Chapter Fifteen
Max flipsthe phone shut and places it on the kitchen island. It’s almost exactly forty-eight hours since the accident and the hospital have agreed that Hudson is fit enough to return to theresort.
“What’s the plan, then?” I ask Max. He looks exhausted. He spent most of the first twenty-four hours with Hudson at the hospital, then swapped places with Bryce last night. I had wanted to go with Bryce, but Max insisted it was better I stayed here. Although he didn’t say it, I know it was because Hudson hadn’t wanted me there. I am a stranger to him now, afterall.
He downs the rest of his coffee and looks at me apologetically. “Bryce is travelling back with Hudsonnow.”
“He’s beendischarged?”
“Yes. They’re confident he’ll beokay.”
“Thank God forthat.”
Catching my eye, Max sighs. “Louisa, we’ve decided to head home early. We’ve got a flight booked direct from Krabi to Heathrow early tomorrow morning. We’ve bought you a ticket too, but if you want to stay behind with Nisha and Calum for the next two weeks, you’re more than welcome to. This was supposed to be your holiday… I’m sorry,” he says, resting his hands against the worksurface and dropping hishead.
I step down from the stool and put my arm around his shoulders. “There’s no way I’m staying here. Of course I’m coming home withyou.”
He lifts his head and gives me a shaky smile. “We just want to get Hudson checked out by our own doctor. They said he’s safe to fly, that the physical side is okay. It’s just the otherstuff…”
Max straightens up and looks at me. He’s trying to hide it, but I know he’s worried Hudson’s memories won’t comeback.
“By other stuff, you mean his memory loss. There’s been no changethen?”
Max shakes his head. “Bryce said he still can’t remember the last few months. I’m sorry,Louisa.”
I swallow down the nausea I feel and grit my teeth. “I thought that would be the case. It’s okay, I’ll deal withit.”
Max grips my hand. “We’ll deal with ittogether.”
I nod tightly. “I’m going to pack, then take a walk to the shore. Will you come get me when theyarrive?”
“Sure thing, Icy,” he says, letting my hand slip fromhis.
I head into my bedroom and start to pack, feeling like my world is spinning away from me. Even though it’s beautiful here there is absolutely no way I am staying behind. Something tells me that not returning home with them would be a mistake. It doesn’t take me long to fold everything away in my suitcase. I zip it up and place it on the floor, then head out onto the sand. The sky is turning a beautiful dusky pink as the sun lowers towards the horizon. I appreciate the way mother nature has the ability to paint her own landscape. No man-made colours are more stunning or alive than what I see before me, yet this beautiful place will forever be tainted now with the crimson shade of Hudson’s blood and the lacklustre colour of his eyes when he had no clue who Iwas.
The sea water is still lukewarm, the heat of the day lingering in the surf. The humidity of the day is gone and it’s now a comfortable temperature. There are people further along the beach making the most of what has been a gorgeous day. I hear their laughter and I want to scream at them to shut up. Why should they be happy when my world has been turned on its fuckingaxis.
Standing at the edge of the shore, the sand wet beneath my feet, I contemplate the past couple of days. Four months ago, I was still living with my mum and dealing with the daily abuse she gave me. I’d been a shell of a person. Then I’d met the Freed brothers, and everything had changed. I’d found love, family, a home. Now that was in danger of being ripped out from beneath me. Well, fuck that. Memories or not, Hudson will not push me away. If he thinks for one second that I’m just going to walk away from him, then he doesn’t know me at all. I laugh at the ridiculousness of that, but I suppose that’s the irony, he reallydoesn’tknowme.
“Hey, Icy,” Max says from behind. I circle round, giving him a half smile as he stands beside me, entwining his hand inmine.
“It’s a beautiful sunset, don’t you think,” I say, knowing that there is a conversation about to start, knowing I’m not ready to haveit.
“Louisa…” hebegins.
I can’t look at him. The tone of his voice tells me he’s about to say something I don’t want to hear. He’s so onedge.
“What is it, Max?” I sayeventually.
“There’s something you should know. I couldn’t sleep last night worrying about how I was going to tellyou.”
“Tell me what,Max?”
“Hudson isdifferent…”
“I know that. He’s lost his memories,” I say, not wanting to hear what the difference is, knowing I am going to hate finding out what itis.
“It’s not just that. Somehow, the bang to his head has built up those walls around his heart again. I can’t explain it. He’s still the same man, but he’s just less… open. Less warm, I suppose. You brought out the best in him and, somehow, that softer side, it’s gone. The hard edges are back and they fucking hurt when theycut.”