“It’s okay.” She dried her eyes. “I understand. You must be really confused and frustrated.”
Dang, how did she know what I felt?
She got herself under control, then looked at me. “I’ll just sit here and be quiet. I won’t bother you, if that’s okay? I just need to be near you.”
“Be near me?”
“I might be a stranger to you, but you’re…” Her tears returned. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so emotional.” She fanned her face.
“Finish your sentence.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was gorgeous with fair skin, pink lips, and blonde hair like spun gold. No girl close to her beauty ever gave me the time of day, yet this woman seemed to really care about me.
She nodded as she sucked in a shaky breath. “Do you really want to know?”
I shrugged, not knowing what else to do. “Sure. I guess.”
“You guess?” Her devastated expression hit me dead center in the chest.
“Look, lady—”
“Ava. My name is Ava,” she said in a desperate tone.
“Sorry.Ava. I don’t know who you are. I’m not blind though. You’re beautiful.”
“But you feel nothing.”
Patch patted her back. “But he will.”
God knew I wanted to feel something for this woman. I’d be a damn fool to push away a pretty little thing like her. I just felt dead inside. “Doc, do me a favor. Can you knock me out again? My head is killing me, and this is all too much.”
Patch went to the desk and picked up a syringe. He glanced at Ava. “He does need to rest, dear.”
The needle poked me. “For what it’s worth, I want to remember you.”
Her beautiful,sadface was the last thing I saw.
14
Ava
I’d been staring at Drew for over an hour, holding his hand and kissing it. Storm had warned me it would be difficult seeing him when he didn’t know me. I hadn’t wanted to believe him, but he’d been right. It destroyed me how Drew didn’t know who I was. It shredded me to pieces. Even so, I couldn’t stay away. I wouldn’t stay away.
Drew had certainly slashed my heart open, but I’d take it. My wonderful, fiercely protective man was inside the magnificent shell I admired. I couldn’t lose hope he’d come back to me.
God, I prayed he came back to me.
No, stop it, Ava. There’s power in positive thinking. Will him better.
Yes. Yes. I won’t let him be lost to me forever.
“So, you think he’ll be asleep for the rest of the day?” I stood and bent over Drew to kiss him on the lips. I probably shouldn’t have, but he’d never know.
“Until after supper, at least,” Patch replied. “I’ll send a prospect for you if you want to take a break. Maybe get something to eat.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a few hours. I want to be here when he wakes up. He could have his memory then, right?”
Patch showed no emotion. “It’s possible. There’s no timetable for these sorts of things. The brain is a complex organ. But with the proper rest and no stress, Ire will heal up just fine.”
I sensed he wasn’t telling me the whole truth. Honestly, I didn’t want to hear anything negative, so I kissed Drew again. “I love you. I’ll always love you,” I whispered against his lips, then made my way upstairs to the kitchen.