The Life I Want To Live With You

Memories Chapter 14

Lisa left her work, the weight of her secret heavy on her mind as she walked to her car. Her search for the car keys was interrupted when Daniel approached her, and she couldn't hide her irritation.

"What do you want?" she asked, a hint of impatience in her voice. She eventually found her keys, opening the car doors from the driver's side.

Daniel stepped closer, grasping the car door to prevent her from closing it. "Listen," he began, his tone cautious. "I hope both you and Michael can come back to your normal life soon. I also hope he'll return to work as soon as possible – back to the routine."

Lisa had already entered her car and sat behind the steering wheel. She glanced at Daniel, her face was full of frustration and determination. "He'll be back at work tomorrow. You remember his normal schedule for the day, right?" With that, she shut the car door, leaving Daniel behind as she drove away. Her thoughts were consumed by what has happened and what secret she is having.

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Lisa stepped into their apartment, her eyes falling on Michael sleeping peacefully on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. She put down her bag and belongings and looked at him with a sense of frustration and worry. Walking up to him, she gently shook his shoulder to wake him up.

"Michael," she said softly, her voice carrying a mixture of concern.

He stirred and slowly opened his eyes, offering her a warm smile. "Hi, how was your day at work?" he inquired, creating some space on the couch, so she could sit.

"Tiring," she replied, taking a seat beside him. "Where's Janet? I asked her to stay with you."

Michael shifted and stretched, the wrinkles in his brow betraying a hint of uncertainty. "I told her to go, and then my head started hurting, so I lied down. I don't even know when I fell asleep," he explained. Lisa could sense his attempt to reassure her.

Her worries eased a bit as she sighed, the tension leaving her body. "Alright, did you eat something?" she asked, showing concern for his well-being.

He shook his head. "No, but Janet cooked dinner. Are you hungry?" he offered, but Lisa immediately stopped him.

"Michael, sit down. I've got it," she told him as she headed to the kitchen. However, his determination shone through, and he intercepted her, taking over the task.

"Lisa, sit down. You've had a long day at work," he insisted, moving a chair for her.

She couldn't help but smile at his stubbornness. As he focused on preparing dinner, she couldn't help but recall a time when he had the same serious expression on his face. Her voice trailed off as she remembered their history.

"You know, Michael," she began, her tone tinged with nostalgia, "the last time I saw you so focused was when you—" Her voice wavered, and she chose to stop there.

Michael, however, remained curious, turning to her and awaiting the rest of her thought. "Uh-oh, never mind," she trailed off, averting her gaze.

For a moment, neither of them said anything, and it was Michael who eventually broke the silence. "I want to hear what you were going to say," he said, his gaze unwavering.

Lisa met his gaze and continued, her voice hesitant. "You would come over almost every day after my work to take me somewhere. And when we were here, you'd insist on cooking dinner for us. You had the same focused expression." She gestured to his current demeanor.

A spark of recognition glinted in his eyes as he listened, and Lisa continued her story. "I would come up behind you, hugging you, and then you told me how much you loved me. It was the first time I heard it, even though we'd been dating for a couple of months." She concluded her narrative, standing just a few centimeters away from him, her eyes searching for his reaction.

He studied her for a moment, and then it clicked. Michael finally recognized the memory she had triggered, and his lips curled into a small smile. He saw the memory she was talking about and the love that was etched at that moment.

The memory was so vivid that he felt like he was living it once more. "I remember," he said with a warmth in his eyes as he spoke.

Lisa smiled at him, her heart soaring at the shared moment. But then the enticing aroma of a burning dinner interrupted their exchange.

Michael suddenly realized he had left the food unattended, and he cursed under his breath. "Crap," he muttered, quickly turning off the stove and stirring the contents of the pot. "Well, I just burned our dinner," he admitted, his tone lighthearted as he bit his lip.

Lisa smiled gently, appreciating the effort he had made. "I'm going to take a shower," she said, turning away and heading to the bedroom before stopping in the bathroom.

Michael watched her go, reflecting on the newly recalled memory and feeling a sense of warmth in his heart. While she was in the bathroom, he decided he would prepare another meal for her.

An hour later, Michael was hard at work in the kitchen, determined to create a delicious dinner for Lisa. He had a lot on his mind and wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her. As he chopped vegetables and cooked, he couldn't help but replay their shared memories in his mind, despite the emptiness of the ones he couldn't recall.

When the dinner was ready, Michael decided to knock on the bathroom door, expecting Lisa to be done with her shower. However, as the door opened, he found himself taken aback. Lisa stood there in her towel, her wet hair trailing down her back. The sight of her left him feeling somewhat uncomfortable, his cheeks flushing as he tried to avert his gaze.

"I—I just cooked dinner for you," he stammered, his voice betraying his discomfiture.

Lisa, too, felt her face turn warm as she quickly wrapped her hair in the towel and shot him an understanding look. "I'll go get dressed," she said, disappearing into the bedroom.

As she dressed and prepared to join him at the table, her thoughts turned to the weighty secret she had been keeping. Her mind was racing, and she was torn between revealing the truth and keeping it hidden a little while longer.

When Lisa eventually entered the room in her nightdress, Michael couldn't help but feel slightly flustered. He watched her as she approached, her presence causing a flurry of emotions within him. They sat at the table in silence, their dinner spread out before them.

As they ate, Michael decided to bring up a topic they hadn't yet discussed. "You know, Lisa," he began, his gaze locked on hers, "we haven't talked about when my memories cut off."

Curiosity sparked in Lisa's eyes as she listened intently. She patiently waited for him to open up about what he did or didn't remember.

Michael, for his part, began to explain. He shared with her the fact that he couldn't remember anything that had occurred after his meeting with Luke.

Listening to him, Lisa felt compelled to offer more insight. She elaborated on their collaboration with Luke and the reasons behind it. When she came to the part about their relationship and the accident, she noticed that Michael looked visibly disturbed and disgusted.

For a moment, Michael seemed lost in thought, emotions bubbling to the surface. Then he met her eyes with a profound intensity.