A knock rapped against the door.
“Doc?” Hawk. Of course. “You good?”
“No.” He groaned as he pushed to his feet. He took a minute to wash his hands, splashing cold water onto his overheated, flushed face. The man staring back at him in the mirror looked haunted. Desperate for answers. Wrecked beyond the point of ever coming back. He needed to find Mae. He’d spend the rest of his life groveling at her feet. Even if she never took him back, even if she hated him, he’d never stop apologizing.
Stone had ruined their future. He’d destroyed her. And she was still there for him.
Hawk’s eyes went wide as Stone opened the door.
“What’s going on?” His hands wrapped around Stone’s arm, steadying him. “You need me to call Jake?”
“My head…” Stone groaned. “The memories. It’s too much.”
“Come on.” Hawk’s steady hold continued as they marched down the hallway, and back into the conference room.
“Fuck.” Gunner jumped up from the table, grabbing Stone’s other arm and helping him onto the couch. The pain was still rolling through him in waves.
His friends moved around him, all in ebbs and flows that mimicked the pain running in his veins. What had he done?
“Call Jake. Ask him what the hell we should be doing.”
He’d told her to leave.
“Stone? Can you tell us what’s wrong?”
He’d put his hands on her. Hurt her. How had she stayed by his side all this time? Mae fucking hated him. She’d had to live with him, she’d taken care of him, she’d carried his child… and gone through the unimaginable pain of losing the pregnancy.
She’d told him, and there was still a little part of him that didn’t believe her. That didn’t want to. That couldn’t. But all that time… she really had done it with a heart that he completely shattered.
“Stone? What’s going on?” Sloane’s hand landed on his shoulder.
He looked up, only then realizing his body was wracked with sobs.
“I… I remember.”
Sloane nodded, and she reached behind her to grab a tissue from the box on the side table.
“Okay. Can you tell mewhatyou’re remembering?”
“Mae.” He choked on her name. “I fucking told her… I hurt her, Sloane. What was I doing? How could I think breaking her heart was the right thing to do?”
Stone’s head fell into his hands. The tears kept coming. “What the f-fuck is happening to me?”
“It’s very common for there to be a flood of emotions when people who experience amnesia get their memories back. Just lean into it. It’s going to be worse if you fight it.”
“I d-don’t have time… for this.” He sucked in a harsh breath. “I have to get t-to her. I have to tell her h-how sorry I am.”
Sloane nodded, her hand still steady on his shoulder. “Right now, the best thing you can do for Mae is to let your mind and body process this. The guys are still working. They’re not giving up. So take a deep breath and just listen to your body.”
Stone forced himself to follow her orders. One deep breath in?—
“CLEAR THE BUILDING! NOW! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!”
Sloane’s panicked eyes met his, and Stone moved, his training pushing everything out of his mind except his mission goal. Clear the building, just like Gunner was yelling for. The girls were all there. Same with the kids. Dolly. The Fords. He grabbed Sloane’s arm, jumping up from the sofa as he tried to wrap his body around hers as he navigated them both to the front of the building.
His eyes swept back and forth, looking for anyone who may need help, but it looked like he and Sloane were at the back of the line.
As soon as his feet hit the sidewalk, he started taking inventory.
