Being in the Wal Mart parking lot past seven in the evening always made Calista feel uncomfortable. It didn't matter that the parking lot was deserted. Her eyes darted around before she pressed the button that unlocked her car. She lifted the trunk and began placing her groceries inside. Headlights suddenly blinded her and she lifted an arm to shield her eyes.
"You need help?" a man's voice asked.
Calista shook her head. "No. I'm fine, thanks."
Before she realized what was happening, he approached her. She took a step back but he pulled her forward, covering her mouth with a white cloth. Before she went unconscious, she heard him say, "I don't know who you pissed off enough to want you dead, but you should've been more careful, Calista Hargrove."
Calista opened her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to remember the rest of the memory. That was the night of St. Anthony's. She was alone with Adam in a hospital room. She had already talked to Roger, insisting that he and Sebastian stay at the office and deal with the aftermath of the fire.
Adam's eyes bore into hers and she fidgeted in the hospital bed.
"I want to go home," Calista said, pretending she didn't know what Adam had on his mind.
"Our home?" he asked.
Her eyes flashed towards his and she shivered at the mask of controlled fury his face had become.
"You're my wife," he hissed. "Why are you pretending to be Calista Dover? You're Calista Hargrove and don't for a moment try lying to me again. I know you. Every inch of you inside and out...I know you."
She lifted her chin. "I don't know what you're talking about. Perhaps you inhaled too much smoke from the fire."
"Don't give me that crap. Do you know how worried I've been? Dammit, even my parents--"
"What about your parents?"
He smirked. "You wanna tell me again that you're not my wife? I'm pretty sure Calista Dover wouldn't give a damn about my parents. Why are you doing this? Were you trying to leave me? I can't believe that."
"I'm not sure what you want me to say." Calista clenched her hands, unsure of what she should do next.
"You're my wife! If I have to make them do a DNA test, I will. It doesn't matter who you look like, I can easily prove it. You know it too so why don't you do some explaining now?"
"Adam--"
He began pacing the small room, running a hand through his dark hair. "I can't believe I was so worried about you. I've imagined this moment a million times over. We'd see each other and run into one another's arms. It'd be like one of those soap operas you loved to watch. I was going to be relieved. Elated. Overjoyed."
"Adam--"
"Instead, I'm pissed that you've been lying to me all this time. Why? Why have you been hiding yourself? Do you--"
"Enough!" Calista shouted. "You won't even let me get a word in. You want the truth? Fine. I'm tired of lying. I've had so many plans when it came to you. When I found out you were working for Dover Industries, I wanted to crush you. I wanted to destroy everything about you. Especially after I found out you were dating Yvonne. How could you?"
"What?"
"How could you date another woman when my body hadn't even been found?" Tears threatened to escape. "Forget that! What's worse is that I know what you tried to do. I can't stop you from trying again but now I'm on to you and I'll never forgive you."
"W-What the hell are you talking about?"
"You wanted me dead, didn't you?" her voice cracked with emotion. She looked up at the white ceiling, forcing herself not to cry. She felt Adam's hand cover hers and she flinched.
"C-Calista, I never wanted you dead. How could I? You're my wife. I love you."
She made a scoffing sound. "That's why you're with Yvonne Barrette?"
"Yvonne isn't my girlfriend. She's a friend. After you went missing my parents got into a car accident. I couldn't afford the medical bills. Yvonne helped me get a job at Dover Industries and she helped me get a loan to pay their bills. You know my parents don't have health insurance."
"Do you expect me to believe that?" Her words were low, raw.
"Yes, because it's the truth. I know Yvonne likes me but she also knows that I'm still in love with my wife. I'm still in love with you, Calista." He squeezed her shoulders. "How could this happen? You don't even look like yourself."
She wanted to believe him. She desperately wanted to believe him.
"If I really wanted you dead, would I have saved you today?" he asked. "When I followed you, I never expected something like that. I was lucky to be there."
"How did you know?"
"How did I know that you were my wife?" Adam asked. When she nodded he continued, "At first it was your eyes. They're the perfect shade of blue. Then it was small things that you said. They were things my wife...that's you by the way...had said before. Then there was that kiss. A man knows how his wife kisses. Finally, you remembered getting sexy CPR from me before."
Calista hunched her shoulders, placing her hands over her face.
"Face it, Calista. The gig is up." Adam had both of his hands around her cheeks. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. "This is so weird. You look so different. Calista, why did you let them change your face?"
She leaned out of his embrace. "I wasn't able to speak for myself when they were doing the reconstructive surgery. Then I had to keep it a secret."
"Why?"
"You swear you didn't want to kill me?" she asked.
He nodded. "I'd never hurt you."
"Then you have to promise to keep letting me live as Calista Dover."
His eyes widened. "No way! You're my wife. You need to come home with me. Do you really believe that I tried to hurt you? That this is all my fault?"
She didn't want to believe it. Despite everything, Calista wanted to return to her life before St. Anthony's.
"Calista?"
"I don't know. I want to believe you...but if you really want me safe, you'll let me stay as Calista Dover."
"I can't--"
"At least for a little while longer."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not safe as Calista Hargrove."
Adam's face paled. "What do you mean you're not safe? You really don't think that I--"
"I don't know what to think. All I know is that night...whoever took me. It wasn't random. He wanted to kill me."
"You can't possibly know that."
"Adam, he said my name," Calista confessed. "I remembered it today. He said my name. So if it wasn't you that wanted me dead...someone else did. I need to stay as Calista Dover. Whoever tried killing me, will probably try again. As a Dover, I'm protected. Once I figure out what'shappened, I can return to my old life."
Moments of silence wafted between them.
"So, what are you going to do? Rat on me?" Calista asked.
Adam sighed. "F-fine. As long as you promise that you're not doing this to get away from me."
"I just want to stay safe."
"And there's another condition," Adam said, his eyes were beginning to water. He rubbed them with the back of his hand. "You have to do something for me."
"What?"
He leaned over until his face was almost touching hers. "Kiss me."
Meanwhile, Detective Bree Wade was reading the DNA reports on Calista Dover, her mouth open in shock.
"Catching flies?" Mark Jessup, her partner joked, pointing to her mouth.
Bree's mouth snapped shut and she cleared her throat. "You requested that Calista Dover's DNA be cross-referenced with everyone's on file?"
Mark snorted. "I did. I told you I was going to find out all of her secrets. She's adopted. Who knows? Maybe her real parents are criminals and it runs in the family."
"I wouldn't say that."
"Are those the results?" Mark asked, pointing to the file Bree held in her hand.
"Uh...no. I better get going."
"Bree--"
She tried running past him but he jumped in front of her and pulled the file from her hands. "What are you hiding, partner?"
"Stop it, Mark. Trust me, you don't want to see it."
"Please, there's nothing that can shock me. Did it find a relative?"
He opened the file and his eyes widened.
"Our DNA is also on the database," Bree reminded him.
He opened his mouth but words refused to escape. He looked at the name of the person Calista Dover was related to and cursed. Written in small black letters was his name.
Mark Jessup.