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Apparently it’s way past time.
twenty-eight
aden
“Aden, the railing is amazing.”
“It would appear even if my memory is toast, I can still do a few things,” I shrug, mostly telling the truth. At first I had no idea what I was doing, but I managed to figure it out as I went along. I can’t say I enjoyed it, but at least it felt like I was doing what a man should do.
“It looks awesome,” she says again. “I…uh… thought you might want a drink.” She hands me over a cold bottle of water and I hold it for a second, unable to take my eyes off of it. “Is something wrong?” she asks, and I force myself to look away from the bottle and to her.
“No, not really. Just seems… I can remember working and someone handing me a water before. Probably you, I guess,” I shrug.
“Yeah, probably. Have you done this before?”
“How would I know if I’ve ever worked like this before, Hope? You’re the only one who remembers anything about my past and if you don’t mind, I’d just as soon not hear any more of your stories.”
“I meant had memory flashes, and why? What’s wrong with my stories? You’ve asked about your past and I’ve just tried to—”
“Nothing is wrong. It’s just every time you tell me something new about the past I feel like I get my balls handed to me in a jar.”
“Come again?”
“Emasculated, honey. Every story you give me definitely makes it sound like I don’t deserve a dick, even if it doesn’t work. I can’t handle any more of that right now.”
“Oh…” she says, and that damn frown is back on her forehead. I have the strangest urge to reach up and smooth it out.
“Where’s Jack?”
“I just got him down for his nap. I wanted to check on you and make sure you stayed hydrated. This sun can be brutal.”
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
Hearing that she was concerned about me feels…strange. I can’t say why it does—it just does.
“If you want to go in and rest, you can watch Jack and I can clean the rooms.”
“We haven’t had any guests. Why would you need to clean?”
“Well, you like for me to change your sheets every day.”
“I make you change my sheets? Every day?”
“Well… yeah?”
“I don’t need my sheets changed, Hope. They’re fine.”
“But—”
“They’re fine,” I all but growl.
“Well, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. But, I am wondering something.”
“What’s that?”
“Why don’t I have a wedding ring?”
“What?” she asks, blinking at the change of subject.
“Babe, it’s a simple question.”
She blinks once…and then twice.
“I thought you were calling me Hope, or honey… Where did babe come from?”
“Trying a few out to see which I like the best.”
“Oh… Do I get a vote?”
“Maybe.”
“I prefer Hope.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.”
“Meaning you will probably ignore it?”
“Probably.”
“Figures,” she huffs.
“Babe? Wedding band?”
“Oh. We don’t have any.”
“We don’t have wedding bands?”
“No.”
“Why don’t we have wedding bands?”
“We just never got them. You said it was a useless expense and we didn’t need them.”
“Jesus. Why in the Hell did you ever marry me, Hope?”
“Aden, you will not believe the times I’ve been asking myself that lately.”
I grunt in response, because really what can you say to that.
“How did we get together?”
She blinks again. Once. Twice. That has to be some kind of nervous habit of hers. I take note of it and wait for her to answer. It doesn’t take but a minute, and I find myself regretting I ever asked.
“We were drunk and slept together.”
“Come again?”
“Well, more accurately, you were drunk. I was drugged.”
“What the fuck?”
“What?” she cries, startled.
“Are you saying I drugged you?”
“Oh no. Of course not. I took some asthma medication and it was new. Plus, I had been sick, so the doctor had me on medicine for that, too. They interacted somehow and…”
“I took advantage of you?”
“Well… I wouldn’t say that. I mean, if I had been more awake maybe you wouldn’t have gotten as far as you did, but…”
“Fucking hell, I fucked you while you were sleeping?”
“What? Of course not. You did get the ball rolling though. Once I got alert though, I was enjoying it too much to stop…”
“Wait. Babe hold up. How the hell did I get you going while you were asleep? Did I do you in the middle of a bar somewhere?”
“Oh no… it was a bed.”
“How? How did I get in your bed?”
“Oh…”
Again she blinks twice. Is it a nervous habit?
“I fell asleep without locking the door to my room at the motel I was staying at. You were so drunk you thought it was your room. You came inside… things got out of hand, really. No one should be blamed. I mean, least of all me who fell asleep innocently! It’s not like I was looking to seduce you.”
“Jesus H. Christ.”
“If it makes you feel better, you were really good at it.”
