Page 70 of Zane

“I just came to let you know that Lee got a text from Sarah that they’ll be here in about ten minutes.”

“Do I have to be there?”

“Yes. You need to be a part of this.” Rori came to stand in front of her. “This will affect your life, too.”

That’s what Kelsey was afraid of.

Rori reached out and took her hands. “Let me pray for you.” She waited until Kelsey nodded before she closed her eyes and bowed her head. “Heavenly Father, we come before you today asking that Your hand be upon Kelsey, Zane, and Sarah as they meet together. You know better than anyone else how Kelsey is feeling about this meeting. I pray that You will place Your hand upon her and calm the nerves she might be feeling in this moment.”

Rori’s hands tightened around Kelsey’s. “I’ve come to love Kelsey like a sister, Lord, and I so want this to go well and provide a path forward for her and Zane. Above all, we want what brings You the most glory. Fill Kelsey with the assurance that she is not alone and with peace about whatever unfolds. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Emotion clogged Kelsey’s throat, and she clung to Rori’s hands. Ever since they’d received the news that Sarah would be coming, Rori had been a steady rock for Kelsey. Zane had been broody and on edge, though Kelsey didn’t know if that was because of Sarah’s impending visit or his head injury.

From her own research and from what the doctor had said, the head injury he’d sustained in the accident could lead to mood swings and bouts of anger and frustration. She’d seen more of both from him over the past few days, though none of it had ever been directed at her.

In the midst of all the turmoil of the pending visit, however, Kelsey had managed to land herself a job stocking shelves at the big box store. It wasn’t a job she’d ever aspired to have, but it hadn’t turned out to be so bad. Working at night meant she wasn’t interacting with many people at the store, and the physical activity of stocking shelves helped tire her out, so she slept better.

Getting home after seven in the morning meant she spent a good chunk of the day sleeping, so there were only a few hours when she and Zane were both awake and interacting.

She missed Zane—herZane—so much. But having him look at her without any of the love and affection she was used to seeing from him had become torture. So, while she would have loved to spend all her time with him, pain kept her from doing that, and now her job gave her an excuse to put a more distance between them.

“Let’s go do this,” Rori said, giving her hands a squeeze before releasing them. “I think it will be okay.”

Kelsey tried to take strength from Rori’s words, but it felt nearly impossible. Still, her nerves had settled a bit.

This was a crossroads for her. Even if Zane got closure with Sarah, there was no guarantee that he would want to try to work things out with her. If that was the case, she would leave.

As long as she kept her focus on the fact that soon she’d have a definite direction to move in, it helped her not feel like she was preparing to walk off the edge of a cliff.

Downstairs, they found Lee and Zane in the living room. Lee was seated on the couch, while Zane sat in an armchair. He wore a light blue polo shirt and a pair of black pleated shorts with a belt. It was the most dressed up she’d seen him in ages.

Tears stung her eyes for a moment, but she blinked them back. Tears could be shed later. First, she just needed to get through this meeting with Sarah.

Both men glanced toward them as they walked in, and Lee immediately got up and approached them. He smiled at Rori, then turned to Kelsey.

“I think this is going to go better than you think,” he said. “Just hang in there.”

Kelsey appreciated his words, but she had no idea how he could speak with such confidence. It was certainly nothing she’d felt since the night of Zane’s accident. And when it came to her relationship, she felt like she’d never have confidence again.

Because even if Zane got his memory back, there would still be obstacles to overcome.

The doorbell rang, which made Kelsey’s pulse jump, and her heart began to pound. As Lee went to answer it, Rori put her hand on Kelsey’s arm and guided her further into the living room.

Kelsey moved to sit down, but then straightened. She’d only have to get back up again when she was introduced to Sarah.

She glanced over at Zane and saw that he was staring at the floor. It surprised her that he wasn’t watching the entrance to the living room. She’d assumed he’d be eager to catch a glimpse of his former love… current love.

He lifted his head and looked in her direction. Their gazes met and held for a long moment, and Kelsey only looked away when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

Kelsey turned and saw Lee walking into the living room with a tall, slender,beautifulblonde woman and a slightly taller man, who, in her estimation, wasn’t nearly as handsome as Zane.

Lee led them to where Kelsey and Rori stood. “Sarah, this is my wife, Rori, and this is Kelsey. Ladies, this is Sarah and her husband, Ross Talbot.”

Their attention first went to Rori, and Ross shook her hand, then he offered it to Kelsey.

“Nice to meet you, Kelsey,” Ross said with a smile that lit up his blue eyes, transforming his face from average to attractive.

“Nice to meet you, too.” And she meant it. If Sarah had to come and talk to Zane, Kelsey was glad her husband had come along too.

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