The Storm Inside Your Mind

Unleashed

The subtle plink, plink sound of the rain beating down on the fire escape startled you awake and it took a moment to gain your bearings. The rain washing down the glass threatened to pull you back, but you still couldn't quite remember what it was pulling you back to. Tate's solid arm was wrapped around your waist, anchoring you to reality, but knowing there was such a large gap in your memory was starting to wear on you.

The doctors told you that your memory may return, but with each month that passed, it felt like you were living an entirely different life than you'd been living a year ago. Back when he was all you thought about. When finishing college and starting your life as an adult in an entirely new city had been your focus.

When you woke up in the hospital three days after an accident you had no memory of, your family had been spooked and overprotective. Despite their attempt at smothering you, Tate had been there a few days later, with a no-nonsense attitude, ready to push your body harder than you'd ever expected in order to build back the mobility you'd lost. It started out slow, with loaded looks and shy smiles, neither one of you realizing that the friendship you'd formed would turn into something more.

His dirty blonde locks, slightly longer and curlier than was considered professional, drew you in, and the deep cornflower blue eyes that saw past the walls in your brain and around your heart. Tate had pushed you, convinced you'd walk without a limp again, and you had just tried to hold on for dear life as you found yourself more and more drawn in by him as the days went by.

Your mother hadn't liked that you wanted to stay at the rehab center, thinking that you'd be better off living at home underneath her watchful eye, far away from the handsome physical therapist. She knew more than she'd let on, more than she'd ever let you know about what really happened. Your neurologist told your family that they needed to let you fill in your own blanks about what happened. So you'd remained in the dark, where parts of your brain were still shrouded in the cloud that wouldn't let the truth break free.

"You alright, babe?" Tate asked quietly as he scooted in closer, pulling you back into his strong embrace as he kissed the bare skin on the back of your shoulder.

"Yeah, it's just..." I sighed as I watched the water run down the pane of glass. There was something familiar that you felt every time that it rained, especially the loud crashes of thunder that accompanied it all, but it was still just outside of your grasp, taunting you.

Cooper was almost a hallucination now, not seeming quite real. His family hadn't wanted anything to do with you after the accident and no one would tell you why. That seemed to be the status quo, everyone keeping you out of the loop and sheltering you from your own mind. It was stifling, but now that you'd finally worked past the physical scars from the accident, you could move forward with your life.

"Cora, it's okay if you don't remember. You're still here," he shifted and propped himself up on his elbow, looking down on you as you turned to face him. "I'm here for you. I don't care what they say, I love you."

Your lip quivered as you looked up to his handsome face, cupping his cheek, hating that your family didn't approve of your relationship. Tate made you happy, he was positive and he pushed you to do better for yourself and he loved you dearly. It was still hard to tell him how you felt, flashes of Cooper's deeply tanned skin and dark brown eyes appearing every time you tried to say that you loved Tate. Part of you didn't think that you deserved his love, that what had happened had also scarred your heart so badly it'd never be repaired.

"I want you to come with me today," you confessed quietly, wanting him to be there for your birthday. You also were reluctant to drive in the rain. If it didn't let up, your birthday wouldn't be happening. The last time you'd tried to drive in the rain a panic attack had kept you white-knuckling the steering wheel in the parking lot outside the rehab center until Tate had appeared at your door. He'd pulled you out of your car and held you on the sidewalk until you could breathe again, softly petting your hair as you both ended up soaked through to the bone.