Earning Her Trust

Chapter 19

Lily

The harsh lights glared above me as I opened my eyes. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the brightness of the room. Where was I? I didn't recognize the room or any of the people in it.

There was a young couple at the foot of my bed. They were both whispering quietly to each other and both appeared to be very concerned. I was very worried by their presence. Why were they here? Did I know them and just not remember meeting them? That thought scared me the most. They seemed absorbed in their conversation, and they weren't looking up any time soon.

After a few minutes of putting off the inevitable, I coughed quietly, hoping to grab their attention. They both jumped and turned to me immediately.

"Lily!" the unfamiliar man said to me, his face lighting up in a smile, "you're awake! We will call the doctor and the others right now!"

The others? They brought people with them? I hoped there would be a face I recognized, because I felt lost and confused.

Suddenly my younger brother rushed in through the automatic hospital door. "Lily, thank God you're okay!" he said, gripping me tightly in a hug.

"Jeff, what are you doing here?" I asked, even more confused about the situation than before, "shouldn't you be at school?"

Jeff's face fell at my words. "Lil, I graduated three years ago. What year do you think it is?"

I thought hard at his words. Year...I didn't know. I honestly didn't even know how old I was. And, as much as I should have been reassured by his presence, seeing my older brother didn't make me feel any more secure. There was something missing. For the life I me I couldn't remember what it was. I just knew there were brown eyes and a feeling of safety and love.

Where was that comfort? Would I ever find it again? I looked around the room, as if to double check that the brown eyes weren't there.

"Are you looking for something?" The young woman from before had a surprisingly soft voice. There was a note of concern in her tone that didn't quite make sense, but I clung to it anyway.

"Yes..." I trailed off, "but I don't know what it is that's missing."

The couple exchanged a look before the man nodded and left the room.

Almost a minute later, he came back in, followed by the most attractive man I've ever seen in my life. I felt my breath escape my lungs in a huff as I met his eyes. They were brown.

Suddenly, there was a pain in my head that I couldn't handle. I screamed, barely cognizant of the fact that this stranger jumped towards me immediately to ease my pain. As he wrapped my arms around me, I suddenly had visions of him doing just this before - wrapping his arms around me and kissing my forehead. I knew him, but how?

I looked up at him, the pain slightly easing as more memories flickered into focus.

"I know you," I murmured.

I watched his heartbroken eyes flicker with hope, before watching it dim. "Yes, you do," he whispered, tightening his hold on me.

"I think I love you," I said. Suddenly curious, I asked, "Were we in a relationship? I feel so strongly that we were."

His lips formed an elegant, sad smile. He nodded, as if at a loss for words.

I suddenly felt so tired.

"Can we solve this mystery in the morning? I'm so tired," I murmured, my eyelids closing slightly as I talked.

Suddenly I felt afraid. Almost subconsciously I gripped this boy's shirt in both my fists and said, "You won't leave while I'm asleep, will you?"

I held my breath, afraid of his response. He shook his head, "Lil, I'll stay as long as you want me here. Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake."

As I drifted into sleep, his lips touched my forehead. I don't know how and I don't know when, but I knew for a fact that he had done this before. I went to sleep with the hope that in the morning, I would remember my relationship with this beautiful and familiar stranger.