Clara slipped back into her bedroom and headed straight for a shower. When she came out, everything on the table had been neatly put away. She noticed the shape under the covers, and with a soft smile, she quietly slid in next to him.
His embrace was comforting, warm in a way that made her feel at home. Her fingers traced down to the bracelet and ring on his wrist. He never failed to wear them, and that thought made her happy. “Are you ever going to take off that ring and bracelet I gave you?” she teased.
He pulled her closer, his grip firm yet gentle. “Not a chance. I’ll keep them on unless something really drastic happens. Otherwise, they’re staying put.”
Clara frowned playfully and put a finger over his lips. “Don’t jinx it with talk like that.”
He kissed her palm, his mood lifting as he promised, “Alright, I won’t.”
Lately, Clara had been feeling run down, and as she let out a yawn, nearly drifting off, he asked, “A lot of people have a thing for your old boss. If he starts hanging around you, would you ever second-guess us?”
His question jolted her awake. “Second-guess? Fall for Dylan? Have I lost it?”
Her answer was so immediate, it left no room for doubt. He went silent, his fingers brushing against the bracelet on her wrist. Sensing his unease, she reassured him. “Don’t worry, I could never like Dylan.”
“Why not?”
“We’re just too different, and he’s not my type. Z, why do you seem so concerned about him?”
His already low voice dropped another notch. “I’m just scared everything we have might be too temporary.”
Too tired to argue, Clara planted a couple of lazy kisses on his cheek. “Stop worrying about things that haven’t happened.”
Her eyes were closing, but she was wide awake again when he said, “Why don’t we just get married?”
Alarm bells went off in her mind as she sat up, realizing he was serious. “If you give me your documents and agree, I can get the marriage license sorted out quickly. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about losing you,” he said.
When she didn’t respond, his tone grew darker. “What’s the matter? Don’t you want to?”
Clara was silent. She had only wanted to date Z, not rush into marriage. The idea of marriage seemed too abstract for her, and she hadn’t even seen his face clearly yet.
Sensing her hesitation, he added, “Once we’re married, I’ll let you see what I really look like.”
She turned away from him, her back now facing him. Feeling a wave of anxiety, he hugged her tighter. “Clara, I’m scared. Every day, I worry.”
It wasn’t often he used her full name, and the tremor in his voice tugged at her heart. But with everything that had happened recently, she was overwhelmed. Maybe it was the amnesia, but she couldn’t grasp his fears. Their current dynamic seemed just fine to her.
“Z, let’s talk about it another day,” she murmured, eyes shut.
But he wasn’t ready to drop it. “It’s just a piece of paper. If you—”
She cut him off. “I don’t want to get married. Not to anyone.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a memory surfaced—a voice from the past.
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