When You're Gone (Colette) novel Chapter 23

It wasn't that Colette regretted her past life choices. She still stood by her final words before disappearing.

"It's not perfect, but I don't regret my decision."

There was one more thing she hadn't voiced—if given another life, she would choose never to fall in love with James Zeller.

Back then, Colette believed she would vanish forever.

Knowing that James had sacrificed everything for her to have a new life, she resolved to leave him behind completely. She wanted this life to be hers alone, a life lived to the fullest for herself.

…

Colette stirred awake the next day in the afternoon. She immediately knew her location when she picked up on the pungent disinfectant smell, saw the white ceilings above her, and felt the pain on the back of her hand from being hooked up to the IV solution.

She turned around and found James by her side. He lay flat by the bed while sleeping uncomfortably. She bet he had a rough night sleeping there, judging from the stubble on his chin.

Once, she might have felt sympathy for him—or even been charmed—but now, her feelings were complicated.

The Grim Reaper had shared something else during their encounter: when James Zeller made his bargain, giving up all his future lives and wealth to share another life with her, both of them were supposed to lose their memories.

Yet James had circumvented this, keeping his memories and even crafting a love stone with both of their names, which explained their unexplainable pull toward each other, despite their lack of memories.

It was this interference that prompted the Grim Reaper to reveal the truth and return Colette's memories.

Coming back to the present, Colette looked at James, realizing that, in both lives, he always imposed his will on their relationship. He had rejected her love in their past life only to pursue her now, after she had moved on. He gave up everything to remain by her side.