The Story Of Us

13. Tim's Plan

"If I could prove to you that it doesn't matter, that all I need is you in whatever capacity I can have you, would you take me back?" Tim questioned from his seat in the shop next to her as he began formulating a plan.

Lucy wanted to be selfish and get back together with Tim without him needing to do a single thing. She looked down at his lips and remembered her note about how he is (according to her own words) a "damn good kisser", and she wanted to lean over and confirm that her past self was correct. But, she remembered reading her reminders that her memory loss is hurting him and how he deserves some time away from her. Tim had to come first.

He noticed that she seemed conflicted, which was a good start. It emboldened him to hope. Tim dialed Grey once more. "Hey, Grey, Lucy needs to take the rest of shift off...yeah, she's fine there's just something we need to do...actually, can you grab Angela and meet us somewhere? I'll text you the place." He sent a text with the location to a group chat and one other person before starting the car.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he answered cryptically and started driving out of the parking garage.

"Tim, I appreciate whatever you're trying to do, but it's...it's not a good idea."

"Because you think you're hurting me. I saw your notes." He heard her gasp, so he added, "You're trying to protect me."

"Someone has to look out for you."

He huffed and gazed over at her for a second before returning his attention to the road. "Just when I think I couldn't love you more, you choose to do something ridiculous like break us up to protect me. As if there's ever a universe where us being apart could ever be the right thing for me. For either of us."

"It must be difficult to have a partner who doesn't remember what you two talked about the day before or the plans you've made."

"We can put everything in the calendar on your phone if that's really the problem. There's not a single problem we can't solve together. You know that, too." He remembered the bullet point that read: You can handle anything with Tim by your side.

She shuffled in her seat, since no response came easily.

"Tell me the truth, Luce. I wanna hear you say it. Say how you love me too much that you're keeping your distance for my sake." Even though he had read the sentiment on the piece of paper earlier in the day, Tim wanted to hear her voice repeat the words as confirmation. It seemed important to him to receive the validation.

Lucy wanted to choose her words carefully; she had yet to admit to anything throughout their discussion, and she wanted to have plausible deniability. Maybe not all of her cop training had been completely forgotten. "I already told you I have feelings for you..." The rest of her sentence was trapped in her throat from the shock of a vivid memory bubbling to the surface...

Tim was sitting next to her in the shop, but it must have been years earlier, and though Lucy was a bit nervous, she said softly but confidently, "I have feelings for you." He didn't respond physically nor did his face react to her words immediately, but her heart was slamming in her chest the way it always did when she confessed a difficult truth...

Though a short memory of just a few seconds, Lucy was so overcome with the power of the moment and the weight of the sentence the first time she said it to Tim. It was as true then as it was now- she has feelings for him that are frighteningly and unexpectedly intense. The memory showed her a moment where she had taken a risk and been honest with him, but now as Lucy looked over at Tim, it wasn't a risk to profess her feelings for him; he knows just as well as she does that she loves him endlessly.