Chapter 91

MARK

What an end to a perfect date...

My head still throbbed. I aimlessly walked around the house, restless and at a loss for what to do.

If only Giulia would understand. Argh!

"I am so sorry about this."

I didn't bother turning to look at Kenzo. "It wasn't your fault." I shrugged, looking through the balcony at the abandoned dining table. Such a perfect date. She would have basked in the happiness till the end of the week. I had great plans for us. This was just the first step to proposing.

I was supposed to spoil her throughout the month with outings and gifts-and a big vacation I was planning in Cuba-before going on my knees here, back at home, and begging her to stay by my side forever.

Why did the universe never allow my plans to scale through? Like, can I get a break?

"I need to sleep," I confessed. "It's been a fucking long day."

"Um..." Kenzo looked at the stairs, beckoning my gaze. "Do you think Giulia will allow you to sleep in the room tonight? She locked the door."

I sighed and started up the stairs. Shit, I just needed a good night's rest. Was that too much to ask for?

The door was locked. Unfortunately.

And when I knocked, no response came.

"Lia, it's me," I murmured against the door, feeling the throb in the front of my head moving to the middle. Fuck. I was going to sleep devoid of warmth because of a fucking stranger. "Baby, open the door... Please."

"GO TO HER!" she yelled from within. "Since you badly need a rando in bed with you, go to her!"

I wasn't even aware Kenzo had climbed the stairs and was staring at me with his hands folded before him. He looked... exhausted, just as I was.

How had this even happened?

"Lia, stop being dramatic, come on."

She heard me. Fuck, she actually heard me despite the whisper I dropped my voice to.

"Dramatic?! Do you call this dramatic? Just wait until the expiration of my patience." A shrill echo made me wince. She must have knocked something over in anger. Something steel. "Twenty hours, Mark! Twenty fucking hours!"

I stepped back, my hand slipping from the door. The hallway felt colder, and darker, as if it mirrored the emptiness growing inside me. I wanted to be the one to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay, but how could I do that when I was the one who had caused all this?

Turning away, I started down the hallway, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Kenzo was somewhere downstairs, probably thinking about how we had combined forces to destroy the perfect evening.

I headed down the hallway, needing to clear my mind. The weight of the situation sat heavy in my chest, and I found myself drifting toward the guest room where Judy was forcefully lodged. I wasn't sure why I was going there. But if she had to get better and quickly leave, I had to make sure of it.

When I pushed the door open, Judy looked up at me from the bed, her eyes wide and filled with something I couldn't quite place. Relief? Fear? Satisfaction? I wasn't sure. Before I could say anything, she was on her feet, rushing toward me.

"Mark!" she cried out, her voice trembling. She practically threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my torso in a desperate embrace. I stiffened, surprised by the sudden contact. Her face was buried against my chest, and I could feel her tears soaking into my shirt.

"Judy, hey, it's okay," I said awkwardly, trying to soothe her, even as I gently tried to pry her off me. But she only clung tighter, her sobs growing more intense.

"I'm so scared," she murmured, her voice muffled against my shirt. "I don't know what's happening to me. You're the only one I can trust."

Her words tugged at something inside me, but I couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling building in my gut. I needed to set boundaries, to make it clear that this-whatever this was-couldn't happen.

"Judy, listen," I said, pushing her back slightly so I could look her in the eye. "You're safe here, I promise. But you need to respect that I have a girlfriend-and soon-to-be fiancee-okay? This isn't appropriate."

She looked up at me, her tear-streaked face full of confusion. "But you're always so kind to me, Mark. I thought-"

Before I could react, she leaned in, her lips seeking mine. Panic shot through me as I realized what was happening. I put my hands on her shoulders and pushed her back firmly, shaking my head.

"Judy, no!" I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "This isn't right. I want you to get better through any means possible. You are not here for this." A bitter taste crept into my mouth as I realized that she was the reason everything was happening.

She stared at me, her lower lip trembling. "But... you're the only one who's here for me."

I stepped back, distancing myself from her as much as I could without leaving the room entirely. Did her brain go with the memories? Or she was just being stupid? There for her when we barely knew ourselves?

"Judy, I'm here to help you, but not like this," I said, trying to soften my tone. "You need to focus on getting better, on getting back your memories. And fast. We'll figure this out, but there has to be a line."

For a moment, she just stood there, looking lost and broken. Then, she nodded slowly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to make things worse."

I sighed, feeling a mix of guilt and relief. "It's okay. Just... get some rest, alright? We'll talk more in the morning." Even then, I felt like she was going to cause even more trouble.

Without another word, I turned and left the room, closing the door behind me. As I walked down the hallway, my thoughts were a chaotic mess. I knew I needed to talk to Giulia, to make her understand what had happened, but I also knew that explaining this would be anything but easy.

It would be morning soon. If only I could slow time down. Giulia gave me just twenty hours. The clock was ticking. Fuck!