Chapter 7

I once knew him as warm and full of life. Now his coldness doesn't just hurt, it scares me. I'm terrified he'll never remember me, that he'll walk away forever.

Fear and sadness overwhelmed me. All I wanted was for him to hold me.

"What do I have to do for you to stop looking at me like that?" He didn't respond. He gave me an impatient look, stood up, and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Ten minutes later, Chris called. She said Saul had brought her ice cream from the shop they loved in college. Her tone was thoughtful when she said he hadn't forgotten everything.

I forced a bitter laugh. He hadn't forgotten everything, just everything about me.

Drained, I told her to bring him back to the hospital. I wasn't ready to give up. He was still healing, and I had to hold on to the hope, however faint. I packed the chicken and headed back to the hospital.

In the hallway, I heard laughter coming from his room. Chris was telling him about how he once proposed to her with a soda can ring, how it got stuck, and how they had to call firefighters to remove it. Saul was laughing with her, his voice light and carefree.

It felt like a knife twisting in my chest. He had proposed to Chris too. What am I to him, then? Just the second choice he settled for when he couldn't have her?

Chris stayed close to him, reminiscing about skipping class, sneaking into concerts, and crying over romance movies.

I stood outside, listening to their story where I didn't belong.