“Oh, we’ll go slow,” Jamie chimed in. “I mean, we’ll take it slow.” He was beet red.

The doctor smiled and walked out, laughing to himself.

I clutched my stomach, laughing. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this frazzled.”

“Baby, you kill me. I wasn’t going to ask him that. I didn’t want to scare you, but I was going to ask him if we should be concerned about PTSD.”

“Oh.” My eyes widened as far as they could go.

“I don’t want you to be fearful of riding the subway.” As soon as he said it, I felt nauseous. I buckled over and held my stomach. He walked me back to the bed.

“I don’t want to see anybody about that. I was in so much therapy after my mom died. I’ll work it out in my head. I just don’t want to think about it right now.”

“Okay,” he whispered and then kissed my forehead.

“Did they catch the guy?”

“They got him. He confessed. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“I thought he was gonna shoot me.”

“You remember now?”

“A little bit.” Bits and pieces had been coming back to me.

We slept the rest of the day away in my hospital bed. When I woke the next morning, Jamie was standing near the window, watching me. He was clean-shaven and wearing different clothes. He held a bag out as he walked toward me. “Beth brought some things for you to wear home.”

“You guys left my fashion options up to Beth? She wears basketball shorts every day of her life.”

His green eyes looked clearer and his dimple seemed deeper on his shaven face as he grinned at me. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

Beth had packed exactly what I wore to the gay club that night she had said I looked hot.

Jamie closed the curtain and then took a seat near my bed. “Are you going to watch me change?” I asked. He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Come on, let’s leave something to be explored.”

“I have seen, explored, and probably licked every inch of you.”

“True, but seriously.” I looked down at my unshaven legs. “How long have I even been in here?”

“One week exactly,” he said. I was still staring, waiting for him to turn around.

“Okay, fine.” He stood up and walked toward the window to look out. “What should we do today, Katy?”

I slipped my jeans on easily and noticed there were about three inches of space between my jeans and waist. “Beth didn’t grab me a belt?”

He turned and walked toward me, studying my midsection. I was still wearing only my bra and jeans. He looked heartbroken. “You’re so thin. Christ, you need to eat.” He put his hands on my hips and ducked his head to kiss the swell of my breast. “Katy, please tell me you didn’t lose this weight because of me.”

Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I reached for my T-shirt and sweater. “I’ve had a rough year, Jamie. I only want to look forward to the future now. I don’t want to dwell on the past.”

“Well, the first thing we’re going to do is get you something good to eat.”

“Do you like grilled cheese and tomato soup?” I asked. He laughed and then kissed me deeply for the first time since I had been in the hospital. His arms tightened around my body, pulling me up off the ground. Our tongues twisted and slowed just before he pulled away.

“It’s my favorite.”

“Okay, I know this place, it’s right on the lake. We can take the red . . . the Red Line.” My heart started racing.

He tilted his head to the side and looked at me with pity. “We can take a cab. It’s probably better anyway. I shouldn’t have you out too long. We’ll eat and then get you home and settled in.”

“What about you? How is the diabetes?”

“Totally under control.”

“The two of us are quite a pair. Tonight I’ll give you an insulin shot while you dab Neosporin on my stitches.”

He kissed my nose. “Sounds like a date. You ready?”

“Yes, let’s do this.” It was a declaration of more than just my readiness to leave the hospital. It was the beginning of our attempt at a committed relationship. I’m not sure either one of us knew how to do that properly.

When we left the hospital, there was a town car waiting. “What’s that?” I asked.

“I thought a cab might be too bumpy.”

“Oh no, Jamie. That’s too much money.”

He turned and braced my shoulders. “Kate, I probably will never have to worry about money, and I don’t think you will, either. I don’t spend it on frivolous things. You have a major head injury and I don’t want you jolted around in a cab.”

I crossed my eyes at him and laughed. “Do you think my brain is gonna be okay?”

He pulled me toward the car. “Come on, silly girl.”

In the town car he ran his hand up and down my leg nervously. “I don’t think this is such a good idea. I should just get you home.”

“I’m not fragile.”

“Yes, you are. Right now, you are. We can get takeout and go back to your apartment.”

“Are you going to spoon-feed me, too?”

He turned abruptly. His eyes focused on my lips. Smiling he said, “Maybe,” and then he leaned in and tugged on my bottom lip with his teeth. “I love your mouth, even when you’re being a smart-mouth.”

“Well, now that I think about it, your plan might not be so bad. After all, you can’t very well lick food off my body in a public place.”

“Good point, although I’d be willing to challenge that argument. Just not today.”

I waited in the car while Jamie went into the restaurant and picked up our food. He practically ran back out to the car and slid in, scanning me up and down.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, it’s been five minutes.”

He gave my address to the driver as if he had said it a million times.

“That was pretty good, Jamie.”

“I have one of those memories.”

“What do you mean?”

He glanced up to the ceiling of the car, looking almost self-conscious, and then shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Oh, the genius thing? What, you have a photographic memory?”

“Something like that.”

“Tell me. I want to know everything about you.”

“Okay, well this sounds scary, but I’m what’s called a mnemonist. I have a mnemonic memory.”

“Sounds like demon possession.”

“Yeah, it feels like it sometimes.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means I can remember long lists of numbers or names. I also have an eidetic memory. That’s kind of like a photographic memory.”

“That must be amazing. No wonder you were able to breeze through school.”

“It’s a blessing and a curse. Imagine remembering every laugh line on your dead mother’s face.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m so sorry. I never would have thought about it that way.” I paused, trying to read his expression. “It could be the other way around. I wish I could remember what my mother looked like. It seems like the only memory I have of her face is from a photograph.”

“I think it would be easier that way.”

“Is that what you think?” I snapped.

He didn’t look over at me. He just reached for my hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed it. Staring straight ahead, he said, “I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”

We were in the lobby of my apartment building within an hour of leaving the hospital, but Jamie was freaking out still.

“Shall I carry you?”

“Are you kidding me? There’s nothing wrong with my legs.”

“I don’t want you to overdo it.” His arm was around my waist, practically lifting me off the ground. I wrapped my arm around his neck and held on.

“You said that already. I promise, I’m fine. I got bonked on the head a little. It’s not a big deal.”

“Katy, don’t minimize it.” He lowered his voice. “Do you know how many hours I sat in that hospital room not knowing if I’d have to watch my angel die?”

“Aww, please don’t say that.”

When we reached the elevator, I could feel another presence behind me. We entered and Jamie hit the button for my floor. Then I heard Stephen’s voice just as I turned to witness him entering the elevator after us.

“Katy?” He was testing the word. No one besides Jamie had ever called me Katy. He was wearing suit pants and a dress shirt, no tie. His messenger bag was slung over his shoulder. He must’ve been coming home from work. “Stephen?”

The expression in his eyes turned warm. I noticed that Jamie stood a little taller and angled his body in front of me.

“I heard what happened to you.” I nodded. “I’m really sorry, I know how much you loved the subway.” He looked toward Jamie apprehensively and said, “Can I hug her?”

Jamie arched his eyebrows. “That’s up to her.”

I reached my arms out and gave Stephen a hug. He held me with true sincerity and said, “I’m really sorry.” It brought tears to my eyes. I knew he was sorry for more than just my injury.

When the elevator doors opened on his floor, I smiled and said, “Good-bye, Stephen.”

“Bye,” he said to the floor and walked out.

I leaned back against Jamie. He wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“That was my ex.”

“I know.”

“You remembered?”

“I remember everything.”

“Except how much insulin you’ve given yourself.”

“I’ll admit, that was very unlike me. I was distracted that night by your transcendent beauty.”

“Oh, stop,” I said, and then sniffled. He turned me and bent down to look me in the face. “Are you all right? Was it hard to see Stephen?”

“No, that was good, actually. It’s amazing how nice people can be when they hear you’ve been in a coma.”

When we reached my floor, I stepped out and noticed Dylan and Ashley standing near my apartment door. He held his arms out. “Welcoming committee!”