Page 49 of Awakening

For now, I’m concentrating on calming my nerves as Ethan drives me to see the home he and I had been sharing together. We roll to a stop at a guard house with a grand gated entrance and stone columns on either side. The word Pinewood is etched into a bronze plaque on one column. A man nods his head and waves us through. The area is heavily wooded, and it looks like we’re in the middle of nowhere until we drive a little further to reveal a picturesque small town in a beautiful setting.

“What is this place? Is this a part of Boulder?” It’s definitely not a part I’ve seen before.

“We’re very close to Boulder,” Ethan says. Driving a short distance away from the town, we pull into a driveway in front of a large home that’s primarily covered in stone with huge rustic wood beams towering over the front porch. “We’re home,” Ethan says, looking at me with a smile.

“This is our house? It’s beautiful.” Wow. Beautiful is an understatement.

“It is,” Ethan says, kissing my hand. “but it hasn’t been home without you. I’m so happy you’re back here, even if it’s only for a visit.” He smiles at me and gives me another quick kiss on the hand before we get out of the car.

The front door opens and Chloe and Nick step out onto the porch. Nick picked up Chloe before Ethan came to get me, but I wasn’t expecting to see them again already. “Hey. I didn’t know you guys would be here.”

“I thought it might be comforting to have Chloe and Nick here,” Ethan says from behind me.

I turn to him with a big smile. “That was very thoughtful. Thank you.”

“Of course. Come in,” he says, gesturing for me to go through the front door.

As soon as I’m inside, I’m overwhelmed with this wonderfully relaxing, comforting scent. “Oh, my gosh.” I take a deep breath. It smells like Ethan, and I can’t get enough of it.

Ethan is immediately by my side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just…that smell.” Ethan, Chloe and Nick all look at each other and then back at me. “It’s incredible. Is it literally circulating through the ventilation system or something?” This is obviously why he always smells so good.

“Something like that,” Ethan says with a grin. “I’m glad you like it so much. This is your home, so come in and get comfortable.”

We walk in through a large living room and I immediately notice a hole in the wall. “What happened there?”

“Uh, things have been a little intense since you’ve been gone. Don’t worry, I don’t make a habit of putting holes in walls. I’ll have it repaired,” Ethan says, leading me into an expansive kitchen. “Does anything feel familiar to you so far?”

I hear the hope in his voice, but I feel like I’m here for the first time. “I’m sorry, but no.”

“You just got here, Liv. Don’t pressure yourself,” Chloe says.

“It’s okay,” Ethan agrees. “You’re here, and that’s all that matters. Would you like me to show you around?”

“Sure.”

Ethan takes my hand as he leads me up the stairs. “There are a few extra bedrooms down the hall that way, and this,” he says, gesturing for me to enter, “is our bedroom.”

Walking in and taking in the space, his energy surrounds me. I startle when his large, warm hands land on my shoulders from behind. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says, massaging my shoulders. Shivers run down my spine, and I close my eyes when he leans down to speak softly into my ear. “It’s me, Liv. It’s okay to relax and let yourself feel good with me. Especially in here.” My entire body goes soft as he continues to massage my shoulders. “I just think if you surround yourself with enough familiarity, you may start to remember again.”

“From what Anthony said, it might not be quite that simple.” I immediately wish I hadn’t said his name.

He drops his hands from my shoulders, and he’s shaking his head as I turn to him. “Of course. Moretti. I’m sure he said everything he could to make you think it wouldn’t help at all to be near me.”

“He didn’t say that, Ethan.” He didn’t exactly encourage it, either.

“That guy wants you for himself. It’s so fucking obvious.”

Reaching out, I take his hand. “Where am I right now? I’m here with you. I know we were together, Ethan. I’ve seen the photos of us together. Chloe has told me how in love we were.”

“Are. How in love we are, Olivia.”

“I’m trying. Okay? The last two nights were an incredible start, but you have to be patient with me. I know you want the closeness we had before, and I really hope I can give that to you sooner rather than later, but I need you to let me do this at my pace. If you can slow down a little, I’ll do what I can to meet you halfway.”

The doorbell rings and Ethan says, “That’s probably Dr. Harper. We should go downstairs.”

“I thought we decided seeing Dr. Harper wasn’t necessary?”

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