CHRISTOPHER'S POV
Ever since I woke up and first saw Eve, my heart has done this strange little flutter every time she looks at me. And whenever a tear spills from those beautiful eyes, a knot twists in my chest. I have this overwhelming urge to hold her, protect her, console her. But I hesitated, wondering if she'd even want that. Because even as she looks at me, her eyes hold so much hurt, and… disappointment.
Hearing her express her anger, I felt a pang of guilt. I couldn't blame her. The glimpses I'd seen online showed a couple inseparable, an epic love story the media had dubbed "the love of the century."
How could I forget all of that? The question echoed in my mind as I watched videos of us, our lives intertwined.
Her soft sobs pulled me back to reality. There was no arguing with her pain, no blaming the amnesia. I understood it completely.
Instinct took over. I went to her, sitting on the edge of her bed, facing her. Gently, I used the hem of my sleeve to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.
"Crying isn't good for the babies, remember" I whispered, before pulling her into my arms. It was what I'd been longing to do, and thankfully, she didn't pull away.
I held her close, patting her gently on the back, trying to absorb some of her pain. We stayed like that for a while, until her sobs subsided. A soft knock echoed at the door.
"Give me a minute. Let me see who it is, alright?" I said, my voice soft, before heading to the door.
It was a delivery man, holding the package I'd ordered earlier. I signed for it and carried it back inside.
"Food's here," I announced, placing the package on the bedside table. I arranged the meal on the hospital tray and set it in front of Eve. A small smile flickered across her face as she saw the food.
We ate in silence, but I couldn't help stealing glances at her. Every now and then, our eyes met.
She raised an eyebrow, a silent 'What?' hanging in the air. I quickly looked away, focusing on my own food, a blush creeping up my neck.
I finished eating before her. I cleared my plates and waited for her to finish.
"Thank you for the food," she said as soon as she was done.
"The least I could do," I replied, taking away the tray.
"I want to take a bath. Where's the bathroom?" She asked, reaching for the hospital-issued clothes.
"Alright, I'll take you," I said, standing up.
"No, just point me to where it is," she said, stopping me in my tracks.
"First door on your right, opposite the closet," I said, and she headed in that direction.
As soon as she left the room, I sat back down on my bed and went back to scrolling through the internet, trying to find out more about her, about us.
I discovered I didn't have any social media accounts, so I quickly created one. I searched for her official account, but I was swamped with parody accounts, making it impossible to tell which was real.
I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts. Franklin was supposedly my best friend, so I figured his number would be on speed dial. I tapped it, hoping he'd know Eve's real social media usernames. As the number connected, I returned to my online search on the tablet.
Just then, I heard a phone ringing in the room. The sound was coming from Eve's bed. I started to reach for it when the bathroom door swung open.
"What are you doing?" she asked, immediately stepping back into the room.
"Looks like someone was calling you a moment ago," I said, quickly retreating back to my bed.
The room filled with the scent of lavender as soon as she walked in. She looked fresh and radiant, her beautiful green eyes sparkling.
"Chris!" I heard her call, waving a hand in front of my face.
"What?" I asked, trying to act casual, as if I hadn't been completely lost staring at her.
"Why were you calling me?" she said, holding up her phone to show me my number on the screen. I narrowed my eyes, studying the display for a moment, then looked down at my own phone. It was true. I had called her.
She's my speed dial? I thought, a jolt of surprise mixed with something else... recognition, maybe? It made a strange kind of sense.I finished eating before her. I cleared my plates and waited for her to finish.
"Thank you for the food," she said as soon as she was done.
"The least I could do," I replied, taking away the tray.
"I want to take a bath. Where's the bathroom?" She asked, reaching for the hospital-issued clothes.
"Alright, I'll take you," I said, standing up.
"No, just point me to where it is," she said, stopping me in my tracks.
"First door on your right, opposite the closet," I said, and she headed in that direction.
As soon as she left the room, I sat back down on my bed and went back to scrolling through the internet, trying to find out more about her, about us.
I discovered I didn't have any social media accounts, so I quickly created one. I searched for her official account, but I was swamped with parody accounts, making it impossible to tell which was real.
I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts. Franklin was supposedly my best friend, so I figured his number would be on speed dial. I tapped it, hoping he'd know Eve's real social media usernames. As the number connected, I returned to my online search on the tablet.
Just then, I heard a phone ringing in the room. The sound was coming from Eve's bed. I started to reach for it when the bathroom door swung open.
"What are you doing?" she asked, immediately stepping back into the room.
"Looks like someone was calling you a moment ago," I said, quickly retreating back to my bed.
The room filled with the scent of lavender as soon as she walked in. She looked fresh and radiant, her beautiful green eyes sparkling.
"Chris!" I heard her call, waving a hand in front of my face.
"What?" I asked, trying to act casual, as if I hadn't been completely lost staring at her.
"Why were you calling me?" she said, holding up her phone to show me my number on the screen. I narrowed my eyes, studying the display for a moment, then looked down at my own phone. It was true. I had called her.
She's my speed dial? I thought, a jolt of surprise mixed with something else... recognition, maybe? It made a strange kind of sense.
"Oh, it was a mistake," I said quickly. Explaining the real reason would be mortifying. Best to avoid it.
She narrowed her eyes at me, studying my face for a moment before looking away.
I set the tablet and phone aside, laid on my right side, and just watched her.
"I feel much better," she mumbled as soon as her back hit the mattress. Without so much as a "goodnight," she turned away from me, facing the other side.
I frowned. I'd hoped we could talk for a little longer before the day ended.
"Don't bore a hole in the back of my head with your staring," I heard her say softly, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"How did you know I was staring when you're facing the other way?" I asked.
"Because I know you. Or, at least, I know the other you. The one who loved nothing more than staring at me all day, every day," she said.
Hearing her refer to me as someone separate from "her Chris" was… disheartening, to be honest. Ever since she'd realized I couldn't remember us, she seemed to have built up her emotional defenses, making it almost impossible to get close.
"But I am still your Chris," I said, getting out of bed and standing in the center of the room, unable to mask the ache in my voice.
She turned, noticing I wasn't in bed anymore, and sat up.
"Even if I can't remember the love we shared, the time we spent together, the hurdles we overcame, the crazy love we made to each other… it doesn't change the fact that this is still me. Still your Chris. Still, supposedly, the love of your life," I said, the hurt in my heart palpable.
She just stared at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, looking so incredibly vulnerable.
"The more videos I watch, the more pictures I see online, the more my heart breaks into a million pieces. Even though I can't remember others, surely I should remember you... but I don't. And yet...whenever you look at me, my heart skips a beat, swells as if it might burst. I guess some things don't change," I said softly, then turned to leave.
"I'm still your Chris, Eve. I fought death to come back to you. I just had to pay a small price, losing my memories, but it's a price I'd pay again and again," I said, and left the room, hoping she understood what I couldn't quite articulate.