I knew that was real.
“I—”
“Jay.”
“Stop calling me that!” I screamed, and Milo’s eyes widened in shock at my outburst. His fingers tightened on my wrists as I tried to pull away. He was surprisingly strong for someone so small.
“What? Why? That’s your name.”
“I don’t even know who that is anymore! He’sgone!He’s dead and gone and not even a fucking memory anymore because youforgot him!”I cried, unable to keep the words from exploding out of me. “I don’t want to be someone you didn’t want to remember.”
As soon as I said the words, the gunfire took over, and then I was gone.
Jay’s eyes went blank. He wasn’t in this room with me anymore. He’d disappeared into his own mind, and I watched in agony as he jerked and flinched andbeggedsome unseen force to stop hurting him.
‘You can call me The Forgotten.’
‘I can’t trust you, not after you forgot me.’
‘He’s not even a fucking memory anymore.’
‘I don’t want to be someone you didn’t want to remember.’
I’d already known we needed to have a conversation about why I’d done what I did, but it was so clear to me that it couldn’t wait.
“Jay…”
‘Stop calling me that!’
Shit… what was I supposed to call him?
I wasn’t about to freaking call him Patient 001, and I absolutely would not be calling him the freakingforgotten.
Baby.
I’d stick with baby; it was thesafest option.
Getting to my knees on the edge of the bed so I could cup Jay’s face, I rubbed my thumb tenderly over the scar on his cheek as he shook and quivered. He was completely lost to the onslaught of horrors I was sure were playing out in his mind.
“Baby, baby, I’m right here, come back to me,” I hummed, kissing him softly between each desperate plea.
“Follow my voice, baby… Can you hear me?”
Slowly, that horrifying blank look seemed to fade, and his pupils dilated as he was able to focus on my face again.
“There you are. Hey.” I smiled at him, brushing my thumbs over his cheeks again. “You’re back. You’re here with me now. You’re safe, okay?”
He frowned, his gaze darting around the room in confusion before landing back on me again.
“Milo?” he rasped, and I nodded.
“Yeah, baby, it’s me.”
“How… how are you—I thought you were gone,” he choked, and I shook my head, kissing him softly.
“You brought me back, remember?”
His eyes flashed, and I saw it the moment his memories realigned.
