Cupping her face, I wipe the tears away with my thumbs. “I know we have a lot to talk about, but we’re good, right?”
“We’re more than good.”
“I want to make love to you.”
She smiles and pulls my lips to hers. “I like the sound of that,” she mutters against my mouth.
An image of making love to her in the rain flashes through my head, and I pull back sharply. Was that a memory or just wishful thinking?
“What’s wrong?”
“Aria, did we ever make love in the rain?” I almost hold my breath as I wait for her answer.
“Yes,” she whispers, excitement flicking across her eyes. “Do you remember?”
“I… I think so.” I close my eyes. “At the river? Under the oak tree?”
“Yes!” she squeals, jumping up and down. “That was the first time we made love.”
“And that’s why you were quiet when I said I hadn’t been there since the week of Lib and Mason’s wedding?”
She nods and I pull her close. “Do you remember anything else?”
“Not yet, but if that was a memory, then hopefully it’s just a matter of time. I can’t wait to remember every second with you, Aria, and I can’t wait for us to make even more memories.”
“You asked me to go home with you, the day before the accident.” Her voice is low and full of uncertainty. I can’t remember asking her, but knowing how I feel about her, I’m not surprised I did.
“What did you say?”
“I said yes.”
I smile. “And you still want to?”
“Yes, if you still want me to.”
“Maybe we have two options now. Maybe me and Jacob could stay here?”
Her eyebrows rise in question. “Stay here? What about Zara?”
I shrug. “I don’t care about Zara. She’s not interested in Jacob. She never was. I don’t want him around someone as poisonous as her. I’m pretty sure she won’t question me if I tell her I’m moving here. Not after what she’s done. If she kicks up a fuss, then we have other options. One thing I do know is I’mneverbeing away from you again.”
A beautiful smile erupts on her face. “Is this really happening?”
“You’d better believe it is. You are it for me, Aria. Not even a crazy ex, a fractured skull, or short-term memory loss can keep me away from you.”
She giggles. “Kiss me again?”
Smiling, I drop my mouth to hers, losing myself in her again. I’ve no idea if my memory will come back, but I’m not worried about that anymore. I know without any hesitation how I feel about Aria, how I will always feel about her. We’ll make new memories, the three of us, and hopefully give Jacob a brother or sister one day, maybe both. If my memories do come back, then that’s a bonus, but I know I don’t need them. I know who I am, and I know who I’m meant to be with. It’s Aria. It’s always been Aria.
Aria – six months later
“Ithink that’s all the boxes, baby,” Jack calls from the driveway, and I beckon him inside, out of the cold. Summers in Marble Falls might be hot, but the winters are cold, and we’d unwittingly chosen to move on the coldest weekend of the year.
“Come inside. It’s freezing,” I shout, dancing around in the doorway to keep warm.
“Baby, trust me, it isn’t that cold. You should live in the UK!” He walks in and wraps his arms around me. “How about I warm you up?”
“As good as that sounds, your whole family is in the living room, and I think they may wonder where we’ve gone if we sneak upstairs.”