Page 19 of Love Me Again

"Six weeksand eight days since my accident and I still haven't got my memory back."

Dr Bennet observes me and takes his glasses off. "Cole, I understand your frustration, son, but brain trauma isn't like any other physical illness or a broken bone. We can'tjustbring all your memories back with an operation. The brain is the most complex organ we possess, and it'sveryunpredictable. I am confident your memory will come back in time. The question is, do you want your memory to come back?"

I stare at Dr Bennet blankly for a couple of seconds. What kind of question isthat? "Of course I do. I'm missing a huge chunk of my life. One day, I woke up with a wife and a baby on the way four years in the future. In a lifethatis unfamiliar to me. I've also been having some bizarre dreams lately."

"How so?"

I frown and shrug, "I don't know. It's all a jumbled mess in my head. Some nights it's Sophie, and other nights it's Shayla. I don't know if it's a memory or a dream. How do youevendifferentiate between them?" I ask, rubbing my forehead with a sigh. Dr Bennet leans forward, narrowing his brown eyes at me thoughtfully.

"Dreams are stored in our short-term memory, and it disappears after a little while. Our memories, however, are stored in our long-term memory, which you won't forget. Can you recall these dreams after you've had them?”

I lean forward and rub my eyes with my thumb and finger. "I don't know. My head is a literal mess. I don't know what feeling is real and what isn't any more. It's so aggravating." I say, rubbing my temples.

"Your CT scan came back perfect Cole, the swelling has completely subsided, so all you need now is time, don't force yourself, let your body do its thing, and hopefully, you'll soon start to remember." I nod and stand up. Dr Bennet walks me to the door and shakes my hand. "Don't forget what I told you. Sometimes our fear causes us to suppress certain things from our past,thatcould be the key to unlocking your memories." He explains and pats my shoulder with a kind smile.

"Thank you, Dr Bennet, for everything." I smile and walk out of his office when he nods in response.

My mind was in a haze as I walk mindlessly through the hospital corridor. "Tristan?" I stop dead in my tracks when I hear her voice. Sophie. I turn slowly and face her. I gaze into those familiar blue eyes and resist the urge to walk over and pull her into my arms.

"Soph?" I utter surprised to see her standing in front of me. Sheappearsjustas I remember her. Absolutely gorgeous, but there was a deep sadness in her eyes. "Hi."

"Hi Tristan," She responds a little hesitantly. "I heard about your accident. It was all over the news and papers. I wanted to come and see you, but I didn't think you would want to see me after everythingthathappened." She explains, and I frown a little. "I'm so glad you're okay. I've been so worried."

I nod and clear my throat, "I don't, uh, the accident caused some memory loss, so I don't remember anythingthathappened. Only what others have told me." I explain, and she frowns and takes a step toward me. I rake my eyes over her, a little confused. "Josh mentioned you were pregnant. Have you had the baby already?" I question and notice her eyes fill with tears. Sophie bites her lip, shaking her head.

"No, I lost the baby a couple of weeks after everythingthathappened between us. There were some complications with the pregnancy and the baby--he didn't..." She trails off with a shrug and wipes away the tearsthatgather in her eyes. "It was a stillbirth." She whispers, dropping her gaze.

I walk over and hug her. "I'm so sorry, Soph. I can'tevenbegin to imagine how devastated you must feel." I whisper, and she sobs into my chest. I rub her back soothingly while she cries.

Sophie pulls back a little and stares up at me, her eyes swimming in tears. I reach up and brush her tears away and kiss her forehead. Some familiarity—finally. Her smell, the way her body felt pressed up against mine, it all felt so familiar to me.

"Shall we grab some lunch and catch up?" I suggest and she smiles, nodding.

"I'd likethat." She replies with a little smile, and I nod, grinning back at her. We walked out of the hospital together and went to an Italian restaurant we both loved.

* * *

"So,you don't remember anything at all? Marrying Shayla, us getting back together?" She questions before taking a sip of her water as we eat our starters.

"Nope, the last thing I remember was being in a relationship with you. You rememberthatyacht party we went to, and we sneaked into the owner's bedroom and had sex in his bed?" I say, and she laughs.

"Of course, we almost got caught.Thatwas like two months into our relationship. We couldn't get enough of one another." She expresses, smiling. Nodding, reaching over, I take her hand in mine and brush my thumb over her knuckles.

“That’s one of the last memories I have before I woke up in a hospital to a life I don'tevenknow, to a version of myself I don'tevenrecognise," I explain, playing with her fingers.

"What about Shayla? Are you still with her? I did hear she was pregnant?" Sophie questions glancing down at our hands before she lifts her eyes to mine.

I sigh and bite my lip. "She's supposedly my wife, and she's having my baby. I keep being toldthatwe have this fierce love, but I don't feel anything for her-- at least I don't thinkthatI do. My life with her doesn't make any sense to me. From what I can tell, sheseemslike a great girl, and I..." I trail off, and my mind goes tothatnight we were in bed together. The way her body was rocking against me, the way she was touching and whispering things to me, her moans. I don't know what came over me, but it was intense. I'm attracted to her for sure--if my body's reaction to her was anything to go by.

"Tristan?" I snap out of my trance, focussing on Sophie again. "You were saying, and you..." She trails off, urging me to continue.

"I'm justoverwhelmed at the moment with everything." I declare, pulling my hand back from hers and looking at the wedding band on my finger.

"I'm not surprised, Tristan. Shayla was never any good for you. She made you a completely different person. It's like she moulded you into being the type of manthatwould suit her. She messes with your head and manipulates you. She's also the reason we aren't together right now."

I lift my gaze to Sophie's and narrow my eyes. "Didn't you break up with me and start seeing another guy before Ievenmet Shayla?" I ask, and a flash of surprise crosses her features. "Josh filled me in."

"Yes, I did break up with you, but only because you never made me your priority. You always put your work before me, before us, and you didn't make any time for me or in the three years we were together. We were drifting apart. I waited for you to commit, but you didn't, so I made a decision and left." She explains and leans forward, her eyes on mine.

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