Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Josy
Istepped out of Noah’s room at lunchtime, my stomach growling loud enough to make staying impossible.
No one could bring me lunch today, and as much as I hated leaving his side, I knew I needed to eat.
The hospital cafeteria wasn’t exactly inviting, but it offered something I desperately needed. A change of scenery.
For the past seven days, I’d been holed up in Noah’s room, surrounded by the rhythmic beeping of monitors and the sterile scent of antiseptic.
I hadn’t realized how suffocating it was until I stepped away.
Seeing him asleep, still and unresponsive, day after day, was eating me alive.
The uncertainty was a weight on my chest that no amount of tears, prayers, or pleas to God could lift.
I forced myself to eat, though every bite felt like a chore. My mind remained tethered to him, counting the minutes until I could go back. By the time I returned, I felt the same mix of dread and hope that greeted me every time I walked through that door.
Now, I’m standing in front of Noah’s bed, staring into eyes I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again. His beautiful brown eyes. They’re open, wide and alert, and they’re fixed on me.
The way he looks at me is as if he’s seeing me for the first time. His gaze is slow, deliberate, taking me in from head to toe. It’s not just recognition. It’s... something else.
The hairs on my arms stand on end, and a shiver runs down my spine.
Tears blur my vision and spill down my cheeks before I can stop them. I press a trembling hand to my mouth, overwhelmed. He looks the same as before, but better. Alive. Awake. And yet, there’s something in his expression that sends a ripple of unease through me.
“Noah,” I whisper, my voice shaking.
He doesn’t respond right away, his brow furrowing slightly as if the name is unfamiliar. My heart clenches, the brief flash of hope threatened by the shadow of doubt.
But his lips part, and he speaks. His voice is hoarse, rough from disuse. “Hi.”
That single word is everything and nothing all at once. It’s him. He’s here. But the way he said it—tentative, uncertain—makes my stomach twist.
I take a step closer, my tears falling faster now. “You’re awake,” I choke out, as if saying it aloud will make it more real.
He blinks, his expression softening but still holding a faint edge of confusion. “Yeah... I guess I am.”
His voice, his presence—it’s a miracle. But the way he’s looking at me like I’m a stranger, makes my stomach twist uneasily.
“Who are you?” Noah asks, his voice soft but filled with genuine confusion.
My heart sinks. “What do you mean?” I ask, though I already fear the answer.
“I don’t remember anything,” he says, his brow furrowed. “I’m assuming my name is Noah since that’s what you just called me. But besides that... I don’t know anything.”
“Really?” Panic rises in my chest, and I force myself to stay calm. “Let me call the doctor, and we’ll see what’s happening.”
He shakes his head slightly, a timid smile curving his lips.
“It’s okay. He was just here and told me that memory loss is normal after injuries like mine.
He said it might take a few days or even weeks to come back.
” His voice softens, his expression apologetic.
“I’m sorry that I don’t know who you are. ”
My heart aches at his words. I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat.
I can’t believe he doesn’t remember me. My heart starts beating too fast, and I struggle to breathe, trying to keep the rising panic attack at bay.
I take a step back—I need to go outside and lose it where he can’t see me. I don’t want Noah to worry.
“Give me a second,” I whisper as I turn to leave the room.
“Wait, don’t go. Are you okay?” He sounds concerned.
“I’m okay. It’s just… this news rattled me, and I need a moment to think and calm down.” I try to smile, but my racing heart hasn’t slowed.
“I understand that it might be weird that I don’t remember, but I don’t want you to go. Sit and tell me your name.”
The way he says it—so calm—somehow soothes me. I can’t fall apart right now. Noah needs me, and I need to pull myself together. I stare at this wonderful man and nod before stepping closer to his bed, sinking into the chair I vacated earlier.
“I’m Josy.”
“Josy,” he repeats, as if testing the name on his tongue. A smile spreads across his face, faint crow’s feet crinkling at the corners of his eyes. Despite the pain and disorientation written all over him, the smile makes him look boyishly charming.
“This might sound way too forward since I just met you,” he says, a hint of mischief in his voice, “but by any chance... are you mine?”
His words catch me off guard, and I laugh despite myself. He looks so genuinely curious, his brows slightly raised as he waits for an answer. Deciding to play along, I tilt my head and smile.
“What do you mean?” I tease.
“Are you my girlfriend? My wife?” he clarifies, his gaze searching mine.
I arch a brow. “What makes you think I might be yours? What if I’m your cousin? Or your sister?”
He grimaces slightly, then leans back against the pillow, scratching his beard in thought.
“That would be a real shame,” he finally says, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips.
“Because you are the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.
When I saw you come in, crying, I thought, for just a moment, that you had to be mine. ”
I shake my head, laughing softly. “Oh, so as your cousin or sister, I wouldn’t cry after you’ve been asleep for the past eight days?”
“Well...” He pauses, a look of realization dawning on his face. “Yeah, I guess you would.” He chuckles, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. “Okay, fair point.”
For a moment, the tension between us eases, replaced by a flicker of lightheartedness. I watch him carefully, taking in every expression, every movement, as if trying to piece together the man I know from the fragments he doesn’t yet remember.
I stare at him for a few seconds, the playful part of me wanting to keep up the teasing. But his earnest expression, mixed with the vulnerability in his eyes, makes me give in.
“I’m sorry,” I say softly, the corners of my lips curving into a smile. “I was joking. I am your girlfriend.”
Relief and something close to triumph light up his face. His smile widens, filling the room with a warmth I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
“I knew you had to be someone special to me,” he says confidently. Then his eyes drop to my bump, and his expression shifts into one of awe and curiosity. “Am I correct to assume that the baby you’re carrying is also mine?”
I nod, my hand instinctively going to my belly. The gentle movement feels like second nature now, a habit formed from both excitement and comfort.
“Yes,” I say, my voice softening. “This right here is our baby girl, Everly. I’m six months pregnant. She’s due on June 16th. Does any of these sounds familiar to you?”
“No, it doesn’t sound familiar, but honestly, I’m not surprised that you’re my girlfriend.” Noah flashes a big smile before continuing. “Everly,” he repeats, testing the name with a small smile. “I like it.” His brows knit together as another thought crosses his mind. “And... we’re not married?”
“You should like the name since you chose it,” I say, shaking my head. “And we are not married. We actually started officially dating the day before your accident.”
His eyes widen in surprise. “Really? Why is that?”
I exhale, a mixture of amusement and disbelief filling me as I prepare to tell the story. “It’s... complicated. But I’ll explain.”
I settle into the chair next to his bed, leaning forward slightly as I let my hand rest on the edge of the mattress. Noah listens intently, his gaze unwavering as I recount how we become parents and an official couple.
“But then,” I say, my cheeks warming slightly, “there was this one day—well, let’s just say things happened before either of us fully realized what was going on. And a few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. That kind of forced me to have a conversation I had been avoiding.”
He tilts his head, a playful grin tugging at his lips despite the gravity of the story. “So, we accidentally made a baby before we even started dating?”
I laugh, nodding. “Pretty much. But it wasn’t as simple as that. You were amazing, Noah. You didn’t run or freak out. You told me you wanted to be there for me, for the baby, for us. And even though it took me a while to get over my own fears and stubbornness, I finally realized something.”
“What?” he asks, his voice quieter now.
“That I love you,” I say, the words spilling out as my heart aches with the weight of everything we’ve been through. “I love you for how patient you were with me, for how you showed up every single day, no matter what. You fought for us even when I was too scared to do it myself.”
His eyes soften and his hand shifts slightly on the bed as though he wants to reach for mine but isn’t sure if he should.
“And the day before your accident,” I continue, my voice trembling slightly, “I finally told you. We made it official. And now, here we are.”
A silence falls between us, heavy with the unspoken truth of how much has changed in such a short time.
Finally, Noah speaks, his voice tender. “Well,” he says, his lips curving into a small smile, “I may not remember any of that, but it sounds like I’m one lucky guy.”
I laugh out loud, the sound bubbling up before I can stop it. Even now, this man has the uncanny ability to make me laugh at the most unexpected times.
“You think so?” I ask, a teasing glint in my eye.
“One hundred percent sure,” he says, his tone certain.
“If what you’re telling me is true, then I fought to be with you—and of course I did.
Looking at you now, with how beautiful you look carrying our baby, I’d have been a fool not to.
The only thing I think I did wrong was waiting so long to make you mine.
That Noah was an idiot. Letting ten years go by? Unbelievable.”
I can’t help but laugh again. “Well, believe it. You were that stupid,” I say with a chuckle.
He grins, shaking his head. “I’m glad I finally pulled my head out of my ass and realized you were the one. Maybe putting a baby in you first wasn’t the most conventional approach, but if that’s what it took to get you in my arms, I’m not complaining.”
“You’re crazy,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I reach out and place my hand over his. My laughter fades almost as quickly as it came, replaced by the ache tightening in my chest. “But seriously, I’m so glad you’re awake.”
I swallow hard, trying to keep my emotions in check, but my heart feels like it’s splintering. He doesn’t remember me. The thought rips through me like a knife, leaving behind an unbearable hollowness. But he’s here. He’s alive. And that has to be enough.
I tighten my grip on his hand, as if holding on to him will somehow bring back everything we lost. “Even if you never get your memory back, I’m just happy you’re here.
” My voice cracks, but I push through. “Now that we finally have this chance, I don’t want to waste it. I don’t want to lose you—not again.”
A shaky breath escapes me, and I force myself to smile, even as tears threaten to spill.
“We’re in this together. Even if it means reminding you of every little thing we ever did or said, I’ll do it.
I’ll tell you our story as many times as it takes.
And if your memories never come back… then we’ll make new ones. ”
His smile turns earnest, and he nods. “I want to remember. I really do.”
“You will,” I say with quiet determination. A thought crosses my mind, and I squeeze his hand lightly. “By the way, I should call your parents and your friends. They’ll be arriving soon, and I know they’ve been worried sick about you.”
“Okay,” he says with a soft chuckle. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
His words tug at my heart—a bittersweet reminder of everything he’s lost and everything we still have to fight for. But in this moment, I focus on his smile, his warmth, and the hope that we’ll get through this.