I walk up and plant a kiss on his lips. “Let’s hurry. I really want to get you alone.”
A crooked smile forms on his lips. “Demanding.”
“Uh-huh.”
We go inside and find a spot on the bleachers next to the ice where a graceful young brunette is skating.
“Do it again. Higher!” an older man yells from the sidelines.
“Is that her?” I ask quietly.
Marus glances at his phone. There’s a picture of the same woman on it. “Yes.”
“Do you know enough about ice-skating to gauge how good she is?”
“Of course. Otherwise, I would have sent someone else with the right expertise.”
I squeeze his arm affectionately. “You’re a man of many surprising talents.”
He stares at the woman, completely focused on her every move. “My sister used to ice-skate. Started when she was four and went all the way through college. She was obsessed.”
I turn toward him. Wait. Is that a detail Rebecca told him about or one he remembers? Because it was a pretty damned specific statement—the kind a person might say when they’re sharing a memory, not a story they were told. “Your sister? You mean Rebecca?”
Like he doesn’t hear me, he points to the ice-skater. “She’s pretty good.”
“Marus.” I give his arm a little jostle to grab his attention. “You just said your sister ice-skated.”
“No, I didn’t.” He’s dead serious.
Someone’s brain just had a hiccup, and it wasn’t mine. “Then what did you say?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t. Knowing that he doesn’t want to remember. But I can’t help myself. If those memories are there, what’s to stop them from popping in? And what would it mean for him? For us? I don’t know if Mason would love me the same way Marus does. Will I love him?
I suddenly hear a scream and a thump! I look across the ice at the woman, Rachel, who’s lying on her back. There’s a streak of blood next to her head.
“Call an ambulance,” Marus orders.
“Ohmygod.” I dig my phone out and do just that. “Hello?” I start talking to the 911 operator while Marus is running slash sliding across the ice, removing his jacket. The woman’s trainer is already halfway to her.
“Yes, yes,” I say to the woman on the phone. “She has a head injury, and we’re at Goldie’s Ice Rink.” I glance up just as Marus falls a few feet from the ice-skater. He flies straight back and hits hard, the back of his head landing first. He’s not moving.
“No. No, no, no,” I mutter. “Send two ambulances.” I drop my phone and scramble onto the ice. It’s slippery as hell, but at least I’m wearing tennis shoes with a little bit of stick. I carefully get to him and kneel.
“Marus! Marus! Can you hear me?” But he’s out cold.
The trainer tells me not to move him. Meanwhile, our ice-skater is groaning and rolling to her side. The trainer is trying to press his hands over the cut on her head.
But Marus? He’s barely breathing, and all I can do is cry. “No, no, no. Please no.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
This feels like a dream. A very bad one. I’m sitting in the ER’s waiting room, not knowing what’s going on with Marus. They won’t tell me anything.
“Ginnie?” Rebecca rushes in, wearing jeans, a dark coat and a white cashmere hat that goes with her white boots.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know who else to call.” I jump to my feet, completely hysterical. “He ran out on the ice to help this woman and hit his head and the ambulance took him and it’s been over three hours—”
“Okay. Let me see what I can find out. I’ll be right back.” She goes up to the counter, and the nurse buzzes her right in.
I cross my arms and pace the length of the room. Twenty minutes go by, and then I hear a commotion. Two security guards run in. The nurse buzzes them back, and I hear screaming. More screaming.
Ohmygod. I rush back to see what’s happening.
Rebecca is on the floor facedown, being zip-tied. I overhear one of the nurses say she caught her trying to strangle Marus.
Why? Why would she do that? Anger rushes through me, only eclipsed by my worry for Marus, who’s sitting up on the gurney with his feet on the floor. A male nurse is holding Marus in place.
Oh shit. “Marus, what’s happening?”
“I didn’t do anything!” Rebecca yells, bucking against the two security guards. “Get off me. He’s a liar!”
I stand back as the two men pick her up and drag her out. I assume the police are on their way.
“Marus? What’s going on? Are you okay?” I pant from the adrenaline.
He looks up, and something in his eyes tells me he’s anything but okay. “Get the fuck out of here.”
My mouth kind of flaps for a moment. “What’s going on?”
The male nurse starts shuffling me out.