Just One Moment

by Dena Blake

  Chloe glanced up at her with her deep-blue eyes and lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t even think about it.” Apparently, Chloe had the same thing on her mind. She chuckled loudly as Chloe sprang up and moved around to wash her back.

  Satisfied that her distance was due to the accident and not about her body, she tried to shake the thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t wait to get out of this place and back home in her own bed, where she could take care of the needs burning within her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Shay was coming home in a couple of days, and Chloe hadn’t made any preparations other than washing and putting Shay’s clothes back in the closet. She’d brought the list to the hospital with her to make sure she hadn’t missed anything or that Shay didn’t need something additional that she hadn’t thought about. She took it from her purse and scanned it.

  “Will they be giving you some bandages for your wounds?” They had almost healed, along with her bruises, but Shay had kept them covered to speed up healing and prevent her sweatpants from irritating them.

  “Some, I think. But you should probably pick up more.” She held up a package. “These are two by two.” She rummaged through the container on the bedside table. Someone quietly knocked on the door and Shay said, “Come on in.”

  Rachel came through the door. “Are you ready for your session?”

  “Yep.” She plucked the almost-empty roll of tape from the container and held it up. “Can you get me some of this to take home?”

  “Probably. We’ll grab some on the way back up.”

  “I’ll buy some,” Chloe said. She didn’t want Shay getting anything more than necessary from Rachel.

  “Rachel’s still going to be my therapist after we go home, because she does outpatient therapy as well.” Shay climbed out of bed and reached for her walker. “She might even come out to the house once in a while.”

  “What? Why would she have to do that?” Her voice rose sharply, and Rachel raised an eyebrow. She’d failed miserably at hiding her annoyance.

  Shay lifted her shoulders. “I kind of told her she could come see the beach. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

  She glanced at Rachel and smiled. “Sure.” The back of her neck burned like it was on fire. She didn’t want Rachel anywhere near their home. It only gave her more opportunity to meddle in things that were none of her business. She stared at the next item on the list. Toiletries. She’d have to buy those as well. Erica had thrown them all in the trash. She put the list back in her bag and stood. “While you’re in therapy, I need to pick a few things up and take them home, so I may not be here when you get back.”

  “Okay.” Shay went to the door. “But you’ll be here later, right?” she asked. She seemed to be walking incredibly well today. Maybe getting around at the beach house wouldn’t be as hard as she’d anticipated.

  “Of course.” Chloe smiled. It wasn’t such a bad feeling to be needed.

  * * *

  Chloe put the oranges, bananas, and apples in the fruit bowl on the counter, the last of the four bags of groceries she’d bought to unpack. There hadn’t been much in the refrigerator, and she’d thrown out what had been left because it was outdated. Now they had enough food to get them through the next week or two. Trying not to let her personal feelings get in the way, she’d even bought enough to have Rachel stay for dinner in case Shay wanted her to. Rachel was a great therapist. She had to give her that. Shay was up and walking fairly well at two weeks with the walker, much sooner than anyone had expected. She was truly thankful for that.

  She’d already washed and put Shay’s clothes back in the closet, but she needed to do her own laundry. She’d let everything slide since Shay had been hurt, and even though Erica had been at the beach house some of that time, she didn’t do domestic chores for herself, let alone Chloe. She started the first load and then went into the bathroom and put a new toothbrush in the stand. All of Shay’s things she’d boxed up were back in place. She checked a few items off her list, leaving everything else until Shay got home.

  She plucked another journal from the pile in the closet, lay down on the bed, and began to read.

  Is there such a thing as magnetism?

  Some sort of gravitational pull draws me toward Chloe. I can’t stop it. When she’s here—I want her. When she’s gone—I want her more. When things are bad—she makes them good again. When they’re good—she makes them so much better. It’s hard to explain the connection I feel with her, but it hasn’t lessened over the time we’ve been together. It’s only become stronger.

  Dad always said, some people come into our lives who change us. We never know when, we never know how, and we never know why. The impact can be minimal, or it can change your whole life. Some will leave you crushed beyond measure, but it may be worth it. Chloe is definitely worth it.

  Jesus. Tears flowed from her eyes, and she couldn’t stop them. Sobs followed close behind, and she convulsed as she fought to take in air. The depth of her feelings for Shay tumbled back, throwing her into a painful uncertainty. Shay had been worth it too.

  The doves cooed outside on the deck railing, and Chloe tossed the journal at the window. “Stop yearning for each other. That’s not real! None of it! She’ll leave you eventually, and then you’ll have nothing!” She couldn’t take their happiness. Not now, when her life was in such turmoil.

  She needed to keep her mind off the battling emotions creating chaos in her mind. She bolted up, gathered the clothes from the floor, and took them to the laundry room. She felt like she was stuck in a bad romance novel, only it wasn’t real because, any way she looked at it, she wouldn’t have a happily ever after.

  The journal lay open at the foot of the window. She picked it up, slapped it shut, and then stared at the stack of notebooks in the closet. The vault of information stared back at her like an evil blackmailer who knew all her secrets threatening to shatter her life at any moment. The guest bedroom would be a better place for them. Out of her sight, out of her mind. She picked up a stack and carried them to the doorway, then rethought her plan. Shay would notice them missing. She put them back in the closet, then pulled a few from the stack and hid them in the guest room at the other end of the house. She was far from finished reliving their romance through Shay’s eyes.

  * * *

  Chloe had been waiting at the door watching for them since her phone had chimed with the message from Shay that said they were almost home. She’d taken the last few days to arrange the furniture and remove the rugs from the hardwood floors so Shay would have a minimal chance of tripping and falling. Rachel had volunteered to bring Shay home, though Chloe couldn’t remember why the hell she’d agreed to that. She didn’t want that woman anywhere near her house. Their house.

  She met Rachel’s red Camaro convertible as it pulled up in the driveway. No big surprise. The car fit Rachel’s arrogant personality perfectly. They both helped Shay inside to the couch, where Chloe had set up some pillows and a blanket, which she adjusted to make Shay more comfortable.

  “What can I get you? Are you hungry?”

  “No. We stopped on the way and ate lunch,” Shay said as she shifted slightly to elevate her leg for Rachel to put a throw pillow under it.

  Seriously? She took you to lunch?

  “There’s a new little Mexican restaurant in town. Have you been there?” Rachel asked as she seemed to take in the room.

  “Yes. I have.” We both have. Many times. She battled to keep her expression friendly.

  Shay glanced at Rachel. “Did you bring in the chicken enchiladas?”

  “I forgot. I’ll get them.”

  “I brought you something. I thought you might be hungry.”

  Just that one sweet action wiped away Chloe’s anger.

  Rachel came through the door with the food. “Should I put these in the fridge?”

  Chloe took the food. “Thanks. I got it.”

  “While you’re in there, some water would be nice,” Shay said.

 
Chloe went into the kitchen, slid the to-go box onto a refrigerator shelf, and grabbed a bottle of water from the door. In the short time she was gone, Rachel had wandered out onto the deck and was leaning against the railing looking out at the ocean. She set the water on the coffee table in front of Shay, then picked up the remote for the TV, clicked it on, and handed it to her. “Anything else?”

  “No, but thanks. I’m kind of tired.” She found a crime show on TV before she relaxed into the couch and closed her eyes. Mundane background TV had always put her to sleep quickly.

  Chloe glanced at the deck. Rachel hadn’t budged from the railing, so she followed her out. “You don’t have to stay. I’ve got this now.”

  The deck creaked as Rachel turned around and crossed her arms. “So, this is the house she worked so hard to give you.”

  The hairs on the back of Chloe’s neck stood on end. Shay had confided more in Rachel than she’d thought. “Just what exactly did Shay tell you?”

  “That you’d always dreamed of having a place on the beach and she’d made it happen.”

  Chloe couldn’t disagree. It was all true. “It was a wonderful surprise.”

  Rachel ran her hand back and forth across the railing before she focused back on Chloe, pulled her brows together, and tilted her head. “Yet, you still cheated on her.”

  The accusation stunned her. “I think you should go now.” Why was this woman, this literal stranger, pushing so hard on this?

  “I didn’t see a single picture of you and Shay together in the living room and would assume there would be plenty, the way she talks about you. She’s going to notice that detail.”

  Fuck. She’d forgotten the box of pictures she’d placed in the spare bedroom closet. After they’d split, creating new art had been her first priority. She’d needed to make the place different, and seeing pictures of her fractured life hadn’t helped her creative process.

  “What are you going to do when she remembers?” Rachel asked.

  “When her memory comes back, I’ll deal with the fallout.”

  Rachel raised an eyebrow and shook her head slowly. “I have no idea what made you look elsewhere. You must be an idiot. That woman in there is pure gold.”

  “Got it. I’m an idiot. Now leave.” She followed Rachel to the door, opened it, and didn’t say another word as she closed it behind her. I am an idiot, but not for the reasons you think.

  She glanced at her watch. It was close to two o’clock, and Shay was awake again. “If you’re good, I’m going to paint for a little while. We can have dinner at the usual time, okay?”

  “We have a usual dinnertime?” Shay quirked up an eyebrow.

  “They run a tight ship at the hospital. Seven, twelve, and five. No exceptions.”

  Shay laughed. “Maybe we can go out to dinner later?”

  “Sure. If you feel up to it.”

  “I’d like to get out. Being confined to the hospital was driving me crazy. The only thing getting me through was knowing I was coming back here with you.” The smile on Shay’s face was beautiful.

  “I’m glad you’re home.” And part of her was. Chloe had missed Shay more than she’d wanted to admit. She wouldn’t be able to remove herself from Shay’s life anytime soon, and oddly, she was okay with that.

  * * *

  Shay had slept right through dinner, but Chloe had ordered in Thai and had a plate waiting for her when she woke up. After she’d eaten, Chloe had helped her move to the bedroom for more comfort. She scanned the room. The furniture had been rearranged. The bed was on a different wall, and the dresser was closer to the closet. Something else was different too, and she couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. Things were definitely out of place.

  “Why did we move the bed?”

  “The sun was too hot in the morning on that side of the room,” Chloe answered quickly.

  That was plausible, but she also noticed that all the pictures of her and Chloe were gone. Had she taken them down for some reason? Were they back at the apartment? No. She clearly remembered setting some up here. “Where are all the pictures?”

  Chloe hesitated. “They’re in the guest bedroom. We moved them when we painted last month and just hadn’t put them back in place.” She left the room and came back with a box, then began setting the pictures on the dresser and nightstands. “There we go.”

  The color of the walls was different. Before, it had been off-white, and now it was a light sage-green. Maybe that’s what was throwing her off. “Are my journals here somewhere?”

  “I think they’re in the closet.” Chloe opened it, and she spotted them in a top corner on the shelf.

  “Can you hand me a couple from the top?”

  Chloe reached up, grabbed a few, and gave them to her. “I’m going to go paint some more while you rest, okay?”

  “Sure. I’ll read for a bit. These may help me fill in some of the blanks.” She thumbed through the one on top, but it was dated close to six months ago. “What happened to the more recent ones?” she asked, but Chloe was already gone.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The week had been rough. Taking care of Shay while also working at the gallery hadn’t been as easy as Chloe had thought. Her only time to paint was in the early morning, and Shay had changed her routine to match hers, getting up every morning at the same time and even fixing her breakfast to spend time with her. It was so sweet and endearing, but also frustrating since she wasn’t getting any painting done.

  The journals hadn’t filled in all the blanks for Shay, and she’d continued to prod her with questions as well. This morning she’d slipped out early, packed up her canvas and paints, and taken them out on the beach. She’d captured a glorious sunrise, which had been difficult because Shay’s face kept popping into her head. Finally, she’d abandoned the painting for another day and rummaged through her supplies until she’d found a piece of charcoal and sketched the beautiful face she couldn’t seem to get out of her mind.

  She’d been gazing at the ocean when she’d felt more than heard Shay’s presence behind her. A cup of coffee appeared over her shoulder, and then Shay sat down beside her, pulled her knees to her chest, and buried her toes in the sand. Shay was still in her pajama pants and tank top, and Chloe could see the goose bumps on her shoulders, so she took the blanket she’d wrapped around her own shoulders and placed part of it over Shay’s. Her hand landed around Shay’s waist, and she couldn’t seem to make it move from there.

  “Thank you,” Shay said softly and rested her head on her shoulder. “It’s so beautiful and serene out here.” She stared at the ocean.

  In that moment, all seemed to be right in their world again. For a moment, anyway. Over the past few months, Chloe had felt as if she’d been tossed like a shell from the warmth of the sea and developed all these cracks for everyone to see. But Shay filled the crevices and ridges. I’m just not me without her. Even with its flaws, their connection was still strong. She wished the rest of the world would fade away, so they could fix the broken mess they’d created.

  * * *

  Rachel showed up for Shay’s therapy session on time as usual. She was a huge pain in Chloe’s ass, but she was a punctual one. At least she had time to prepare for the passive-aggressive battles Rachel solicited. After Shay’s regular exercises on the all-in-one gym Chloe had purchased for her recovery, their session had moved to the beach. That was fine with Chloe. She needed a little quiet time to plan her next couple of paintings. In the past, she’d painted from inspiration, but that had become difficult in the past few months. Once she knew what she needed to accomplish, painting had become much easier. She wasn’t sure if she liked this method, which made painting seem more like a chore than a passion, but it seemed to be working for the time being.

  The sight she saw out her window alarmed her. Shay’s arm was over Rachel’s shoulder, and she was helping her walk across the sand. She bolted from her chair, through the house, and onto the beach. “Oh my God. What happened?” She took Shay
’s other arm and pulled it over her own shoulder.

  “Her foot just went a little sideways in the sand.”

  “Do I need to take her to the hospital?”

  “After I put some ice on it and give her a massage, she should be all right.” Rachel didn’t seem concerned as they walked her to the deck and settled her into a cushioned lounge chair.

  Chloe’s anger spilled out. “You shouldn’t have taken her out there after a full session. You’re pushing her too hard.”

  Rachel’s hands went to her hips. “She was doing great. It’s just an unplanned obstacle.”

  “Can you two stop fighting for a minute and listen to me?” Shay’s voice was firm, and they both stopped talking immediately and gave her their attention. “It was my fault. I decided to race into the water. When the wave receded, the sand went too. End of story.” She flopped back into the lounger. “Now fix me.”

  “I’ll get some ice,” Rachel said and headed into the house.

  “I’ll get a towel.” She followed her in, took a towel from the hall cabinet, and met Rachel in the kitchen.

  Rachel had pulled the bag of ice from the freezer and started filling a couple of quart-sized Ziploc bags. “You know you don’t have to be here for these sessions. I’m sure there’s someone else you’d rather be with.”

  This was all too much. Before Chloe knew what was happening, she felt the warmth of the tears streaming down her face. She didn’t want this woman to feel sorry for her, but she didn’t want her to hate her either.

  When Rachel noticed the tears, she didn’t show the slightest bit of pity, not that Chloe had wanted or expected any. She just stared over her shoulder as she continued with the ice, waiting for some kind of explanation.