Please, Remember The Bench (BY: Book 3)

Just Talking?

Lena's POV

It felt good to talk to Stef about some of the memories we have together. Talking about our weddings, and just about our love, our life... that was something that could warm my heart as much as it breaks it because we're not like this anymore.

She's not in love with me anymore... she doesn't see me as her wife, and I'm almost sure that if she had a choice, she probably wouldn't be here with me...

But I love her, I'm in love with her and I can't help it at all and sometimes... sometimes I wish I could because it hurts so much to love someone that sees you as a stranger... I never thought this would happen to me, no one thinks that something like that could happen to them, it's always the kind of things that happen to other people...

I have to face it though... and I'm not leaving ever. My love is stronger than that, and as long as I can make her stay with me, I will because a life without her is not a live that I want to live...

I didn't mean to sound so sad and depressed earlier, it just hit me when I talked about my dad... I haven't realized that they both had forget me, like it was two different things, but all of the sudden I realized that they both erased me from their life just like that... it wasn't their fault, yet it hurts like hell and I just... I just wish I could have my life back... those time when I was so damn happy...

As we drive home after Stef's physical therapy session, I tried to make her talk about how she's doing and stuff like that to avoid the topic of our past because I had enough for the day... I love talking about it, but it hurt so bad at the same time that I needed a break.

Unfortunately, that wasn't happening since the second we got home, I saw a familiar face that I didn't wish to see again, on our doorstep... Tess.

What the hell is she doing here anyway? And how would Stef react?

"Who's that?" Stef ask as I was parking the car, trying to see better who it was.

"That's... that's Tess..." I say, almost praying that she wouldn't remember her. It was bad of me to wish that, but fuck, I'm sick of being the invisible one in her life.

"Tess? As Tess Brown?" she asks... of course she remember her...

"Yeah, that's her..." I say more annoyed than ever.

"Oh my God! I need to go say hi, what is she doing here?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." I say, very much fade up at this point.

Tess then saw us and especially Stef in the car and literally run to her door, opening it as if she had seen God.

"Stef! Oh my God! I was so worried! You said you would call me back, and I called and called, and you didn't answer and now your neighbor just told me you got into a bad accident, are you okay?" she blurts out all at once, completely ignoring me.

"Yeah I... I'm fine... I... well... I... I don't remember much so I... I'm sorry, but wow... did we... did we keep in contact after high school or.... I mean I'm confused..." Stef says as Tess now looks at me, confused herself.

"What do you mean you don't remember? We were neighbor, we... I mean..." she says as she switches looking at me and Stef as now, I just got out of the car to help Stef get out as well, for this is going to take time to explain, even though I don't want to explain anything to that woman.

"Because of her accident Stef's memory stops in 2002, she doesn't remember anything after that." I say clearly annoyed by her presence, and I didn't hide it in my ton of voice. She should know better than show her face here, because when Stef said that she almost cheated on me, I'm almost sure that it was with her.

"What? So she... she doesn't remember... she doesn't remember you?" She says as at that I just want to smack her face because it's almost like she's finding that situation convenient.

"I don't... I just remember being married to Mike, but I... I remember you, I didn't forget high school... I... we never saw each other again after that... I mean apparently we did but, I don't remember so I... I mean what do you do now?" Stef asks, completely fascinated by her, and I literally want to yell, for the rage and jealousy I feel right now is completely insane.

"I'm an ortho surgeon but wait... wait a second. Lena? Why didn't you told me that Stef got into an accident, it's been almost months, I was worried, I didn't stop calling her!" she has the nerve to say to me and God give me some patience because I'm going to lose it soon.

"Stef's phone broke during the accident, so I didn't know you were calling her. Beside I had other things in my mind more important than calling you Tess." I say frankly.

"I know but... come on, you could have at least let me know. She's my friend, and we were talking just like the day before... I mean how could you let me wonder like that?" she says as I was going to go off on her, I really was.

"Oh yeah? Just talking? You're sure about that? I'm telling you Tess, you better watch your behavior because she might not remember that she's MY wife, but you better not forget it!" I warn for she wasn't going to cause trouble in my marriage again, I won't fucking let her, for I have a lot of anger these days, and I won't mind having someone to discharging it on.

"Wow, hey, what's happening here?" Stef asks now as I look right into her eyes, and I can't believe she's looking at me as if I'm in the wrong here.

"Nothing Stef... it's okay, Lena is just very protective of you, we had some disagreement in the past that's all, but everything is fine now." Tess says as I watch her dead in the face trying with everything in me not to hit her and kick her ass out of my property.

"Well... then in that case, why don't you come inside, so we can catch up, I have time, come on." Stef says as I'm so against it.

"I'm sure she has other things to do." I say, not looking away from her for anything.

"Hum... Lena this is my house too, so if I want my friend to come inside, she will come inside." Stef dares say to me, and I'm going to grill her ass when Tess will go.

"Stef, I'm a little busy today, I just wanted to make sure that you were fine. But here's my number. We can catch up later, okay?" Tess says, acting like the better person when I know she's just placing her pawns.

"Are you sure?" Stef insist and I hate it, right this moment I hate that she's doing this.

"Yes, I am. Don't worry, I promise we'll see each other." Tess says as I continue to glare hard at her.

"Okay, okay... looking forward to it." Stef says as I just want to scream at her right now.

With that, Tess smiles at her and then looks at me.

"See you soon Lena." she says as I didn't respond to her at all. I don't like that woman at all as she then turns around and walk away while Stef is literally watching her going like she's watching her crush or something.

Then Stef turns back to me with that fire in her eyes that I know too damn well.