Forget Your Past

She woke slowly. Her crazy dreams made her groggy and confused. All night, they chased her, making her feel as if she’d been running backward, from the present to the past. 

Opening her eyes, she took in the unfamiliar bedroom. She was startled to feel a warm body pressed against her. The masculine arm resting on her waist was that of a stranger. 

Fear knocked out her breath. Who was he? As a matter of fact, who was she? 

She couldn’t recall her name, her history, nothing. She was a blank slate. 

Swallowing a scream, she carefully pushed off the man’s arm from her. 

He mumbled something, rolling onto his back. Peaking at him, she took in his messy black hair, sharp jaw, and wide, full mouth. Even asleep, she could tell he was handsome. 

However, none of that mattered because she had no freaking idea who he was or why he was in her bed. 

Was it her bed? Hell if she knew. 

He opened his eyes. They were a startling hazel, so light they were almost amber. “Are you okay,” he asked in a voice laced with sleep. 

She couldn’t answer, panic choked all her words. Plus, she didn’t have a clue at what to say. He obviously knew her. Maybe she could ask him what his name was, her’s too. 

“You look scared,” He said, reaching for her. 

She squeaked, clutching the blanket tighter. 

He laughed. “Don’t let that silly superstition get to you. Nothing bad will happen because we spent the night together.” 

Because I’m marrying this man today. 

Her heart hammered, and her mind raced. How could she know this when he’s a stranger? When she’s a stranger to herself. Yet, clear as day, she sees their wedding. It’s on someone’s property. There’s a lake, so calm it almost looks like glass. Behind is a massive forest, the trees beginning to change, their tips red, yellow, and orange. All day, rain threatens to fall but never does, and by the time the ceremony ends, the sun makes an appearance.

Like a slide show, another scene appears in her mind’s eye. This time it is her honeymoon with the handsome stranger. 

Flying first-class to France, the two of them holding hands at the Louvre, feels her disappointment at the size of the Mona Lisa, but loving the exhilaration of the wind whipping through her hair as she takes in Paris from the Eiffel Tower. Then the image moves to their hours at the boutique hotel, exploring each other as thoroughly as they did the streets of France. 

Followed by, a month later, they learn she’s pregnant. The news is unexpected, and the nine-months isn’t easy. She spends much of it on bed rest, and the baby comes early. However, she, a beautiful girl, will be healthy and happy.  

She gasped, “Am I on birth control?”

The man’s brows pushed together. “Since I’ve known you.” His eye squint as he studies her face. “Babe, are you okay? We should have gone to the hospital when you passed out yesterday.” 

“I passed out?” 

He sat up straight, nodding slowly. “Yeah. Remember that woman came out of nowhere, grabbed your hand, muttered something about dwelling on the past, and you collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut.” 

“Um, why didn’t you take me to the hospital?” Whoever this man was, he didn’t seem to take care of his fiancé very well. 

He laughed. It was deep and sexy. “Have you met yourself?” 

Apparently not. At least not recently. 

“You are the most stubborn woman I know,” he said. “You came around before my knees even hit the ground to check on you. You refused to go. Said we had to get our asses to the rehearsal dinner.”

He shifted closer, and she couldn’t help flinching. Her attraction to him didn’t matter. She was naked, and this guy was a stranger. 

Granted, one she’d have three kids with, two girls and a boy. 

Her heart clenched. She’d also have to nurse him while he went through three rounds of chemo when a spot was found on his lungs. Seeing him fifteen years from now, weak and scared, brought tears to her eyes. 

“Ashley, honey, what is wrong?”  He reached for her, but then seemed to think better of it and let his hands fall. “Tell me. Please.”

“I don’t know who you are. Or me,” she whispered. 

He scratched his temple. “You mean, like philosophically?”

“No. Literally.”

“You have amnesia?” Skepticism was etched in his every word.

She nodded. “I think so.” 

He glanced at his naked torso then to his lap cover by the comforter. She knew from waking with him pressed to her that he didn’t have on any bottoms either. He met her eyes, “This has to be awkward.” 

An unexpected giggle escaped her. “A little.”

He twisted around, grabbing something from the other side of the bed. It was her clothes. 

Pointing behind her, he said, “That’s the bathroom. I’ll close my eyes until I hear the door close.” His lids fell shut.

She wanted to hug him for his kindness. Instead, she jumped up from the bed, making a b-line for the bathroom. 

Once inside, she clutched her clothes, looking around, hoping to recognize something. Nope. Nothing. Not even the woman with reddish-brown hair and scared eyes staring back at her from the mirror was known. 

She tilted her head, fascinated to find that while who she was, remained a mystery, she could clearly see herself thirty years from now. Her curls that fell to her shoulder blades were gone, now cut to her cheeks and mixed with gray. She also had lovely laugh lines. There was a scar on her shoulder from a car accident. It was the other driver’s fault. They’d run a red light. 

Turning, she shook her head, wanting to dislodge the vision from her mind and figure out what the hell was happening in her present. 

Pulling on a wrinkled, knee-length nightgown, she called, “Is it okay for me to come out?”

“I’m dressed,” he replied. 

Opening the door, she found him sitting on the edge of the bed in a pair of black sweat pants and a gray t-shirt. It pulled nicely across his broad chest. 

She blinked slowly. How could she have lust-fueled thoughts about a stranger? Maybe because her body knew him. So did her future. 

Tired of thinking of him as just him, she asked, “What is your name?” 

“Noah.” 

“Nice name.” 

“Thanks.” 

They looked at each other and laughed at the absurdity of it all. When she caught her breath, she sat next to him. “Can I tell you something weird?”

His brow rose. “Weirder than this.” 

“Yup.” 

He slapped his hands to his knees. “Hit me with it.” 

“My mind is a blank when it comes to yesterday, and everyday previously, but I know everything that happens after.” She described their wedding, down to the tiny details of her dress.

When she finished talking, he studied her. An unsure smile tugged on his lips. “Are you messing with me?” 

Confused and a little annoyed, she said, “No, why would you think such a thing?”

“You tell me you have amnesia but you can describe your parents place and your wedding dress…” 

She sighed, closing her eyes and focusing on the night after the celebration. Opening them, she said, “You were going to surprise me. For our wedding night, you’d rented a cabin in the mountains.”

Noah’s mouth fell open.  “Did someone tell you…”

She shook her head, adding. “There is a hot tub on the back porch. We sit in it, watching the sunrise. Before that we lay on a blanket under the stars.”  Seeing the rest, her cheeks heated.

“Wow, that’s a bright blush.” He leaned closer, and this time she didn’t move away. “What happened?” 

“We make love under the stars,” she whispered.

He smirked. “So, I get lucky tonight?” 

“It’s our wedding night,” she laughed. “I don’t think you need someone who can see the future to tell you that.”

His smile faded. “But do we get married? I’m a stranger to you.”

She studied his kind eyes, thought about how he’d treated her since waking, recalled their future, and there was no hesitation when she said, “Yes, we get married.” 

He jerked back, clearly surprised. “Really?”

“Yes. I don’t know our past, but it is clear my future is with you.”