Chapter Seven #3
“What’s going on? You gave me a few details over the phone, but you look like you’ve been raked over the coals both emotionally and physically.” She flicked at a lock of his limp hair and tutted. “I hate to break this to you, buddy, but the wet look is not for you.”
Felix snorted lightly, thankful for the levity even if it was after a dig at his appearance.
“I wouldn’t mind looking like shit if I didn’t feel like such a big pile of it at the same time.
” He sniffed and looked up at Lottie who was waiting patiently for an explanation.
“You remember how I said Autumn was having memory issues.”
Lottie nodded. “Yeah, but I figured that would have cleared up by now. It was just a few details of the accident, right?”
“Not exactly.” Felix shook his head gravely, wishing he was delivering better news.
He’d kept most of what was going on to himself, both out of wanting to respect Autumn’s privacy and because he’d hoped her memory would have returned by now.
“She doesn’t remember anything, Lottie.” Her eyes widened and he could see her mind spinning with about a thousand questions, but he held up a hand.
Lottie pinched her lips together, as if that would ever dispel her curiosity.
The look was almost comical and Felix would laugh if he didn’t also feel another crying jag coming on.
“She remembers her name and a few other things, but other than that, nothing. She doesn’t remember me, this town, her life before the accident. Nothing.”
Felix swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked back more tears. Lottie’s brow furrowed as she collapsed onto the couch. “So she has no idea that the two of you were about to..?” At Felix’s head shake, she placed her hand over his. “I’m so sorry, Felix.”
“Yeah,” he croaked. “I just needed to get out of there. I keep looking at her and hoping that she’ll remember me, but she hasn’t. And she likes hot sauce now, and salad dressing. What if....what if...” Felix trailed off, unable to even voice allowed his biggest fear.
Lottie squeezed his hand. “What if she never remembers you? What if you lose her forever?”
Pain sliced through Felix’s chest as he absorbed her words, trying desperately to bat them away as if it would prevent those things from ever happening. “Yes.” His voice was barely above a whisper as a fresh round of tears fell.
“Oh, Felix.” Lottie sat on the edge of his desk and took both of his hands in hers.
Her touch was comforting, but it wasn’t the one he had been longing for the last few days.
“I’m sorry this is happening to you both, and I wish I could promise you that Autumn will wake up tomorrow and remember everything, but I think you know that’s unlikely.
” Felix nodded and wiped his eyes with his shoulder.
“But you can’t avoid her. That will only make things worse. ”
His lungs shuddered on a slow exhale as he willed himself to breathe and listen. “I know.”
Felix knew that he had to face this head on, but other than the occasional bickering, they’d never had a real fight before.
This wasn’t a fight, but the point remained that their friendship had basically been untested.
It had survived the distance of college, girlfriends who had been jealous of his relationship with her, and boyfriends he never thought were good enough, but nothing as big as what they were facing now. How did they come back from this?
“I just don’t know what to do.” Felix swallowed another sob, determined not to flood his office with more tears.
Lottie shoved his shoulder, pushing him back into the chair.
“Well, you don’t run away from her for one thing,” she chastised.
Pulling out her phone, she started typing furiously.
“I’m going to move my schedule around a little and you’re not going to step foot in this place again until you and Autumn are on more solid ground. ”
Felix balked at the idea of leaving his business in someone else’s hands, no matter how capable they might be. “I don’t think—”
Lottie’s raised brow silenced him instantly.
“That’s right. You don’t think. From now on, your job is to stop overthinking everything and just start spending time with your friend.
” Felix started to argue again, but she held up her hand.
Lottie was bossy on a good day, but she resembled a bulldozer at the moment, albeit a well-meaning one.
“Don’t think about what she remembers from the past or what your future might be, just live in the present with her.
Take her mind off of everything and just have fun like you two always do.
That’s probably the best thing for both of you. ”
Felix nodded. Lottie was right. He’d been too caught up in his head and in his worries. He needed to just be with Autumn and they would get through this like they had everything else in their lives: together.
“Thanks, Lottie.” Standing, he smiled at his friend and pulled her into another hug.
She returned it, patting his back gently. “You’re welcome.” Stepping back, she shoved him at the door. “Now go be with your friend. I have everything taken care of here and will call you with any emergencies.”
Nodding, Felix stepped out of the office and after a final nod of thanks to Lottie, he walked back out the door and over to his car.
He hoped he hadn’t already messed things up with Autumn by running away at the first sign of trouble.
Wanting to make it up to her, he smiled as an idea popped into his head.
She might not remember their tradition of drowning their sorrows in brownie sundaes, but that didn’t mean he still couldn’t make one for her.
Like Lottie said, it wasn’t about what used to be or what could happen in the future, but what was.
Right now, he and Autumn were starting over.
It hurt, but it was a wound that would only heal with time.
Time with his best friend. Time with the woman he loved.