IMPORTANT
Hello my loves, you've finally arrived at the FINAL chapter of Forget Me Not. Many apologies for the long wait, Wattpad glitched for me during the last time I intended to update, so I decided to push it to Valentine's day instead. Perfect day to end the story, don' you think?
Please read the author's note at the end of the story for some important announcements.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
+ 1 0
b e l l i s p e r e n n i s
For beginnings.
(now: +10)
HE ONCE TOLD her that, in order for something else—something better—to come her way, she needed to let the past go. Back then, the past had been Keith, and he had been the better choice that came along.
But now, she's not sure what the 'something better' is.
The future is a blank canvas, and she might have the paint, but she's not sure what to put on it. They've planned their lives together for such a long time that, without him, she feels a little lost. Directionless. She tells herself that she can find a way on her own, that she'll be her own compass, but something still feels missing.
Stifling a sigh, she picks up her pace towards the coffeeshop at the end of the street. It's getting warmer now, the sunlight hits her face as soon as she's out in the open air, and a prickle of heat runs down her spine. She starts to cross the road, then stops.
It's him.
Her eyes widen, and she almost drops her cup. For a second or two, she can only blink at Dylan in sheer surprise. He's standing right there on the sidewalk, with a jacket in one hand, and looking directly at her. When she locks eyes with him, he breaks into a small smile. It's not the wide, sunny one she remembers, but it's there, and it's him.
Clutching her cup tightly, she dashes across the road with only six seconds to spare, just before the light turns red. When she hits the pavement, she comes to a halt. Her heart is in her throat; she doesn't know what to say.
He says it first anyway. "Hi."
"Hi," she says, catching her breath. "What—what're you doing here?"
He doesn't respond to her question. Instead, he stares up at the huge building she's just come out of. His eyes widen, and he looks a little impressed. "That's where you work?"
"That's my parents' business. I've no intention of taking over the company, but since I'm on sabbatical from my old job, I'm doing some research here to help them."
"So you didn't use to work here?" He frowns when she shakes her head. "Why not? You'd be closer to your parents this way."
"Because you were thousands of miles away. And I wanted to come home."
His gaze warms as he stares at her, and she's suddenly very aware that this isn't Dylan with his memories. He's still the same person, but he also isn't. It's like looking into the eyes of a familiar stranger, and everything about this is both old and new.
Her cheeks heat and she looks away, feeling very much like the first time they started dating. "So how did you find me?"
"Your friend Scout. My family knew where you were, but not your exact address. She was the one who told me after she dropped off a pot of daisies from you—which I'm guessing is also important?"
"Only if you want it to be."
"I do, actually," he says, unexpectedly. Her eyes flicker up to meet his in surprise. It seems that, amnesiac or not, he's still as honest as ever. "That's what I've been trying to tell you ever since I removed my wrist brace, but then you left without saying goodbye. Was it because of Flo?"
"No, it's—"
"Because if it's her, she already told me the truth. After you talked to her, she apologised to me and asked for a switch of rooms. She also wants me to tell you that she's really sorry for the hurt she caused you."
Emma nods in quiet understanding. As horrible as Flo's actions were, she's often willing to give the other woman the benefit of the doubt because, after all, she was Dylan's first. And someone who Dylan once loved couldn't be all that bad, could she? "It's not Flo," she assures him. "I moved on because I didn't want to fight with Flo, but I didn't leave because of her."
"Then, why?"
She hesitates for a moment, before she gives in with a sigh. "It's not your ex, it's mine. You got hurt because of me."
He stares at her like she's speaking a foreign language. "No, I got hurt because of him. We were both at the trial—he's the one responsible for the accident. Just because he's your ex doesn't mean that you have to take responsibility for his actions."
"It is because of me. You might not remember this, but I was the one who sent him to jail a long time ago, and he's never forgiven me for it. That letter was meant for me—he hurt you to hurt me. I just—I feel really apologetic towards you and your family, and I didn't know how to face you all. I left because I didn't want to hurt you again."
He frowns. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I thought you were supposed to be smart. That's what everyone tells me."
Her jaw drops in indignation. "I—I am smart!"
"Not when it comes to relationships, clearly," he points out, and she falls silent because it's kind of true. Even in their relationship, she's always looked to him for guidance. "Look, we all know what that note means. Morgan told me about your past with Keith, and I put the rest together on my own. Mom and Dad aren't upset at all—if anything, they're really grateful to you and your dad's team of lawyers for putting Keith back behind bars. He can't hurt me anymore," he says, before adding, in a quieter voice, "But you did, when you left."
Her eyes widen. "I didn't mean to. I didn't want to upset you again after that whole thing with Keith, and I was just giving you some space—"
"Fuck space," he says bluntly, and she blinks. He flushes, looking a little embarrassed by his sudden outburst, but continues softly, "I know that, when I woke up, it was what I wanted from you. I was hostile and rude and downright suspicious, and you really obliged and gave me all the space I wanted. But I don't want that anymore. I just want you."
She stares at him, barely able to believe her ears. When she doesn't say anything, he takes yet another step forward, never once looking away from her.
"I want you to help me remember," he says. "And even if I can't, I want you to tell me what I've forgotten, what I've missed out on. I want you to help me create new memories, and I swear I won't forget them this time round. But, more than anything, I just want you."
She studies him for a moment. This is no fairytale ending. It's not like he miraculously remembers her and everything has fallen into place. But this is all she's ever hoped for since he woke up: that she would be his choice.
And it seems that, at last, she is.
Her lips twitch into a small smile. "Do you just want me because you have no one else?" she wonders, "Or do you want me because my name is on your wrist?"
"Neither," he says honestly. "I want you because of this." He drops his jacket by their feet, frames her face between his palms and tips her face up so that her gaze meets his. There's a beat, her heart flutters, her stomach swoops. Once again, she's struck by the feeling that she's looking right at a familiar stranger.
And getting to know him all over again.
"Back in the hospital," he says, his thumb brushing her cheek, "when I really looked at you the first time, I felt this: like I've known you all my life, and then never before. So teach me," he murmurs, in a low voice. "Teach me how to fall in love with you again."
She smiles, warm and light and full of hope, and nods.
His lips twitch into an answering smile, just as bright as hers, and he lowers his head to kiss her. Slow and nervous at first, like he's never done this before, and then, when she wraps her arms around his neck, with growing confidence. He tastes of coffee and cake, and there's a new scar on the back of his head when she runs her fingers through his hair. A spark of heat rises between them, and whether it's because of familiarity, or the warm summer air, she can't tell. She doesn't care.
She kisses him back, knowing, all the while, that her world has shifted back on its axis once again.
And keeps spinning.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ F I N ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
a / n
...and that's a wrap! I want to thank you all for sticking with me—I know that this story, out of the recent ones I've posted, has undergone many breaks in between (although I did promise that it would definitely be finished!), largely in part due to Killer Instinct moving to Radish. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding, and I sincerely hope this story did not disappoint!
Fun note: if you ever intend to reread this story, you may want to try reading it in chronologically order since that's the way I wrote it. I think you'll find it much smoother that way, although it does lose much of its symbolism!
Usually, at the end of a story, I'll let my readers know which story I intend to post next. But the truth is, this time, I'm really not sure. Killer Instinct is my main focus and will continue updates, but due to my busy schedule and covid that occasionally affects people I'm close to, I honestly cannot say what else will come next.
I'd like to be as open with you as possible though, so I do have several stories that are in the running and they are all from different universes. I'd really like if you could leave a +1 (and, if possible, your reason for your choice) next to the story you most wish to see next.
1. The fifth book of Universe #1 which is a very important spin-off to Slow Dancing because it settles the unanswered questions in that book. I am ten chapters in and will reveal the title once I officially post it.
2. Miles Away from universe #2 which I know many have been waiting for. There are about ten–fifteen chapters to go and, well, it's Miles. Enough said.
3. Limbo from universe #3 which will be a complete revamp of the original. It will answer the ongoing questions in Killer Instinct and it'll definitely be available on both Wattpad and Radish!
4. God of Mischief (Loki fanfiction) or another Harry Potter AU that's been sitting in my drafts for ages. These are the most unlikely ones to happen as I generally do not touch fanfics while I'm working on original fics, but well, if inspiration strikes...
5. The prelude to the brand new fifth universe: Ebae.
Although I cannot guarantee that the story with the most votes = the one that will come first, it would really help me to see which universe(s) you're most interested in, and it would help my future story plans.
Thank you all so much for your help, and again, thank you for reading Forget Me Not. I hope to have another story up and running as soon as possible, because I have so many stories to tell, and simply never enough time.
Much love, x Noelle