Page 139 of The Echo of Forever

Still, that smile didn’t reach his eyes. Whatever was bothering him hadn’t been completely fucked away.

An hour later, I sat on the edge of the exam table in the compounds clinic, waiting for Alyssa to arrive. Everything about being here made me sick to my stomach; the room was too bright, and Demetrius’s presence beside me, rather than in the waiting room, set my teeth on edge.

The sex had temporarily bridged whatever gap had opened between us, but now it was back and wider than before. I could feel it in the way he kept checking his watch, in how his eyes never quite settled on me for more than a few seconds.

“Is this your way of proving you want to be wherever I am?” I asked, breaking the silence.

He didn’t smile, just nodded. “Something like that, baby.”

Before I could press further, there was a soft knock at the door, followed by Alyssa entering with a tablet in hand. Her eyes darted between us, lingering on Demetrius’s face for a beat too long.

“Either I’m dying or you two want to die,” I said flatly, crossing my arms.

The tension in the room was pissing me off, mostly because it was coming off my man.

Alyssa’s brow furrowed as she looked at Demetrius.

“I don’t know why he has that look on his face,” she said, then turned her attention to me. “However, I just found out my seven-year-old is a bully.” Her frown deepened. “Anyway, sorry to keep you waiting. I got your results, and you’re in good health. There’s nothing that stands out to me on your scans or in your blood work. But keep in mind that a lot of time has passed since the accident.”

I exhaled slowly, not realizing I’d been holding my breath.

“So, nothing’s wrong with me?”

“Not physically, no.” Alyssa set the tablet down on the counter and leaned against it. “Your brain scans are normal, which is actually consistent with functional or dissociative amnesia. There’s no physical trauma to explain the memory loss.”

Demetrius shifted beside me. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Alyssa continued, her voice taking on a more clinical tone, “that the memory loss could be associated with a host of psychological factors. Stress, emotional trauma, anxiety, all of these can trigger memory disruptions without leaving physical markers.”

I stared at her, trying to process what she was saying.

“I think it would be beneficial for you to undergo some additional psychological testing. There are specialists who—”

“Eh,” I cut in. “I’d rather not.”

The thought of someone picking through my mind, trying to unearth memories I might not want to remember, made my skin crawl.

It wasn’t just about Demetrius anymore.

Alyssa didn’t react, but I knew she was thinking about our last appointment.

“It’s only a suggestion, Forever. The choice is ultimately yours.”

Demetrius’s hand found mine, his fingers intertwining with my own. The gesture was both comforting and unsettling, given the strange mood that had settled between us.

“I want to tell you something,” he said quietly, his eyes finally meeting mine. “And I’m doing it with Alyssa here, because she can help more than I can.” He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. “You were having a nightmare in my office last night. You started talking in your sleep, saying things like ‘I won’t tell’ and ‘don’t hurt her.’ You were begging someone not to do something.”

I tried to recall, but there was nothing. All I remembered was falling asleep waiting for him and waking up in his bed.

“When you woke up,” he continued. “You were crying. Not just a few tears, but full-on sobbing as you kept saying ‘can’t be true’ over and over, baby. That shit felt all kinds of wrong, but eventually, you fell back asleep, and I brought you to the compound. After I almost killed Kai, but we can talk about that later.”

I pulled my hand from his, understanding now why he needed space not long ago.

“I don’t remember that,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, bringing my hand to his lips. “I know you don’t, baby. That frightened a nigga this morning.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off his, the events of the morning playing out in my mind like a movie. His concern and distance, the desperate way he’d fucked me upon my request, all of it made sense now.