Oblivion

***

“Hey sweetie.”

I looked up and smiled up at Co

He looked at the open journal and pen in my hand. “I didn’t know you kept a journal.”

“I don’t think I have recently, but I have flashbacks of me writing in one when I was growing up. I thought it’d be a nice way of documenting everything I was feeling.”

“That’s a really good idea.” The warmth of his smile resonated in his voice.

“Are you about to head out?” I eyed his briefcase and the small duffle bag in the hallway.

“Yeah.” His lips curled into a frown. “I’m sorry that I have to go to New York again so soon. We should be able to finalize this deal during this trip, so things will calm down a bit once that happens.”

“Don’t worry, Co

“You’re really amazing, you know that?” He walked over and kissed me; his lips were slow with intention as they seductively lingered on mine. I knew he wanted more from me, but something seemed to hold me back from opening up to him in that way. It was as if there was this stiff elastic band that inevitably pushed back his attempts to take our relationship to the sexual level.

“Have a safe trip.” I forced a small smile, trying to ignore the awkwardness that always surfaced after one of our sexual tug of wars. “I hope everything goes smoothly with the client.”

He flashed me a warm smile that complimented his chiseled face. “I’ll be back before you even start missing me,” he teased.

“I doubt that,” I responded back with a grin. I felt a little a

“Well I’m already starting to miss you, so I win,” he said between his quick-fire kisses on my lips.

The a

He chuckled as he hugged me goodbye and headed out the door. I knew he thought I was playfully teasing back with my comment, and in a way, I led him to think that way. But in reality, I secretly meant it as a snarky retort as I wondered why something as personal and emotionally-based as missing a person could be seen as some sort of competition or business transaction where there would exist wi

I pushed the voice of reason aside, unwilling to listen to it when my emotions were involved. It’d been a week since Co

“Well it’s true,” I heard my words echo in the vast empty living room. As much as I wanted to feel otherwise, in the last few days, I began to feel smothered and suffocated by the extent of Co

I let out a deep, troubling sigh, knowing that I felt more lost and confused about my emotions than ever before.

CHAPTE R SEVEN

It was the day before my birthday when Jim dropped me off in front of Varga Bar, a gastropub that served gourmet comfort food, craft beer, and cocktails.

As soon as I walked into the retro interior, I heard A

“Over here¸ sweetie!” She motioned her hand up in the air to catch my attention.

I waved and greeted her with a smile as I walked down the length of the bar to where she sat. Painted on the wall above the entire length of the bar were vintage images that were reminiscent of the famous Peruvian painter Alberto Vargas’s pin-up girls.

“Hi, A

She greeted me with a warm hug and contagious smile. “Did you find this place okay?”

“Sorry I was a little late. I didn’t get lost, but Jim insisted on driving me and we got stuck in traffic.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head, showing my slight frustration at the situation.

A

“Right?” I was glad A

“Yeah, that must be so a

I raised an eyebrow in amusement. “I thought we’re meeting for brunch?” I motioned skeptically at her drink with my gaze.

She giggled. “Honey, it’s a Bloody Mary. It’s basically tomato juice, olives, celery, and bacon, with just a dash of vodka.” She shrugged. “Sounds like a pretty healthy brunch to me.”

I laughed and shook my head. “You’re too much, A

“Besides I think they have food here.” She waved her hand casually at the menu as she took a big gulp from her glass. Then she flashed a devious smile at me. “But, as someone use to tell me, there’s nothing wrong with a liquid brunch instead.”

“I used to say that?” I was surprised by her suggestion. The bartender came over and set a glass of Bloody Mary in front of me.

“Yup,” she said between her giggles. “We used to have a lot of fun. You were the life of the party.” I saw a glint of nostalgia in her eyes.

“Have I changed a lot since my amnesia?” I was afraid of her answer, but of all the questions that had plagued my mind since I woke up from the coma, this question had remained the constant that seemed to overshadow all other questions.

“No, not exactly.” She cocked her head and studied my confused expression. “When we first met, you had just moved to Philly. As hard as you seemed to pour yourself into work, you also partied and enjoyed life just as hard. I’m not sure if it was your mother’s death, or if you were always like that, but you were really passionate about the idea of living your life to the fullest. You always said that your goal was to do something each day that scared you. It didn’t have to be anything big, but just something each day that pushed you out of your comfort zone.”

“And Co

She shrugged. “I’m not sure actually. After you started dating Co

I frowned, unsure of how I felt about how A

She noticed my unease and gave me a warm smile. “Well I wouldn’t say you changed per se, but I think you just got a little bit more serious. That’s totally normal and a part of growing up, Liv. You were happy and in love with Co