Unforgettable, Before I Let You Go

Who are you?

Wendy

I was floating in a warm darkness. This kind of darkness felt incredibly safe, like a beautiful memory I never wanted to leave.

Today was my eighteenth birthday.

I could hear the loud chatters of wealthy guests gathering downstairs. The grand ballroom of Allison's estate was filling up with life, laughter, and music.

I could smell the hundreds of fresh white roses my father had ordered just for me. I could hear the elegant sound of a live string quartet tuning their instruments in the foyer.

I stood in front of my bedroom's vanity mirror, staring at my own glowing reflection.

"Hold still, sweetie." Nancy, my nanny, murmured softly as she carefully tried to fix the zipper at my back.

"Hurry up, Habibti!" My father, Eren, called out cheerfully from the other side of my bedroom door.

"Just a moment, papa.” I sighed, shifting against something uncomfortably tight. "Nancy, wait. The zipper on this dress keeps catching." I said hurriedly.

I couldn't wait to run down those grand stairs and dance with him. I couldn't wait to officially become an adult and start my perfect life.

My father’s voice came again, "Habibti, hurry up! The whole town is already downstairs waiting for you! It's not every day you turn eighteen!"

"I am coming, I am coming." I told him from inside.

But he didn't seem to hear me. He kept calling me from outside.

"Wendy….. Wendy." " His voice sounded strange then. Like I was hearing it underwater.

The golden light of my crystal chandelier began to violently flicker and dim to darkness. The grand ballroom, the white roses and my beautiful silk dress started to fade away. The beautiful music downstairs faded out into an annoying rhythmic sound.

Beep... beep... beep.

I groaned softly, squeezing my eyes shut as a blinding light cut right through my eyelids.

"Wendy."

There it was again. But it wasn't my father. This voice was lower, deeper and desperate.

"Wendy... please."

I forced my eyes slowly open.

The bright colors of my bedroom were gone. The room was aggressively white.

And sitting far too close to me, on a plastic chair, was a man.

I blinked once, twice, trying to clear the haze from my vision.

He was leaning forward, gripping the bed frame.

He was breathtakingly handsome in a severe, sharp way. But what caught me off guard wasn't his sharp jawline or the perfectly tailored suit.

It was his eyes. They were the darkest shade of black I had ever seen and looking into them felt almost like drowning. They were filled with so much raw, desperate concern that it made my breath catch in my dry throat.

"You are awake." He breathed out.

I watched him stare at me like I held the entire world in my hands. It was the most intense way anyone had ever looked at me.

My heart immediately slammed against my chest.

Who was this beautiful, unfamiliar stranger? And why was he looking at me like I was his entire world?

Reed’s POV

For three days, I had tormented myself sitting across her, watching her lifeless body. 72 hours, I had listened to the steady beep of her heart monitor, terrified that she would never open her eyes again.

But now, as her dark eyelashes finally fluttered against her pale skin, I didn't know how to react.

“You…” I breathed. “You are awake.” I finally spoke.

I instantly braced myself for the familiar, icy glare she always gave me when I was in the room. I waited for the anger, the harsh words telling me to get out of her sight. I knew her hatred for me was deep and after the accident, I expected it to be worse.

But as her eyes slowly opened and found my face, there was no fire. No hatred.

She just blinked up at me, looking completely innocent and entirely lost.

The cold woman who had hated me every single day for the last five years was entirely gone.

It threw me entirely off balance but I thought it was because she was weak right now.

Slowly, I leaned forward. "How do you feel?" I asked in a low voice.

She blinked slowly, her brow furrowing slightly. "My head..." Her voice sounded weak. "It really hurts."

Without even thinking, I raised my hand, desperate to comfort her, desperate to gently brush the tangled brown hair away from her bandaged forehead.

But halfway there, my fingers froze.

I hesitated, terrified that she would aggressively slap my hand away in disgust like she always did.

I was so used to her flinching, so used to the pure disgust in her eyes whenever I dared to get too close. I couldn't bear to see her pull away from me right now. Not when she was so fragile.

Slowly, painfully, I lowered my hand and curled it into a fist resting on my thigh.

Wendy watched my movement. Then, she looked up into my eyes with blankness.

"Who are you?" She asked softly.

The simple three words were like a knife stabbing my chest.

"And... why am I here?" She added as she looked around the medical room with a sudden fear.

It felt like the floor had just dropped out from underneath me.

I stared at her, searching her pale face, praying to God that this was just the medication talking or maybe even a cruel joke. But there was no malice in her expression. Only genuine, innocent curiosity.

My heart began to slam violently against my chest.

"You don't recognize me?" I breathed out, completely stunned.

Wendy looked at me for a long, quiet second. And then, she shook her head.

No.

I swallowed hard, a nervous lump forming thick in my throat.

My mind was racing a million miles an hour.

She didn't remember me. She didn't remember the marriage.

“You…” I tried to talk but I couldn't find my voice. I couldn't even breathe.

My legs felt numb but I slowly managed to stand up from the hospital chair.

"I... I will go call the doctor.” I forced the words out and immediately turned my back before she could see the absolute panic taking over my face.