“I—” Her chest tightened. “No. I don’t.”
The nurse nodded as if she’d expected that response. “That’s not uncommon with head trauma.”
“Head trauma?”
The nurse patted her hand. “The doctor will be in soon to talk to you.”
She tried again to remember. But there was nothing—just blank spaces.
Panic clawed at her chest as she continued to try to reach for something that didn’t seem to exist.
The nurse turned back to her. “You have a visitor—says he’s your boyfriend. He’s been here since this morning. Said he got worried when you didn’t show up for work, so he started calling area hospitals. Are you up for a visit?”
Naomi didn’t know how to answer. She didn’t know what day it was. Didn’t know why her hands were shaking.
But she did remember her boyfriend. Gio Moretti. They’d been dating six months. He was smart and handsome and sophisticated. They worked together at Goldman and Associates—that was where they’d met.
Yes, she needed to see Gio. Maybe he had some answers.
“Yes,” Naomi said, her voice hoarse. “Please let him in.”
The nurse gave her a small, reassuring smile and then stepped toward the door. She opened it and murmured something to someone outside.
A moment later, Gio walked in.
Relief hit her first—sharp and immediate. Gio. She knew him. That alone felt like something solid in a room that wouldn’t stop tilting.
But the relief didn’t last.
His face was drawn and pale under the fluorescent lights. His tie was loose and his jacket gone.
He looked like he hadn’t slept. And the way he looked at her . . . it didn’t put her at ease.
He was concerned, yes. But there was something else underneath it. Something tighter.
“Naomi.” He crossed to the bedside, his voice gentle in a way that made her feel fragile. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried. I thought you might not wake up and?—”
His voice caught, and he stopped.
She tried to sit up, but pain flared behind her eyes. She froze.
“Don’t.” Gio placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Just stay still. You’re okay. You’re safe now.”
The nurse paced to the door. “I’ll give you two a few minutes. The doctor should be by within the hour. Press the Call button on the device next to you if you need anything in the meantime.”
Then she was gone.
The door clicked shut, and Naomi and Gio were alone.
Gio pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat. He reached for her hand, his fingers warm and steady.
“What happened?” Her voice was still rough, but steadier now. “Why am I here?”
Gio’s jaw tightened. He glanced toward the door then back at her before answering. “You were attacked. Last night when you walked home from work. Someone—” He stopped. Exhaled. Inhaled. “A stranger found you in an alley near your apartment. The police said—” His hand tightened on hers. “I know this is bad, but they said it could have been a lot worse.”
The words landed, but they didn’t connect to anything. An alley. An attack.
She reached for the memory and found only blank space.
