The air in the private hospital wing was filled with the sterile scent of antiseptics, floral arrangements, and a sense of lingering sorrow, creating an almost tangible haze.
Camilla Brentwood stood motionless at the doorway, her heels firmly planted on the polished floor. Her fingers gripped the strap of her purse tightly, her knuckles pale, and her heart raced wildly in her chest.
He was awake.
After two weeks in a coma, Andrew Millers, the love of her life, her future, her everything, had finally opened his eyes.
But when Leo, Drew's childhood best friend, called her with the news, it wasn't relief that washed over her; it was fear.
Camilla had longed for this moment. She had envisioned it countless times, rehearsing the words she would say when he woke up. She imagined rushing to his side, tears streaming down her face as he took her hand and whispered her name as if it were his first breath.
But reality was harsher than her dreams.
She hadn't been to the hospital for three days because she had to attend a very crucial meeting out of town.
It was on her second day out of town that Leo called with the news that Andrew had woken up.
She had to call a trusted friend to help check in on Andrew.
She immediately took the first flight back as soon as her meeting ended the following day.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the room.
The bed was surrounded by the soft beeping of machines. Drew sat upright, shirtless beneath crisp hospital sheets, a bandage wrapped around his head. He looked beautiful yet weary and bewildered.
And next to him, sitting too close for comfort, was Tanis.
Camilla's stomach churned. Leo had given her a brief heads up on what was going on over the phone and she couldn't believe her ears!.
Tanis Harper. Her childhood best friend. Her college roommate. Her future bridesmaid.
And now her betrayer.
"Camilla?" Tanis blinked, seemingly surprised to see her. Her voice dripped with feigned concern. "You made it."
Drew's gaze slowly turned to her, uncertain and searching, as if he were trying to piece together a puzzle he didn't understand.
He stared intently.
Camilla took a step closer. "Drew."
His brow knitted in confusion.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "should I know you?"
A sharp pain pierced her heart.
She blinked rapidly. "It's me. Camilla."
Silence enveloped them.
Tanis stood up from her chair, placing a hand on Drew's arm as if to assert her presence. "Babe, this is the girl I told you about. She's been having a hard time since the accident. And is clearly obsessed."
Camilla's mouth fell open. "What?" she said, too shocked to react.
Drew remained silent, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to grasp something elusive.
"Camilla," Tanis said with a feigned sad smile, "you should leave. He needs to rest. The doctors advised against overwhelming him."
Camilla felt breathless.
She turned to Drew, her expression filled with desperation. "Andrew… please. What is going on? It's me Camilla, the love of your life. You were going to propose the night of the accident. You said I was your future."
Camilla saw a brief flicker of recognition.
Drew's hand twitched on the bed.
Camilla moved closer. "You have a birthmark just above your hip. You dislike olives. You talk in your sleep when stressed, and you once told me you believed in soulmates."
His lips parted slightly. His fingers moved.
"That's enough!" Tanis interjected, stepping in front of them. "You're clearly not well, Camilla."
Tears welled in Camilla's eyes, but she held them back. She won't cry here. Not in front of him. "Why are you doing this? Tanis!"
Drew shook his head slowly. "Why do I feel like I recognize your voice?"
Tanis tensed.
Camilla's heart raced.
She leaned in a bit closer. "Because you do. Your body remembers me. Your heart knows us, even if your mind has forgotten."
Tanis grabbed Drew's hand, pulling it into hers. "Honey, don't let her confuse you. The doctors warned about delusions."
Drew closed his eyes, clearly overwhelmed.
At that moment, Leo entered the room, pausing at the doorway as the tension thickened. He glanced between the three of them, focusing on Tanis.
"Camilla," he said softly, gesturing toward the door. "Can we talk? Outside."
She hesitated, her gaze fixed on Drew.
He opened his eyes again, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked. A spark. A shared history. A question neither could answer.
Camilla followed Leo into the hallway, her chest heavy and her mind racing.
"She's already gotten too close," Leo said quietly. "She hasn't left him since he woke up. She calls herself his girlfriend now. He didn't even recognize me. He only believe after she affirmed that I'm his friend"
Camilla turned to him. "We need to help him remember."
Leo let out a deep breath. "I agree with you. But it's more than just forgetting. Something feels wrong. It's as if someone is trying to keep him from remembering."
Camilla clenched her jaw. "Tanis."
Leo acknowledged her with a nod. "We need to be cautious. She's not playing fair."
Camilla inhaled deeply, feeling her life spiral out of control. The man she loved had lost all memory of her. Her closest friend had taken her place. Now, she was battling shadows just to be acknowledged.
But she wasn't going to back down.
Not this time.
Hours later, Camilla was alone in her apartment, holding Drew's favorite hoodie to her face. It still carried his scent, cedar mixed with a hint of citrus. Her phone vibrated with a message from Leo:
LEO: I found something. Let's meet tomorrow at 10 a.m. in my office. Bring anything that might help jog his memory.
She looked at the message, then at the box next to her bed, a velvet ring box, still sealed and tucked away since that dreadful night.
She gripped it tightly, murmuring to herself, "I will remind him of us. No matter the cost."
Later that night, Drew stirred in his hospital bed, sweat forming on his forehead. His hand twitched.
In his dream, he caught a glimpse of her.
Dark hair. Red lips. The soft sound of laughter.
He reached out through the fog of his memory.
Suddenly, a name broke free from his lips:
"Camilla..."
Tanis, lying next to him in the hospital bed, froze, her eyes snapping open in the darkness.
A storm was brewing