Page 21 of A Forgotten Heart
He tossed his pencil on the floor in front of her as she tried to pass him by in the library. She stopped and stared at it, so he added a ruler on top of it.
Finally, she rolled her eyes and picked up the pencil. She started to hand it back to him, but then she pulled it away and stuck it in her hair, smirking, eyes dancing.
She came to sit with him. Although they talked more than studied.
He didn’t have a pencil this time.
He scooted his blanket until it slipped to the floor. She must’ve noticed, but she remained still.
“I seem to have dropped my blanket.”
Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment he thought she would refuse, but she slowly crossed the room. Bent to retrieve the blanket.
Warmth covered him again as she tucked the blanket over him.
He grasped her hand before she could pull away.
She froze, staring at the place where their hands were connected.
She tugged, but he didn’t let go.
“Did we have a fight?”
Her exhale shuddered. “You should get your rest.”
“El?”
Her fingers trembled as she looked away. “Yes.”
No explanation followed.
“Please, El. You’re my wife. What can I do to fix this?”
She jerked her hand from his. “Nothing can fix this.”
She spun and left the room, leaving him shaken.
He’d pushed too hard.
Whatever had happened must’ve been big. Elsie was levelheaded and kind. She wouldn’t have walls up for no reason.
He didn’t know what had passed between them, and trying to push through the blankness to locate the memories only doubled the pain in his head until he had to lie back down.
He didn’t know what had happened, but he would do anything to fix his marriage.
Anything.
Because he loved Elsie too much to let her go.
Chapter 5
Whatever you do, don’t let him get up and walk around.The doctor’s warning rang in Elsie’s head like an unrelenting school bell.Keep him peaceful and calm.
What about Elsie? Keeping Nick calm meant listening to him spout absolute nonsense every time she checked on him throughout the night. Nonsense that was like vinegar on her gaping wounds and broke her heart all over again.
He thought she was his wife? It couldn’t be right to let him believe it.
Now this morning, she scrubbed the floor of a second exam room harder, the abrasion of the sponge against the wood matching the rhythm pulsing through her veins.
