Liz’s eyes popped and she automatically shined a smile. “Oh, how nice.” Liz frowned. “I’m sorry I missed the fireworks.”
“Oh, you didn’t miss much, my dad’s fireworks are nothing to be impressed about, he gets the discounted version and it never lasts longer than fifteen minutes or so.”
This had been the first time it appeared that her husband was rambling. It confused her at first, but then after listening to him for another moment, she smiled at the presumption that he didn’t want her to feel like she’d missed out. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.
“Must have been a disappointing weekend.”
“Uneventful, I’d say.” Matt pursed his lips and cocked to the side.
Liz nodded in response. “Except for…losing your wife,” she added comically, though not finding anything funny about it.
Matt stopped and turned to her. An unidentifiable expression on his face. Maybe regret? After a short moment, he seemed to recover and answered, “Lucky for me, I got an exact replica.”
Chapter 27
MATT
Matt sat out on the balcony sipping black coffee while Liz was in the shower. He wanted so badly to jump in there with her. The sweat beads that trickled down her neck during their run made it devastatingly hard to resist. But he had to. He needed to take a minute, disconnect and think.
It was getting out of hand. He knew it.
Why did it seem like every innocent question she asked, could lead to questions that were impossible to answer? He set his coffee mug down and rubbed his forehead. His heart started racing at the sudden fear of what he was going to do if she never recovered. He couldn’t focus on never having Lizzy back. His mind wouldn’t even enter that existence. He only allowed himself to focus on the pressure of having to live this lie. It overpowered him, making him lose all rational thought.
Annoyed by reminders from the doctor’s voicemails to be honest with her to avoid negative setbacks.
He exhaled slowly, trying to regain control. But it was impossible. He couldn’t get thoughts of her out his head. And they were random as hell. Flashes of his real wife mixed with the woman who didn’t remember being her. Every smile, laugh, cry, plead. Every covered emotion when she’d considered telling him but decided it was better off to keep lying.
How is this different?
Dammit. He had to stop comparing the situation. It wasn’t the same. It just wasn’t. He was protecting her well-being. He wanted to call the good doctor and tell him the whole story. Then ask him what he would do if it were his wife. His love. His everything. He couldn’t imagine how breaking the innocent woman’s heart would fix everything.
Maybe those weren’t the doctor’s words exactly, but supposedly, it was a step in the right direction. No, he refused to believe it. He could do this without help.
Still, he couldn’t shake the place in his heart, no matter how small it might have been, that connected with the Liz from three years ago. The woman who made a solid choice to keep a lie. How could he be sympathizing with the woman who lied and betrayed? It wasn’t right. She was clearly putting a spell on him. Her new innocence was making him lose his mind.
They are not the same person.
He was on the verge of coming out of his skin when the balcony door opened. Her brilliant and familiar smile easing him almost instantly. She sat on the other side of the table, wearing denim shorts and a white blouse.
“You win,” she smirked.
“I usually do. But how so this time?” It was as if the last few minutes in his mind never happened when she smiled at him.
“I don’t run. I will leave you to your morning routine, and no longer interfere.” She held her hands up as if to concede.
“That’s too bad, I enjoyed having you with me,” he admitted.
“You enjoyed making fun of me.”
“All the same.” His smirk faded after a moment. “By the way, I wanted to ask you if you’d like to go visit my parents beach house this weekend. They don’t typically see us throughout the year except on holidays, so they want to squeeze as much out of our summer as they can.” He wasn’t sure who that excuse was for. Liz sure wouldn’t need it. She’d been asking to “meet” his parents for weeks.
As expected, Liz beamed. “I would love that.” For a moment, it looked like there was more she wanted to say, but then decided against it and leaned back in her chair.
Matt smiled and finished his coffee. “It will only be for an afternoon and then we’d leave after dinner.” He was letting it be known that there was no way they’d be spending the night there again. And he’d tell his mother the same. The minimal amount of effort to appease her.
Chapter 28
LIZ
