by Karli Perrin
“I tried to stand up.”
“No. Don’t do that. Can you reach your towel?”
“No, it’s by the door.”
“And where are your clothes?”
“On the bed.”
“Okay. I’m on my knees.”
“What?!”
“I’m coming in.”
“Why?!”
“I’m going to feel around for the towel. I’ll throw it over to you.”
“I’m not wearing a bra,” I tell him as I use my arms to cover up my boobs. “Don’t you dare come in here!”
“Cora, I don’t know if this will come as a shock to you, but I’ve seen women’s breasts before.”
“I don’t care! You haven’t seen mine!”
“I won’t look. My eyes are closed.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
I watch as the door opens slowly, and Spencer comes crawling in with his eyes closed.
“Left,” I tell him, as he feels around for the towel. I try to ignore the throbbing in my foot, but I can see that it’s already starting to swell. “Left,” I say again when he begins to crawl in the wrong direction. He keeps going right and crawls straight into the desk, headfirst. I throw my arms out instinctively then remember I’m naked from the waist up.
“Son of a bitch!” He rubs his head but keeps his eyes closed. “What was that?”
“The desk.”
“Thanks for warning me.”
“I told you to go left. Why were you crawling to the right?”
“I wasn’t. I was crawling left.” He points to the desk. “That’s left.”
I bite my lip. “Woops, I’m sorry. I meant my left. I’m going to blame it on the pain.”
He chuckles and begins to crawl in the opposite direction. “Am I close to your clothes?”
“Yes. Keep going.”
“Any solid oak furniture I need to watch out for?”
I feel bad for laughing. “No. Just a plant in the corner of the room.”
“A flesh eating one?”
“No. Stop where you are.” He does as I say. “Turn to the left just a little bit.”
“My left or your left?”
“Your left.”
“There. If you reach out, the towel is right there.”
He picks it up and then turns towards me, eyes still closed. “Keep talking, I’ll follow your voice.”
“Okay. What do you want from me?”
“You may have to be a little more specific…”
“Why did you knock on the door just now?” Why did you make me hop around like a one-legged bunny on crack?
He begins to crawl towards me. “I wanted a towel.”
I narrow my eyes at him, even though he can’t see me. “There are towels in the bathroom.”
“I couldn’t see any.”
“You couldn’t see the huge pile of them next to the shower?”
“No.”
“Is that the real reason?”
The corners of his mouth turn up. “The real reason? What other reason would I have come to see you, Cora?”
“You tell me…”
“You brought it up. What other reason would I have been coming to see you when I knew you were naked under that towel?”
My cheeks flame. “Stop right there,” I tell him. “Hold out the towel and keep your eyes closed.”
“I will. I don’t want to, but I will.”
“Cor?” Connie shouts as she walks into the room. “What’s happening up here? I heard banging…” She stops talking when she spots me on the floor. I don’t think it could possibly look any worse. I’m topless, my jeans are half on, half off, and Spencer is on all fours in front of me. “Oh, shit! I’m sorry! Just forget I was here! I didn’t see anything!”
I take the towel from Spencer and wrap it around me. To give him credit, he kept his eyes closed the whole time. “Well this is turning out to be a delightful morning. Connie, wait!” She stops walking but doesn’t turn around. “It’s not what it looks like. I was getting dressed and I sprained my ankle. Spencer was helping me.”
“Um, yeah, cool,” she says in a disbelieving tone. “It’s none of my business anyway.”
“I’m telling you the truth. Look at my foot if you don’t believe me. It’s swelling up. Can you get me some ice?”
“Can I open my eyes yet?” Spencer asks.
Oh. “Yes,” I tell him. He opens his eyes and immediately looks down at my foot.
Connie spins around. “You’ve actually hurt yourself?” I nod. “I’ll go get the ice.”
“Tell me if I hurt you,” Spencer says as he lifts my foot to take a closer look. Every few seconds, he looks up to check my reaction. He frowns when he notices the tears in my eyes. “It hurts?” I nod and let him believe that I’m tearing up at the pain, when really, I’m touched at how gentle he’s being. How fucking perfect he’s being. He’s going to make somebody incredibly happy one day. I’m hit with a wave of nausea, but it has nothing to do with my foot. I feel sick at the thought that next month, I won’t know that he exists.
“I think it’s just a sprain, but you need an x-ray to rule out a fracture.”
I give him a sad smile. “Yes, Doctor.”
He smiles. “Never a doctor. Just a paramedic.”
“Just a paramedic? How many lives did you save?”
“Not nearly enough.”
Connie comes running into the room. “Here’s the ice.”
I take it from her and then squeal in surprise when Spencer scoops me up into his arms. “You can ice it on the way to the hospital. I’ll drive you there now.”
“Um, Spencer? I’m still not wearing any clothes under this towel...”
Without saying a word, he turns around and walks over to the bed. He gently lowers me down and I swear his eyes turn darker as he looks down at me. He waits a couple of beats too long before walking out of the room. “Shout me when you’re dressed.”
As soon as the door closes, Connie raises an eyebrow. “So...”
“So what?”
“How did it really happen? I won’t judge.”
“I’ve already told you - my leg got stuck inside my jeans.”
“Before or after the dog ate your homework?”
“I don’t have a dog.” I pause. “Do I?”
She laughs. “No, you don’t have a dog, and that’s my point. It sounds like an excuse.”
“I’m telling you the truth. I was getting dressed and Spencer knocked on the door. I panicked and my leg got stuck.”
“Why was he coming to your room?”
“For a towel.”
“There’s a huge stack of towels in the bathroom...”
“I know. I said the same thing to him. Now stop with the interrogation and wait outside so I can put on my bra.”
“Be careful getting dressed.” She winks. “Try not to dislocate your shoulder or anything.”
***
“You don’t have to carry me anymore,” I tell Spencer a couple of hours later. “I have crutches now, remember?”
“But you’re supposed to be taking it easy and the car is parked so far away.”
“Which you did on purpose…”
He gasps. “I did not!”
“There was a space right near the entrance which you drove straight past…”
“I didn’t see it until the last second. Plus, it’s my duty to carry you.”
“Duty? What are you talking about?”
He smirks. “We’re married now, remember?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not surprised the nurse thought you were my husband. You carried me in and kept asking if I was okay every two minutes.”
“Well you didn’t correct her. And for all she knew, I could have been your brother. She could obviously feel the chemistry between us.”
“I’m sorry to break this to you, but just because somebody believes we’re married, doesn’t mean that we’re actually married.”
“That’s two people in as many days. You’ve got to admit it, Sunshine, we look good together. We may as well give the people what they want.”
“You know what I want?”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I know what you want.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yep.”
“So then you know that I really want an In-N-Out burger.”
He chuckles. “You could have anything. Anything. Are you sure you want an In-N-Out?”
“I’m one hundred percent sure.”
“Fine. In-N-Out it is. Happy wife, happy life.”
***
Spencer watches as I take a huge bite of my burger. “Impressive.”
I hold a finger up and make him wait until I’ve finished chewing and swallowing. “I’m not one of those girls who are scared to eat in front of a guy. And I’m also not one of those girls who gets satisfied from a carrot stick. Now stop watching me and eat your food.” I steal one of his fries. “Or I’ll eat it for you.”
“Did you seriously just steal one of my fries?!”
I take a bite as dramatically as possible. “You weren’t eating them.”
“Give me a chance.” He points to the ketchup. “Please can you pass me the ketchup?” As soon as I lean to get it, he swoops in and takes a bite of my burger.
My jaw drops. “I can’t believe you just did that! One tiny fry does not equate to a huge bite of my delicious burger.”
He copies me and holds up a finger while he finishes chewing. “I’m not one of those guys who are scared to go for what they want. And just in case I haven’t made it clear enough yet - I want what you have.” I’m pretty sure we’re not talking about food anymore. “Now stop watching me and eat your food.”
So I do…before he gets carried away and decides to take some more of what he wants.
Before I get carried away and let him.
Chapter Twelve
“I heard about your little bedroom accident…” Adam says when we arrive back at the house, winking at Spencer.
I raise an eyebrow. “I had an accident in the bedroom, yes. But I didn’t have a bedroom accident.”
“Aren’t they the same thing?”
“No, they’re not.”
“I also heard you were naked when it happened.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“So you were wearing clothes?”
“Yes.”
“That’s funny because Connie said your jeans were around your ankles.”
“Oh, did she now?”
I’m going to kill her.
“She also said that Spencer was in the room when it happened…”
“No. He came after it happened.”
He turns to Spencer. “You came? After she hurt herself? Dude, that’s totally inappropriate...”
I huff. “Shut up and leave me alone.”
He looks at my foot and smirks. “You’re free to go into a different room if you’d like.”
“Pass me my crutches and I’ll leave.”
After hitting him around the head with them.
“I’m sorry. I’ll stop now. All joking aside, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Whatever. Tell us how your audition went, idiot.”
He sighs. “It’s a shame…”
“Oh no. What happened?”
“A shame that all those other guys wasted their time today.” A grin takes over his entire face. “It couldn’t have gone any better. The director pretty much told me that the role is mine, and the author said I look exactly how she imagined the character to look.”
“Oh my god, that’s awesome! I’d hug you but it hurts to stand up so…”
“So I’ll do it instead,” Spencer says as he walks over and wraps an arm around him. I watch as they pat each other on the back.
“Alright, enough with the bromance,” I say.
Adam laughs. “Green isn’t your color, Cora. You need to share him.”
Spencer turns to me and winks. “Don’t listen to him. I’m all yours.”
My heart twists as a single thought runs through my head.
Mine to lose.
***
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Connie says as I wake up from an afternoon nap.
I jolt up and look around. “How long was I asleep for?”
“About an hour.”
“The doctor said the painkillers could make me a little sleepy.”
She smiles and holds out a plate. “I’ve been baking.”
“Finally! That’s the only reason I came,” I joke as I take a cookie from her. “Oooh, they’re still warm.”
“Your favorite.”
I nod and take a bite. “Where are the boys? These won’t last long around them.”
“They’re outside listening to a true crime podcast.”
“Together?”
“Yep. I’ve never seen Adam so quiet. I only heard a little bit, but it sounded pretty gruesome.” She places the cookies down. “I’m glad they’re out of our hair anyway. We haven’t had much time to talk.”
“Don’t you mean, you haven’t had much time to grill me?”
She laughs. “Same difference. What happened with you and Spencer last night?”
“I’m pretty sure you already know since you were watching us from the window…”
“But what happened afterwards?”
“Nothing. I went to bed.” She raises her eyebrow. “Alone,” I add.
“What’s going to happen with you two when you get home?”
I lose my appetite and toss my half-eaten cookie back onto the plate. “I don’t know why you’re even asking me that. You know exactly what’s going to happen. He’s going to carry on living his life and I’ll carry on living mine…for the next five weeks, that is.” I put on a fake smile. “Then I’ll forget all about him. The end.”
“But he won’t forget you.”
“Of course he will. He won’t have a choice anyway. Can we talk about something else?”
She sits down next to me. “Yeah, I’ve actually been wanting to tell you something and since we’re alone…” She trails off. “I was going to tell you yesterday, but you had a long drive and I wanted to make Spencer feel welcome and, well, I just wanted to enjoy the day with you.”
“Just tell me.” While everything amnesia-related sucks, the thing that worries me the most is my friends or family getting ill. If something happened to them and I woke up to the news that I didn’t have them anymore...well, it doesn’t even bear thinking about. “Is it to do with your headaches?”
“Kind of.” She takes hold of my hand. “Don’t worry.”
“You know I’m a worrier. You can’t say that to a worrier.” I take a deep breath and try to brace myself. “What is it?”
“Cora…you’re going to be an auntie.”
I stand up. “Oh my god! What?”
She gasps. “Your ankle! Sit down!”
“I don’t care about my ankle. You’re pregnant?”
Her eyes fill with tears. “Yes.” She rubs her stomach, which is still flatter than mine. “Thirteen weeks.”
“I can’t believe it! What about the headaches?”
“My doctor told me that it’s quite common. It’s something to do with the surge of hormones. I went to see him a few weeks ago thinking I would need an eye test or something and got the biggest shock of my life. I almost passed out. I’ve had some spotting which I thought was my period.”
I sit down before I almost pass out. “Wait…have you told me before today? Have I forgotten?”
“No, no, this is the first time I’m telling you. I wanted to wait and make sure everything was okay first. I didn’t want to confuse you…if you woke up and saw in your book that I was pregnant but then something happened…”
“Then I would deal with it. I don’t want to be sheltered. I’m still your sister. I’m the one you should come to when things aren’t okay. I’m here to help you through the good and the bad, just like you’ve helped me. Just like you co
ntinue to help me.”
She nods. “You’re right.”
“Have you been for an ultrasound yet?”
“Yes. Last week.” My heart aches. I always imagined sharing these moments with her. I’m not hiding it as well as I should be because her eyes turn sad. “I’m sorry you weren’t there. I didn’t know when I was going to see you next and I was so desperate to see the baby and check they were okay. I took the first appointment they offered me.”
“It’s fine, Connie. I totally understand.”
She squeezes my hand. “You promise?”
“Of course. It was a special moment between you and Adam. You’ll remember it forever.” I bump her shoulder with mine. “I’d have forgotten all about it by now.”
She leans her head against my shoulder. “You’re going to be a great auntie.”
Tears sting my eyes. “I hope so.”
“You will be.”
“But I’m so far away. I’ll probably miss the birth. And what happens when I forget what their favorite food is or who they’re friends with?”
“Then you’ll probably be able to find out on Facebook.” She laughs softly. “You know what kids are like these days, they shout everything from the rooftops. Stop getting carried away, it’s going to be fine. It will be a learning curve for all of us, but we will get through it.”
I nod and stare off into space. “So you’re going to push a human out of your vagina, huh?”
Spencer walks into the room before turning around and walking straight back out.
Connie laughs. “Come back, Spencer.”
He appears a second later. “All I heard was vagina.” He looks at me. “Do you need another heating pad?”
“What are you talking about?” Connie asks.
I wave her away. “Nothing.”
She squeezes my arm. “I need to go and make a few work calls. I’ll be in the office if you need me.”
I nod and watch as she walks out of the room.
And then I break down.
Spencer rushes over to me, looking genuinely worried. “Cora, what’s up?”
“Is Adam still outside?”
“Adam? No. A neighbor called him over. Why? What’s up?”
I grab my crutches and stand up. “Can you drive me somewhere? I don’t want my sister to see me upset.”
He pulls his keys out of his pocket without hesitation “Of course.”
We drive for about five minutes in silence before he pulls into a parking lot. He kills the engine then turns to me. “Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to.”