Safe Haven

Chapter Twenty-Six - Cameron

"So, you were living with your fiancé before this, right?" The man interrogating me asked. For a moment, I didn't even realize what he said, so I opened my mouth to respond normally. However, upon realizing his word choice, I snapped it shut and furrowed my brows.

"Fiancé?" I repeated, wondering if I had heard him correctly. "I don't..."

"Your record indicated an engagement to a... Daniel Bennett? Is that not correct?"

"Danny?" I asked again, completely dumbfounded. Never in my dreams had it seemed like we were... together.

"I'm sorry. Do you not remember?"

"I can barely remember anything. I didn't know he was my—" I cut myself off, feeling something inside of me constrict. I could barely remember him, and I was supposed to be in love with him? I didn't even remember his last name. I'm my dreams, I saw him as someone who lived with me. Maybe that's where the feelings I was mixing up were coming from, but I still couldn't find a place where they belonged. Even barely remembering his face in my dreams, I didn't feel like I was on love with him.

"Did they force you to forget using manipulative tactics?" The man asked. "Or did they use drugs?"

"Both, I guess. Ben and Oliver said they were being drugged, but I honestly can't even remember when they did it to me."

"You've been missing for almost four years, they probably already had you believing you were always there."

I nodded slightly. "But I think the drugs were wearing off or something. I started to kind of remember, but... I guess I didn't remember everything right."

"That's okay. It'll take a while to figure everything out. The important thing is, you're safe."

Safe and sound.

~ ~ ~

When I left the room and saw Oliver sitting in one of the chairs, I tried really hard not to look as upset as I was. As soon as his eyes left the television on the wall and found me, they lit up a little. He seemed to notice my pain, however.

"What's wrong?" He asked. He patted the chair next to him and stared me down as I sat. "Did they think you were crazy too?" Despite myself, I let out a watery laugh and nodded before dissolving into tears. I hated myself for doing it because it was quite possibly the most embarrassing thing, but I let myself cry into his chest.

"Cam? What did they say? Are you okay? Don't— Don't cry." He rubbed my back awkwardly. Something inside of me refused to tell Oliver; I was sure it would hurt him because, if I was honest, it hurt me. I needed to be clear about my feelings, now more than ever, and I knew that Oliver was who I wanted. The fact that I noticed the warmth in his fingertips as he trailed them up and down my back, the look on his eyes as he coached me to breathe, and the little smile on his face when he said something to try to cheer me up was telling enough of how I felt about him. And somehow, being clear with myself made it hurt even more.

"Not really what they said," I answered. It might have been a slight lie, but how could I tell him with him looking at me like that? "I'm just happy to be safe."

"Me too," he mumbled, seeming relieved that it wasn't anything serious. His shoulders slumped a little, as he relaxed backwards into the uncomfortable chair. "I never even got to sleep."

"Go to sleep then. We have a long time until anyone makes it here for us." I tried not to sound too gentle. I tried not to sound like the sleepy look on his face was adorable. Without a word, he let his head fall onto my shoulder, with a soft sigh. I didn't object.

Oliver was asleep for about a half hour when Ben emerged from his interrogation room, looking drained emotionally and physically. I imagined I looked about the same. His gaze lingered on the room Matilda was in for a moment before he came over and took a seat next to Oliver.