Chapter 25 (Mandy)

His words cut through me like a knife.

What did he mean?

“Jasper… I don’t understand.”

He tried to sit up.

“No. Don’t do that.” I placed my hand on his chest, keeping him in place. “If you want I can call a nurse and she can help you get more comfortable.”

He nodded.

Even though I wanted to ask him a million and one questions, I decided to hold onto them for the moment. His well-being was more important.

I called the nurse who walked into the room with a smile. “How are you feeling?” She asked, already grabbing a few extra pillows to prop behind his back. “We’re happy to see you awake. When I’m done here, I’ll let the doctor know you’re up. He’ll want to see you.”

Jasper nodded but I could tell that he was in a fog. His eyes were glazed over, and his eyebrows pushed together in the desperate attempt to remember.

Had he really lost his memory? Had he truly forgotten about me? It pained me to think about it.

This was the man that I loved. The man that had saved my life.

How could he forget everything we went through together?

Eventually, the nurse left, promising to call the doctor and get Jasper something to eat.

The room fell into silence.

All the questions I had been meaning to ask became stuck in my throat.

He just looked at me, studying every inch of my face.

Before either one of us could say a word, the doctor stepped through the door. He carried a clipboard in his hands, glancing at it quickly before he placed it at the foot of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“Any pain?”

“No.”

“Tenderness?” The doctor asked, pressing his fingers against the large gash on the side of Jasper’s head.

He flinched. “A bit.”

“That’s perfectly normal.”

“He can’t remember…” I whispered before I could stop myself.

“Hmm, you’ll have to speak up, dear. My hearing isn’t what it used to be.”

“He can’t remember,” I said again but I choked on my words, tears springing to my eyes. I couldn’t handle this.

Suddenly, I got up from my chair and rushed out of the room. How could he forget about me? It wasn’t fair. Keith had nearly destroyed my life twice now but that wasn’t enough for him. He had to take away the one person that had finally made me happy.

In my hurry to get away, I ran straight into Andy. “Whoa. Where’s the fire?”

I shook my head, trying to get away from him but he held me tight.

“Mandy. What’s wrong?”

“Everything.”

“Is Jasper okay?”

“No.”

“What happened?”

I refused to answer him, still trying to get away from him. “Let go.”

“I can’t. Not when you’re acting like this. Tell me what happened.”

“He… he can’t remember.”

“What do you mean he can’t remember?”

“He doesn’t know who I am,” I said, shoulders sagging with defeat. “He has no idea.”

He frowned. “I feared something like this would happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before we arrived at the cabin… he was already starting to forget. It must have been that blow to the head.”

“ how can he forget about me?”

“I wouldn’t take it personally.” Andy sighed. “And, even though he couldn’t remember you, he still went after you. He said he could remember you here.” He took my hand and guided it to my heart. “I think he loved you, Mandy.”

Still, I couldn’t face the reality of this situation. It was too painful. Finally, I managed to get away, slipping through the doors into the parking lot.

There, the air was heavy with afternoon rain. I slumped into a nearby bench, hanging my head in my hands. This couldn’t be happening.

For a long time, I just sat there, feeling numb.

After Jasper’s collapse, I was tasked with driving him to the hospital while Andy handled the Hitchcocks. They were all arrested and were now being processed by the department.

I didn’t care about all that. All that mattered was Jasper and his well-being. I was so scared that he wouldn’t make it out of this alive. I had stayed by his side, just praying that he would wake up.

In all that time, I never expected this.

I never expected that he would forget about me. I replayed countless memories in my head. The first time I woke up to see his face. Our time together in his bed. Our mornings together in his kitchen. We hadn’t been together for a long time but somehow, it felt like I had known him all my life.

what was I supposed to do now that he no longer remembered me?

Did I start from scratch? Or did I try to make him remember?

I took a shaky breath, just trying to think things true but my emotions were making it hard to focus. I needed him and yet, the Jasper I knew was gone.

“Mandy.” Andy was standing beside me. How long had he been there?

“Leave me alone.”

“He’s asking for you.”

I looked up, my eyes wide. “Does he remember?”

He didn’t answer.

“He doesn’t, does he?”

“No.”

Tears ran down my cheeks. “Why did this have to happen?”

“Look.” He sat down beside me. “I know it’s hard, but you can’t just abandon him. If you love him as much as I think you do, then you’ll stay by his side even as things get hard.”

I thought about his words. He was right. This was just a trial in our relationship – something for us to conquer.

“I have to go but I think Jasper would really appreciate your company.”

I nodded, finally getting up.

“Good luck.” He said before disappearing into the parking lot.

“Thank you…” I mumbled. I was going to need it.

Slowly, I headed back to his room.

There, he was just looking at the TV screen. It wasn’t on.

As soon as I walked through the door, he looked at me. Even though there was a glaze in his eyes, I could tell that this was the same man I had fallen in love with. I smiled and sat down by his side, taking his hand in mine. “I know you don’t remember but I still want you to know that I’m here for you and that… I love you.”

He looked at me for a long time before he squeezed my hand. “I don’t remember what happened but I know, deep in my heart, that I love you too, Mandy.”