I sigh. “It’s slow, Jas. At times he remembers a book or a song or a movie but he doesn’t remember people or places. I’ve asked him to seek help, to visit a therapist, but he refuses to let some outsider poke into his mind.”

Ever since that night when Damien remembered a TV show, we’ve been going through books and movies and other TV shows to check what he recalls. But it’s been difficult and frustrating, especially for him, when he racks his brain and still can’t remember. But then there are those good times when something clicks inside his mind and he’s so excited about it.

My heart warms thinking of him.

“Aaliya, are you okay? You keep blanking out,” Jasmine interrupts my reverie.

“Yes, I’m here. Sorry! I’m just so preoccupied with everything.”

“Hmm! How is he with you?” she asks cautiously.

Taking a seat on my chair, I stare out the window of my little office. “He’s great. He cares for me, worries I don’t eat enough. He’s still a fitness freak. That hasn’t changed.” I smile. “He still wakes up at six to work out at the gym in the house.”

“But he’s also different,” I say. “He’s so much more confident of himself, stronger in character. It’s hard to explain, Jas. The Damien we knew was so easy to be with, understanding and carefree. Now, he’s dominating, strong, stubborn, and alpha. Even his working style is different. When we worked together earlier, before his accident, he gave me a free rein at work, only commenting when needed. Now he challenges me like never before and we argue on decisions often. But in the end, we hash things out and I can see the results getting better and better as they show in our work.”

My life seems to be set on a roller coaster path with him and I don’t know which dizzying turn comes next.

“So, you’re happy with him, this new him?”

“Jasmine, even in my dreams I would never have imagined wanting anyone else other than the Damien I fell in love with and married. But this man, with his cold eyes and tortured soul, calls out to me. I want to heal him, Jasmine. I want to make the ice in his eyes crack and shatter completely.”

And it is cracking. Each time he makes love to me, every time I willingly submit to him, the ice splinters a tiny bit more. As I spend more and more time with him, I’m falling in love with him all over again. I’m falling for this stronger version of him.

“Hmm,” Jasmine’s voice breaks into my thoughts. “Then tell him, Aaliya. You have to tell him soon. Don’t delay it.”

“I won’t, Jas. I will tell him soon. I have to,” I sigh. “Is Rian okay now?”