Here With Me [The Ludovicas: Second Generation Book One]

Seventeen | Stay With Me

ARNAUD

Celestine...

Come back...

Please...

I jerked awake, startled by the shrill ringing of my phone.

With half-closed eyes, I patted my palm over the bed, searching for my phone until I found it and without seeing the caller ID, I picked it up.

"She woke up." Marcelo's voice was low and suspicious.

Every trace of sleep vanished from me and I sat up straight. "When--"

"She has amnesia, she doesn't remember any of us...except you."

"What?"

"Now tell me, when the fuck did you marry her?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Getting up, I grabbed my car keys and rushed out of the room, the door was thankfully unlocked.

"She only remembers you, Arnaud. She is asking for you, saying that you are her husband."

My heart unexpectedly skipped a beat. Her husband. "What the fuck?"

"Exactly."

"I never married her, why does she think that?"

"No one knows. The doctor says she might regain her memory, when exactly they are not sure of and they have told us to not put any stress on her which means you are going to pretend to be her husband so get your ass over here right now."

"I'm on my way." I hung up, my brain tried processing everything.

Her husband?

What if...

Maybe she was thinking of what I said to her that day before she went unconscious, what if that is the only thing that she remembers, hence, she thinks I am her husband.

That could be a possibility but still, it's just absurd.

I took a sharp turn, taking a detour from the hospital and towards a jewellery store.

If I have to play the role of her husband, might as well do my best.

After purchasing two rings, a plain platinum band for myself and a simple diamond ring for her, I went to the hospital.

.
.
.

Marcelo's eyes went straight to my ring finger where the band rested and he raised a brow.

"We are not supposed to give her any stress. If wearing a ring makes it more believable for her then so be it." I clarified, sliding my hand inside my pocket where her ring was.

He nodded.

I glanced at Silvio who leaned against the wall, staring at the floor and he seemed to be ruminating.

Not wanting to waste another second, I took a deep breath and stepped inside the room, closing the door behind me.

Honestly, I was a little nervous but then I calmed myself down. How hard would it be to pretend to be her husband?

Everything could be easily visible to anyone outside through that small window in the door but thankfully no one peeked inside.

Celestine lay on the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Seeing her awake when I thought she might not wake up was an overwhelming feeling.