“So you were listening.”
She eyed him skeptically, “Who started it?”
“Ha, probably you. Don’t remember, we didn’t have a chance to lay the blame afterwards.”
“What was it about?”
This was leading to more lies. Looking at her now, with her desperate expression, he knew there was nothing he could come up with to alleviate her doubts. Or justify the coldness she felt in this room.
No. Lying wouldn’t help.
He stood and knew his expression had turned a tad colder when she looked up at him. He took her hand and pulled her to stand on her feet. It was time he took back control of his marriage. “That’s not how this is going to work, Lizzy.” his tone more definite, insistent. “I’m not a stranger, I’m certainly not your enemy no matter what that fight was about. I’m your husband, your best friend. And you need to start trusting me.”
She stared at him, her expression unreadable. But if he were to guess, she wanted to hear more of what he had to say.
“I might have lied about some things, but only because I only want you to remember the best times. No matter what greater power is putting you through right now, I’m sure the intention isn’t to make you relive the harsh ones. All you need to know is I love you—truly and unconditionally.”
It wasn’t until that moment, as he was proclaiming his unconditional love to her that he realized how much he truly missed Liz. He wished to God she could hear him right now.
The real Liz.
Liz arched an eyebrow, not tense, in the slightest. In fact, she watched him with the most amused yet grateful eyes. “That’s about as honest as I could ask. I guess you’re right. I guess I don’t need to know more. Not unless it matters, anyway,” she added.
“To further my...honesty, I guess I was still a little mad about our fight for the few days you were back home from the hospital.”
She seemed taken aback by that.
“Which is crazy and selfish, I know. But I don’t care anymore.” He came closer to meaning it than he ever imagined possible.
He surveyed the room once more, still holding her hand. “There’s nothing here for you.” He focused on her, urging her to do the same. “But there’s plenty for us at home,” he winked.
Then she did the last thing he’d expected. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. The way Lizzy used to. He smiled to himself, knowing he’d made the right choice in healing her with his love. Not making her face her fears.
“I’m sorry I’ve been difficult. And for over-reacting in front of your family.” She half covered her face.
He shrugged. “It’s not like I just brought you to meet my parents for the first time,” he lifted her palm and kissed it. “You ready to go back out?”
He recognized the hesitant expression now on his wife’s face, her lower lip being pulled on one side. There was something she needed to say. He smiled to himself at the fact that some things didn’t leave her.
She released her lip and shook her head. “Only to say goodbye,” she replied, her eyes turning suggestive. “Take me home.”
Chapter 30
LIZ
Matt made her request the simplest thing in the world. He took her hand and led her out to the now separated family members. Francis and Megan clearing the table, Rob reading in the den and Ben having a cigarette on the back porch. They said their goodbyes to the women and Matt’s father, but somehow Liz knew better than to suggest they do the same with Ben. Francis graciously accepted their early departure and relentlessly insisted they take leftovers, since “Lizzy barely touched her favorite dish.”
A short hour later, they arrived at their home. The place suddenly feeling more like it to her. It may have been aggressive, back in the guest room of his parent’s beach house, but it was honest. And that’s all she had wanted. The man cared deeply for her, of that there was no doubt. Since waking up, cold, lost and disoriented as strangers surrounded her, he’d been the one person protecting her. The anger she’d often see in his eyes didn’t bother her as much as one would imagine. It was a strong feeling, and she preferred it over emptiness. Somehow, Liz never felt empty. She knew there were emotions within her—the real her—that were far away. She could feel she was an expressive person. Nothing like Megan. Since Megan was the only other younger woman Liz knew, she compared herself to her quite often.
“Sure you’re not hungry?” Matt called from the kitchen.
It was still early. The digital clock displayed just before nine and it had been a long day.
“I’m alright.”
He emerged from the kitchen holding two glasses of red wine which seemed to have already eased her. She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
Matt motioned for her to sit with him on their sofa. She sat beside him and felt the most ease. She automatically placed her head on his shoulder. Though they’d been intimate before, she hadn’t completely trusted him until tonight. She’d caught him in a lie about their past and he didn’t even flinch. It was as though he didn’t regret whatever it took to protect her. Was it right to fall for him? Though the good doctor explained to her how memory recovery worked, she couldn’t help the sinking feeling that she’d lose him when her memory returned. She would disappear and the old Liz would reclaim her husband.
