𝐈𝐥𝐥-𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✔️

39

V A L E R I A

This reminded me so much of old times. Adonis would go out and pick every berry he knew I liked while I stayed at home, usually painting. I once again found myself having those thoughts that maybe things could be how they used to be. 

I hear him call out my name in the forest. My eyebrows instantly tug together. His tone, I couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but I knew it was something not good. I drop the paintbrush and go running into the forest in the direction of where I heard him.

It took me a while to find his back. But I finally do, and I see him standing.

"What?" I ask him. "Too dumb to find them?"

He turns to look at me. His expression does not match my playful one. But my face completely drops as I see what is on the tree. 

"I've been here before," he states. But he looks so confused. "How the fuck have I been here before when I have no memory of it?"

I was drowning in a large wave of many different emotions that hit me. Anger. Disappointment. Fear. But deep down, I also felt some relief. 

"And who is this?" he questions as he looks back at my scratched-out name. He then looks back at me. I look into his dark eyes, they're confused, and at that moment I make a decision. 

"That's me," I confess. I instantly hear her say, "What are you doing?"

But I ignore her. Adonis only looks more confused. 

"I knew you?" he asks like he can't believe it. I swallow.

"You were married to me," I say the words I knew I probably shouldn't. I can tell by his face he doesn't believe me. 

"No," he shakes his head. "I've never been married."

I tell him, "You proposed to me in our yard 200 years ago."

His expression tells me that he can't believe this. But he also sees how serious I am.

"Then why can't I remember?" he asks.

I should lie. I should end my confessions, I should lie and make him forget this. But as I look at him, I find myself wanting to be honest, I find myself wanting him to know. 

"I took your memories away," I tell him. I then pause. "After you killed me."

His eyes dart around as he learns all this information at once. She says in my ear, "You've said enough. Now leave it."

"No, no I don't believe that. I would never kill my own wife, especially not you," he says. I nearly roll my eyes at that. 

"You did try and kill me. Remember?" I question. It only makes him think more.

He steps toward me while quickly saying, "Give me my memories back. I want to know."

I stand there and look at him. I let out a soft 'hm.' I say, "Should I give them back? Should I let you see everything we've done? Should I let you see how you betrayed me?"

"Please," he says. "I want to remember you."

I think about it. I really think about it. I look at this forest, the one he doesn't remember being in, but the one we had run through together so many times. I wanted him to remember. I wanted him to remember everything good we did for three years and the fact that he betrayed me after all of it. 

"Okay," I decide. 

I place my hands against his head. His eyes turn white as I do this. She begins shouting in my ear, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP. DON'T DO THIS."