Dr. Tai focused on his patient, his voice raised slightly. “Liz, can you tell me what that is, what are you trying to say?”
Liz gasped and her breathing escalated. The color from her face drained.
Matt watched, tormented, as the woman he loved was forced to confront herself against her will. His own breathing now matched hers and he felt like ripping his own heart out for letting it get this far.
“Stop,” Matt demanded, loudly.
Liz frowned.
“Wake her up. Stop this. I don’t want to do this anymore.”
“Mr. Owen, we are very close.” The doctor insisted, his tone abrupt.
“I don’t care. I don’t need to know. This isn’t helping her. And—and I’m not doing this against her will.”
Then the doctor turned red at Matt’s slip. “You said this is what she wanted.”
“Not like this,” Matt said. “Now wake her up.”
Chapter 20
LIZ
With the simple command of the familiar voice, Liz woke from her subconscious and before the doctor could explain anything to her, Matt grabbed her gently by the arm.
“Can I please speak to you alone?”
Liz jumped to follow Matt out, nerves and eagerness waving through her. “What happened? Did you find anything out? I still don’t…”
Matt led her down the hallway until they were alone.
“Liz, I don’t think you should do it this way.”
“But this was—”
“My idea, I know. But Liz…” He took her hands in his, inhaled a deep breath and looked at her. She searched his eyes for an explanation, a reason for his stopping something that he claimed would help her.
“Liz, I know why you want to do this, because you’re not sure about me. Because I haven’t proven to you that I am the man you love. The man you belong with and the one who promised to always love and care for you,” he started. His tone was urgent and desperate.
She swallowed and looked down, wanting deeply to believe him.
He tightened the grip on her hands and took a step closer to her. “Lizzy, I promise you—thisiswhere you belong. With me. Please give me another chance to prove it to you. I know I can.”
“I don’t understand, why did you stop him? This could be it, Matt,” Liz didn’t want to go back based on his word.
He shook his head but held her gaze. “No, I don’t think it is. I think I can do better. I can help you remember everything in the way that I want you to remember, Lizzy,” he paused. “Please come back home with me. Let me remind you who we are together.”
Liz’s face softened with nearly every word. But when he was done and waiting, she glanced down, hesitating and then looking back at Dr. Tai, who had emerged from the small room and watched them from a distance.
“You said the same thing to me when I first left this place with you. Why should I trust you now?”
Matt was still for a moment, as if he was silently answering her question. It seemed to her for a fraction of a second that he was going to tell her, but then, to her disappointment, he hesitated.
“You just need to trust me, Liz. I can promise you, you’re my only concern now. Helping you and healing you.”
Liz let out a loud sigh. She needed more.
“That’s not good enough. I’m going through with this.” She pulled out of his grasp and was halfway down the corridor when she froze at his words.
