closes her eyes and a few stray tears roll. I collapse, thank goodness for Arden’s bed being behind me to break the fall. The wail that rips from my body sounds like some inhumane animal but it’s me, or what’s left of me. I feel like I can’t breathe.

“Paige,” Arden keeps saying. As if my name will somehow fix this. Her arms leave me and she disappears. I hear her whispers as I lie back on her bed, curling up in a ball as reality sets in. Arden returns. “Gavin is coming to pick up Gideon.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask her through the sobs, but my tone still sounds angry.

Arden shakes her head. “I was advised not to and the reasoning made sense.”

“Advise not to?” I ask, wanting, no needing more details than that.

“Reid didn’t think it was a good idea to tell you right away. He said you’d mourn twice and I agreed with him because the last thing I wanted was for you to have to go through this twice,” she explains. “I’m sorry, Paige.”

“Reid, I kissed him, but I’m married,” I wail into the bed as the guilt joins in with the consuming wildfire of grief burning me up from the inside out.

Gavin shows up, takes one look at me, and helps Arden sedate me. My vision tunnels and my eyelids grow heavy, but even with the medicine running in my veins, I can’t forget the images in my mind. I think I liked the quiet better.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Reid

I wake to a noise rumbling somewhere near me. It’s annoying, to say the least with my head already pounding from what little alcohol I consumed last night. Thankfully, Elena saved me ass or I’m sure I’d feel much worse. I know I’m a man and should be able to drink with the best of them, but it was just never my thing. I sigh and sit up, squinting against the sunlight and my back screams in protest. Couches were definitely not made for sleeping. I roll my neck to try and work some of the kinks out when the noise starts back up again. Now, that I’m more awake I can tell that it’s my phone, turned to vibrate, and someone is calling.

I sigh and reach for it on the end table beside the couch. I assume it’s Elena calling to make sure I don’t make a mess at her place. However, when I look down, I’m surprised. Although I shouldn’t be, since I’m sure she wants to give me a piece of her mind about the kiss Paige and I shared. No reason to prolong this any longer. “Hello, Arden.”

“Reid?” she asks, but the nervous quake in her voice has me on high alert.

“Arden, what is it?”

I hear her inhale a deep breath. “Paige woke up this morning with memories, all of them, but she was confused and didn’t remember the accident until she started talking about Codi and Corey. She broke down, so I called Gavin to come and get Gideon, but I had to sedate her. I don’t know what to do,” she admits, sounding defeated.

“I’ll be right there.” I disconnect the call and head out the door without a second thought. I’m sitting in the back of a taxi when it hits me. Paige has all her memories back which means that everything is over and soon enough, she’ll be out of my life. I stare at the window while trying to figure out how I’m going to deal with that.

All too soon, we arrive at Arden’s house and I hop out of the taxi. Arden opens the door. “She’s upstairs, to the right, at the end of the hall. She’s still asleep.”

“That’s fine. I just need to make sure she’s not experiencing in head pain. Other than that, there’s nothing I can do.” I walk past her, but Arden stops me halfway up the stairs.

“She told me that the two of you kissed. She was so happy and I got so mad. She stormed out of work and didn’t come home until late last night. She asked me why I couldn’t be happy for her and at the time, I thought that was ridiculous. But seeing her today, I wish we could all go back. Seeing how happy she was not even twenty-four hours ago, to the complete and utter devastation she is experiencing now. I just want to fix it for her.” Arden looks up at me.

I nod my head. “I understand what you’re saying and I understand why you were upset over the kiss. She caught me off guard, but I was selfish enough to not stop her.”

“Reid, I’ve known you for a while now and I know that you’re a great doctor and guy. If the circumstances were different, I’d be over the moon happy for the two of you. I just hate to see either of you get hurt.”

I try to smile at her. “I’ve inflicted my own hurt. I knew the situation and I knew where I stood. I should have fought myself and feelings harder. Any pain I feel is well deserved. I am sorry for Paige, though.”

I turn around and start to head up the stairs. “You’re wrong, Reid. You don’t deserve the pain. The problem is some of Paige’s pain is going to be from letting you go, but she truly cares about you. I can see that, so just know she’ll be back at some point.”

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