Hearts Remember What Minds Try To Forget by Rex Wilder 28

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When I came to, a knife of pain split my skull. Every breath tore through my chest like fire. 

I tried to curl up, but hands pinned me down. 

“Ella, don’t move! You’re still on an IV!” A familiar voice, tight with fear, filled my ear. 

My eyelids weighed a ton, but I forced them open. The overhead light stabbed my eyes, blinding. 

I lifted a hand to shield myself, but my arm was useless–it rose an inch before crashing back onto the bed. 

A shadow leaned over me. Ethan. 

His brow was carved deep, his eyes raw with guilt and regret. 

“Ella… I’m so sorry. This is all my fault…” His words tumbled out fast, shaky with panic. 

“Sophia’s pregnant. That baby’s Liam’s only chance–we can’t risk anything. I… I didn’t think you were really drowning. I thought…” His gaze flickered. 

“I thought you were just… trying to get my attention…” 

I couldn’t take it. His excuse was pathetic, laughable. 

I shut my eyes. I didn’t want to see his face–once so familiar, now a stranger’s. 

The room thickened with silence, pressing in on me. 

Then–ding. A phone notification shattered it. 

Ethan snapped to life, grabbed the phone off the nightstand, and hurried to me, his voice almost pleading. 

“Ella, you got a message. I’ll read it to you.” 

But his eyes 

darted to the screen first. 

A text glowed bright: 

[Delta Air Lines: Dear Ms. Ella, you have successfully booked flight MF6589. Please check in at…] 

Ethan’s pupils shrank. His voice shot up, raw panic tearing through. 

“Ella! When did you buy a ticket? Why didn’t I know? Where are you going?!” 

I opened my eyes slowly, lashes trembling. 

I watched his panic, his desperation, and all I felt was bitter irony. 

“Just getting away. Clearing my head,” I rasped, my voice steady.“So I don’t get in anyone’s way. So everyone can breathe.” 

Relief flashed across his face. His tense shoulders dropped, a flicker of triumph softening his brows. 

Of course. In his mind, Ella loved him too much to ever leave. 

I was just sulking, begging for attention. 

Good. He thought I was finally being “sensible.” 

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“Oh, that’s it.” He smiled faintly, voice melting soft. 

“Going out for a bit is fine. I know I’ve put you through a lot lately.” 

He reached for my hand. My fingers stayed icy, rigid. 

“The doctor said no strain, no travel. You need rest.” He stroked my frozen hand, already slipping into plans. 

“Once Sophia’s stable, I’ll go with you. Haven’t you always wanted to see the Northern Lights? Norway, Iceland–we’ll go anywhere. Just 

us two…” 

He kept spinning the dream, voice alight with excitement. 

But when he looked at me again, my eyes were closed. My breathing was steady. As if I’d fallen asleep. 

His chest softened. Seeing me pale and fragile only deepened his guilt. 

Yes, he thought, he’d failed me. Left me to suffer alone. 

But with Sophia’s pregnancy secured, that duty would end soon. Then he’d have forever to make it up to me. 

The next few days, he barely left my side. He moved his work into my room. 

Every meal, he spoon–fed me, carefully to my lips. 

He ordered tonics by the crate–premium bird’s nest, ginseng–constantly delivered. 

He filled every vase with roses, flown in fresh, still jeweled with morning dew. He changed the water, trimmed the stems himself. 

He fussed over every detail. I let him. Silent. 

My gaze lingered on the roses by my bed. 

They were vibrant, brimming with life, as if they’d bloom forever. 

But the truth was already written. The moment they were cut, their fate was sealed. 

Just like my marriage with Ethan. 

The moment he betrayed me, it was doomed to die. 

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