Relentless

Conflicted

Jason Thomson's POV

It's been a week since Kylie was released from hospital, a whole seven days since I received a text from Chase telling me that she was coming home, to his place. Only that isn't her home. She doesn't belong there and she doesn't belong with Chase Taylor. She belongs with me. I just need to get her to remember.

These thoughts cloud my mind on my way to school, today is Kylie's first day back. The first time I will see her since she left the hospital. I pull up in the car lot and my eyes immediately set on her Audi parked in its usual spot, she is already here no doubt with Taylor. My fists clench automatically at the thought.

You can do this Jay... Play it cool get her to remember. I repeat the mantra in my head as I walk towards my first class, knowing that I share it with Kylie and we are partners.

As soon as I walk through the door my eyes find her, sat at our usual table. She looks beautiful as always, her hair flowing naturally framing her face and making the green of her eyes stand out. I approach the desk and slowly take my seat, as I sit beside her I notice her body tense.

"Hey" I give her a small smile and try to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Hey. Jay, right?" she asks with an eyebrow raised.

My heart accelerates as I look into her eyes. "You remember?" my voice trembling slightly with hope.

"Of course, I remember Jay, you were at the hospital when I woke. You're one of Chase's friends" she smiles at me sweetly as she spoke.

I force a smile and nod silently in response. She doesn't remember me, not really. Why would she? I'm going to have to remind her of each memory we shared.

Later at lunch I grab Kylie's favourite drink and walk over to the table she always sits at. I wait and wait for what feels like hours, going over the conversation I had in my mind but she doesn't show.

Chase has left early for some reason, I know this because he wasn't in his usual class that we shared. As I walk towards the car lot at the end of the day this is the only thing in my mind, Chase is gone, giving me the perfect opportunity to speak to Kylie alone.

I rest against her Audi waiting for her to approach me, as I gaze at the clouds my mind drifts to our childhood. Me and Kylie lying side by side on the grass staring at the clouds, planning our future, talking about our dreams.

"Everything OK Jay?" I open my eyes to see Kylie staring at me with her eyebrow raised.

I shake off my thoughts and nod wiping a tear from my cheek, "Yeah Ky, just reminiscing" I smile at her softly.

"Care to share?" she asks with a grin.

This is it Jay, your perfect opportunity. "How about I show you?" I ask opening the driver's side door to her car.

She nods silently and slides into the driver's seat as I walk around the car. Don't mess his up Jay. I sit beside her and direct her to our destination.

I take her to the same place we went as kids, the same hill, the same grass and the same perfect view of the sky. We walk to the spot in silence and once we reach the top I sit on the floor and pat the space beside me.

Kylie bends down and sits beside me leaving a space between us, that space feels bigger by the second. I take a deep breath and lie on the grass, "Lay with my Kylie?" I whisper softly with my eyes closed.

I hear the movement but don't feel her presence to be any closer, I open my eyes to examine the space between us.

"Why are we here Jay?" she asks with confusion in her voice.

"I used to come here as a kid with my best friend, we spent so many hours laying here staring at the sky. Some days we'd be here through the setting sun until the sky was alight with stars." I look over to see her gazing at the sky, this is the Kylie I know.

"Why here? What was the point?" she asks softly

"We just talked about everything here, it was a place we could both escape. We made so many plans, so many promises to each other. We spoke of our dreams and the future I thought we had a chance of having" my voice cracks with emotion as I speak.

"What happened?" she asks as she looks over to me moving closer unconsciously.

"She got hurt, I drove her away and then she got hurt and now? Well let's just say things aren't the same. I don't know if they will ever be the same again." a tear falls from my eye as I gaze longingly at the girl beside me. The girl I'd planned my future with, the girl I love.

"Jay it sounds like she was more than a friend for you?" Kylie whispers as she links her pinkie finger with mine.

"She was Ky, she was so much more. I loved her more than anything, I still do. But she doesn't remember me" I sit up beside her and gaze down into her eyes as I take a deep breath. "She doesn't remember telling me her biggest fear was losing her mom. She doesn't remember me holding her every night as she cried and broke before my eyes when her mom died. She doesn't remember how she broke my arm in third grade when she jumped from my tree house and asked me to catch her, I did catch her though. I'd always catch her."

A tear falls from my eye as Kylie quickly swept it away. "Maybe you should try to move on? If she doesn't remember you what more can you do? But why doesn't she remember you I don't understand?" Kylie asks with intuitive eyes.

"I can't move on Kylie, not from her it's impossible." I take a deep breath to steady my nerves as I gently take her hand in mine. "She doesn't remember me because she had a brain injury, she has memory loss and I don't know if she will ever remember."

Kylie pulls her hand away and stands up, I quickly stand to face her as I take in the confusion on her face, "Jay how did she get injured?"

I stare into her eyes and said gently "She was involved in a boxing match, her opponent punched her in the wrong place?" I hear her sharp intake of breath as she starts to back away from me.

"No." she whispers

"Ky please" I beg softly.

"No Jason! That's a lie! It's all a lie! Chase would have told me. He would have told me if I was damaged! You're lying you have to be!" she shouts with tears of frustration rolling down her face.

I reach out towards her, "Ky I'm so sorry" she pulls away from me and runs.

I crumple to my knees as I watch her run away from me again, the girl I loved. No, the girl I love.