without you¹ | derek morgan. ✓

| epilogue |

charlotte's pov.

Derek takes his hand into mine, his touch immediately warming mine. His eyes search mine, as if there's no one else in the world.

"Three Words. Eight Letters. Say it, and I'm yours." He states in a rasped tone.

I stand there, still, the universe shifting under my feet all over again. Two weeks ago, my world was falling apart. Derek had forgotten who I was, and I began losing myself all over again. Now, I'm standing in the middle of the bureau parking lot—Derek standing in front of he as he pleads and confesses his love and remembrance.

"I- uh, I-" I begin, shaking my head.

"C'mon, Char." Derek mutters.

I continue shaking my head in disbelief as my mind tries to process everything that has happened, "I can't do this. I can't- no. I just- this wasn't supposed to happen." I state.

"What wasn't supposed to happen?" He asks.

I flail my hand a bit, gesturing between Derek and I.

I sigh, "This. This was never supposed to happen. I was never supposed to lose you. You were never supposed to step foot in that building." I state in a low tone.

Derek shakes his head, "Charlotte, I can make up for the time we lost together. I'm here now. All you have to say is those three words, and I'm yours, all over again." He states, acting as though it'll fix everything.

"I can't." I mutter, shaking my head again.

"Why not?" He asks.

I shrug, "Loving you, was the best thing that I could have ever done. Trust me, I know that, Derek. But losing you? That put me through hell. I lost countless nights of sleep worrying about you, I spent days trying to find your mom a plane ticket to come visit and see you because the doctors fucking said you'd be brain dead within six months. I spent days on end watching you seize, listening to doctors tell me how it would be better if we unplugged you, watching you be so helpless in a hospital bed. I felt your touch become more and more distant each day. The only day I ever had hope was that night in the hospital when you squeezed my hand, giving me the signal that you remember—which hell, you probably don't even remember." I mutter as I look down at the ground, watching as the rain hits the pavement beside Derek and I.

"I do remember." Derek mutters in a low tone.

I immediately look up, my eyes traveling up to Derek's, searching his eyes for a moment.

"You remember that?" I ask, my brows knitting together.

Derek nods slightly, taking my hand into his as he takes a step closer to me, "That night in the hospital, when I lost my memory, your touch was the only touch I recognized—I didn't get a good memory of you and I could barely remember what your face looked like, because I was slightly unconscious...but your touch...it was everlasting—one that I could never forget." He states, looking down at me as his eyes search mine.

I smile softly at his words, "Your touch was the only thing I had going for me that entire time. Every time I went to the hospital, I would take your hand into mine—praying, that you would wake up. I had read online that after seven years, you eventually lose that person's touch..." I begin, looking back down at the ground.

"I don't want that touch to be gone, Derek." I state, my voice breaking as the words escape from my lips.

"Then don't let it go away, Charlotte." Derek states, his finger lingering under my chin as he tilts it upwards for me to look at him.

I nod slightly, my eyes watering as my lips part slowly, "All my life, everything I had ever known was a lie. Everyone I had ever loved or trusted, was a liar or betrayed me or kept things from me—I lost them all because of that. The only person who I had was you, Derek. You were the main person in my life, you were my rock...and now you're just gone. You had drifted away with the rest of them. You left me alone, in the dust—all I had left of you was the lingering touch and all of the memories of the moments you and I had... You're practically gone and I'm left here all alone, having to watch your smile grow from the distance." I state in a low tone, my voice breaking again.