Page 6

Jennifer

D ylan’s question punched me in the gut.

“Where’s your ring?” he asked, his voice confused and concerned.

My gaze dropped to my left hand. The space where his diamond had once sat was painfully bare.

I looked up expecting the sadness I’d seen in his eyes the last time we’d spoken, but there was only gratitude and warmth.

He remembers loving me, I thought, my heart splintering. But not what came afterward.

I opened my mouth, but no words came. What could I say?

I’d prayed for a miracle these last twenty-four hours, and here he was—alive, awake, looking at me like I was his world.

Tears burned my eyes, and I fought them back, desperate to be the strength he needed.

I forced a shaky smile and brushed my fingers along his jaw, his stubble rough under my touch.

For a moment, I wanted it to be seven years ago, before Carla’s photos, before I’d broken us.

When he looked at me with that open trust, I couldn’t tell him the truth—not yet.

The monitors beeped faster, a jagged pulse slicing the quiet.

Dylan’s vitals spiked as I hesitated. Bethany, the nurse who’d let me stay despite “family-only” rules, stepped closer, her sneakers silent.

“Heart rate’s up again,” she said, her voice firm but kind.

“We need to keep him calm, Jennifer. Maybe step out for a minute? We’ll have him stable soon. ”

Dylan’s hand clamped onto mine, the back of his hand pale against the IV tape. “Don’t leave,” he rasped, his eyes wide with a panic that tore at my chest. The man who’d skied black diamonds without flinching looked like a boy afraid of the dark.

“She’s not going anywhere,” Bethany said gently, her hand on his shoulder. “I just need a little room to work.”

“I’ll be right outside,” I said, my voice fierce, squeezing his hand like I could hold his heart together. I pressed my lips to his knuckles, a desperate, fleeting kiss, and his grip softened, letting me go.

I stumbled into the hallway, my heart pounding like a caged bird. Steven stood waiting, arms folded, his calm a lighthouse in my storm. His tie was gone, sleeves rolled up, but his eyes held the steady loyalty I’d come to expect from him.

Before I could say anything, the attending physician approached, his white coat stark against the beige walls.

He gave me a searching look, his tablet glowing.

“Ms. LaSalette, can you clarify your relationship to Mr. DeVoss?” His tone was professional, but the question cut deep.

Bethany knew we weren’t officially together.

She’d explained Dylan’s condition was serious enough to trigger the ‘family-only’ protocol, but she’d quietly bent the rules for us.

I looked to Steven for help.

Steven stepped forward, his voice solid as stone. “She’s his fiancée.” The words landed with a finality that shut down doubt.

The doctor looked down at his notes. “Oh. I see. I’ll add that. Is there anything I should know about your relationship?”

My breath caught. Steven moved closer, his bulk blocking the hallway’s harsh light. He pressed something small and cold into my palm. My heart lurched. I knew what it was without even seeing it. My hand shook so violently I nearly dropped it.

The doctor looked up from his notes, having missed the exchange.

“He’s showing signs of partial retrograde amnesia,” he said, his voice clinical but warm.

“He remembers Jennifer, but time and event recall are disrupted. Familiar, positive stimulation is encouraged, but no pressure to remember specifics.” He adjusted his glasses.

“Recovery could take days. Weeks. There’s no exact roadmap. ”

I nodded, my mind spinning. The diamond cut into my palm.

The doctor continued, “We’ll monitor him. Try to keep him as calm as possible. And hopefully we’ll see quick improvement.”

“But his memories will come back?” I asked in a tight voice.

The doctor took a moment to look over his notes again before answering.

“Every case is different. There’s no visible cortical damage, but the brain is complex.

We’ll run more scans once he’s stable for a clearer picture.

He’s where he can get the best care available.

” He paused, softer. “For now, keep him calm. That’s what he needs the most.”

The doctor walked away, his shoes clicking down the hall. Steven turned to me, his eyes serious, searching. “He came back for you, Jennifer,” he said gruffly.

I clutched the ring tighter until it hurt. My chest ached, torn between love and fear.

Steven looked at Dylan through the glass of the door. “If thinking you’re still his future buys him the time he needs to heal... do that for him.”

It wasn’t a request and even if it had been, I doubted I could have refused.

Wearing the ring felt like a lie, a betrayal of the truth I owed Dylan.

But not wearing it—letting him wake to a world where I’d left him—felt worse, a cruelty I couldn’t stomach.

My heart screamed to protect him, even if it meant breaking myself.

I slid the ring onto my finger, its weight strange yet familiar, like a song whose words I’d forgotten. Wearing it didn’t absolve me, I thought, my throat tight. It didn’t mean we’d be okay when he remembered, but I’d do it for him.

I went back into Dylan’s room, my steps careful. Dylan’s eyes found my hand right away, the diamond catching the light. Confusion contorted his face as if he’d encountered another crack in his memory. Then he smiled, faint but relieved, and the tension in his shoulders melted.

The monitors beeped steadily, their rhythm calming. Bethany, adjusting an IV line, caught my eye and smiled softly. “Sorry I asked you to leave. I thought you might be what was upsetting him.”

“Never,” Dylan said, holding out a hand for me to take.

I settled into the chair beside his bed, my hand linking his. After taking a deep breath and assuring myself I was doing the right thing, I whispered, “I’m glad you’re back, Dylan.”

“I love you, Jennifer.”

I swallowed hard. “I love you too.” I sniffed. “I have since the first night we met.”