Authors: Tessa Dayne
In one swift movement, he had scooped her into his arms and carried her across the threshold. They had laughed about the gesture, her teasing him that as an actor he should have done this before. Surely, his roles as a leading man had led to romantic gestures such as sweeping a woman off her feet, she had said.
He had grinned at her and said no, he couldn’t remember a time in any movie where he had swept a woman he loved into his arms and off her feet. After dinner, he had created a romantic scene right out of a movie. Soft candlelight, a fire in the fireplace, the bed turned down, romantic music, a bubble bath, he had thought of it all.
It was all coming back to her; everything was falling into place.
There were still some missing holes, but she was recovering her memories slowly but surely.
~*~
Paige sat in front of a roaring fire, a glass of wine in hand. She swirled the red liquid around, watching it coat the sides of the goblet and slide back into a puddle in the bottom of the glass. When her phone rang, she reached for it, flipping it open without looking to see who was calling.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Sara. How are you doing? I haven’t heard from you in a few weeks.”
Paige sighed. It had been hard to talk to Sara. She knew everything that had happened with Jonas. Yet, no matter how much she had begged, Sara wouldn’t tell her anything.
“I’m fine, Sara. Just been busy trying to get my life back on track,” Paige said. “It hasn’t been easy. How’s married life treating you now that the honeymoon is over?” Paige asked.
“We’re doing okay. We’ve been back to work for several weeks now, so we don’t have the luxury of spending every moment together. It makes us appreciate our time together more. Speaking of spending time together, have you been spending any time with Jonas?”
“I’ve seen him. But no, we aren’t spending a lot of time together. He’s giving me some space, to try to piece my fragmented memory back together.”
“But you are spending time with Darren, aren’t you?” Sara accused.
“Yes, I live with him, Sara, so I spend time with him.”
“Have you remembered anything else since we last spoke? Anything about your time with Jonas?”
“Some. I think being at the cabin has helped a little,” Paige said, sipping her wine. “It’s been just what I needed, peace and quiet.”
“Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I worry about you, you know?”
“I’m fine, Sara, really. I will call you next week. I promise.”
“Okay, I am going to hold you to that. And Paige, take care of yourself.”
“I will, bye Sara,” Paige said, hanging up. Sighing, she finished her wine and headed into the kitchen to rinse her glass.
It was getting late and she was tired. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and go to sleep. She returned to the living room and banked the fire for the night. Turning off the lights as she went, she then headed to the master bedroom.
Entering the room, Paige turned on the bedside lamp. The soft glow of the light illuminated the king size bed. She looked around the room and sighed happily. She remembered coming here with Jonas, spending quiet romantic nights together. She slipped into a pair of lounge pants and tank top before sliding into bed.
Snuggling down into the warm covers, Paige closed her eyes and fell asleep, a smile playing on her lips.
~*~
March
20th
Paige spent several days at the cabin, relaxing and regaining her memories. She could remember everything, everything except why she had broken things off with Darren in the first place. And what had happened the night of the accident. All she could remember about that night was the bright lights and the cold air.
She knew that the first article about her and Jonas had been full of partial lies. Lies that they had agreed to tell the world to protect her and her baby, but she didn’t know why. Instinct told her it had something to do with Darren, but until she could remember what that was, she had to rely on what Jonas told her.
She had called him this morning and asked him to come up to the cabin. She hadn’t told him why, only that she wanted to see him, spend time with him. She wanted to surprise him with her news.
A car in the drive alerted her to his arrival and she headed to the window. Pulling aside the curtains, she smiled as long legs eased from the front seat. She watched as Jonas stood and stretched his arms high above his head, arching his back, easing the tension in his muscles. He looked good, his sandy blonde hair ruffling in the slight spring breeze. She watched him look around before reaching back into the car for an overnight bag.
Paige forced herself not to run to the door when she heard him knock. She let the curtain fall from her fingertips, smoothed down her shirt and ran her fingers through her hair, brushing the stray strands behind her ears. Walking to the door, she tried to calm her racing heart. Hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath, before opening the door.
The first thing she saw when the door opened was uncertainty in his green-blue eyes. A lopsided smile graced his thin lips and her heart ached. She wanted to reassure him, but held back, not knowing exactly where they stood.
“Jonas.”
“You look good Paige,” he said, tugging on his ear. “I was surprised to get your call. Is everything okay?”
“Um…yeah, everything’s fine. Come in. Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you on the porch. Would you like something to drink? I have iced tea and coffee, if you prefer,” she asked, moving into the kitchen.
“Iced tea is fine,” he said, following her into the kitchen, having left his bag on a chair in the living room.
“So, what have you been doing since you’ve been here in Chicago?” she asked, dumping ice into a glass.
“Seeing the sights, spending time with Darcy, waiting for you to call me…”
Paige stopped pouring the tea and looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Jonas. I know things haven’t been easy.”
Jonas glanced at her. “It hasn’t been easy for you, either,” he said, reaching for his iced tea. “I’m glad you called.”
Paige smiled and put the pitcher of tea back in the refrigerator. “I’m glad I called too. How long will you be in Chicago?” she asked, sipping on her iced tea.
“I have a week left. I have to be back on set by the 26
th
. My flight leaves for New York on the 24
th
. I was lucky to get the time off,” he said, sitting on the barstool.
“You will have to thank Augustus for me. I know it probably put a hardship on the rest of the film crew to let you leave.”
“I wasn’t focused. I was going to get someone hurt. It was better for Augustus to let me leave. Anyway, you are okay now, so…”
“I am okay, better than okay, actually,” Paige said, leaning against the island.
“Was there something you wanted to tell me?” Jonas asked her, reaching for her hand.
Paige stared into his eyes and saw the hope shining there. “Well, yes, there is. I…”
“You remember, don’t you?” he asked expectantly. “Paige, my God…you remember,” he whispered.
“Almost everything,” she answered, tears welling in her eyes. “There are just a few holes. Maybe you can help me fill them in?”
Jonas stood up and walked around the island to stand in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and searched her face. “I can’t tell you anything you haven’t remembered, you know that.”
“Can’t or won’t?” she demanded, shrugging his hands from her shoulders.
“Can’t…I can’t, Paige. The doctors said…”
“I don’t care what the doctors said, Jonas! Do you want to know how I started to remember? I read about you, about us, on the Internet. After that, the memories started to flood back. I remember so much, Jonas. I can recall almost every day from the time you ran me over in the airport until today.”
“Almost every day?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “What haven’t you remembered?”
“Why I broke things off with Darren and the accident. Although the doctors say I may never remember the accident. But everything else is coming back, Jonas. The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Square, Lucille’s Lounge, painting at the loft, coming here to the cabin, I remember so much. I just need a few more pieces to the puzzle. Please Jonas…”
Jonas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t Paige. Ask me anything but that.”
Paige sighed and crossed into the living room. She had hoped that once she had told him that her memory had mostly come back, that he would answer her remaining questions. Now she could see that Jonas would not tell her what she needed to know.
“Well, you drove all the way out here. I have chicken in the refrigerator for dinner and I made up one of the spare bedrooms…”
“Paige, I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but I am only doing what I think is best. If you remember anything at all, remember that I love you,” he said, crossing into the living room to stand behind her.
Paige turned around and placed a gentle hand on his scruff-covered cheek. She smiled weakly. “I know.”
~*~
Dinner had been a quiet affair. Jonas had seen the disappointment in Paige’s eyes as they talked. He knew she had hoped that he would tell her what the missing pieces to her life were. How he wished he could tell her what a lying, cheating snake Darren Armstrong was, but he had decided months ago not to be the one that turned her against him. Darren could tell tales all he wanted, the only thing he, Jonas, was guilty of was telling a lie to the paparazzi. Everything else he had done had been to protect Paige.
“Dinner was delicious, Paige. Here, let me take those dishes,” he said, gathering his plate and taking hers from her hand. “I didn’t know you could cook so well,” he said, placing the dirty dishes in the sink.
“Thank you. Grilled chicken Marsala with mushrooms over noodles is not hard to make. The salad didn’t take much effort either, Jonas.”
“Simple, but delicious,” he said, filling the dishpan with hot water.
“Jonas, I can clean up those dishes,” she said, adding the rest of the dishes to a stack by the sink.
“You cooked, I’ll clean up. Pour another glass of wine for yourself and go relax,” he said, washing a plate.
Paige poured some red wine in her glass and headed into the living room. Jonas watched her settle onto the couch, curling her legs underneath her. She leaned her head back against the pillows, her hair falling softly around her slender neck.
“Paige…when I leave to go back to Spain, I want you to come with me.” Jonas watched her as he spoke, judging her reaction to his request. When he saw her stiffen, he wasn’t sure if it was because she hated to fly or if she really didn’t want to go.
“Jonas…I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Jonas reached for a towel, drying his hands as he headed into the living room. “No, hear me out. You are remembering more and more every day, right? And if we are together, I truly believe you will remember even more. What better way to relax and regain your memories than to come to Madrid with me?”