Part 36
Lynn saw the look of desperation and loss on Talia's face and decided to speak for her. "Justin sweetie, this is Talia. She's a… a… friend of yours." Lynn carefully watched his face, but if he remembered anything he didn't physically show it.
'A friend' Talia thought bitterly as she raised her eyes to the ceiling. It was the only way she could hold back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She heard faint whispering, but couldn't make out any clear words. She suddenly felt like an outsider, standing somewhere she shouldn't be. Observing conversation that she shouldn't hear. 'How could something like this happen to us? And now!'
"Is she okay?" Justin asked his mother carefully. Lynn shrugged in response, this was a different Justin then when he lost his memory right after the accident. This version at least seemed open to communication. Maybe his memory wasn't ALL gone. "Talia?" Justin questioned.
Talia sighed heavily and set aside her self-pity for the moment. She looked at him, his blue eyes were sparkling like they often did. She found it difficult not to run to him and hit him for having this happen on THEIR day, then kiss him for being so amazing. "What Justin?"
"You can come in," he said timidly. Lynn's eyes moved from her son to Talia and back again. She watched Talia move further into the room and stand at the foot of the bed. She looked scared and lost. Lynn couldn't help but feel bad for her. She gave Talia a sympathetic nod and retreated to a corner of the room.
"You look a little over dressed to be in a hospital," Justin said as he eyed her over. "Don't get me wrong, you look very pretty and if this is just for me… I'm flattered. But usually people don't look like that when they come and see people in the hospital."
Talia blushed and she felt her heart rise, then immediately sink again in her chest. 'It IS just for you' she thought. "I… um… had plans tonight," she explained.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Ruining your plans. I feel bad for the poor guy who you were going to see tonight. Tell him I'm sorry too."
Talia blushed a little. "I'll… let him know." She completed that sentence, then lost it. Tears ran down her cheeks rapidly. "Excuse me," she gasped. She rushed toward the door and out into the hallway.
"Did I say something wrong?" Justin asked, "is she okay?"
"She'll be fine," Lynn reassured him, "it's just really difficult when you see someone you care for but they don't even recognize you."
Talia slumped against the wall, her make up streaking down her cheeks. This wasn't the way things were supposed to go. "Talia? Are you okay?" She recognized the voice as Lance's and spun to face him. He tilted his head in sympathy for her. Talia instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn't know what else to do. She needed someone to cry to, and he was the first one there.
"I'm sorry," Talia said after a while. She pulled away from him and straightened out her clothes.
"This must be difficult for you. For us, it's… normal. That's odd to say, but we've been through this before. I know how you feel because I've been there."
Talia nodded and tried to choke back more tears. "He looks really healthy." She wandered to the door and peeked through the window. He was talking to Lynn. About what? She could only imagine.
"I just wonder what he saw…"
"Saw?" Talia asked.
"Yeah I mean something caused this. It didn't just happen. We were thinking it's a traumatic memory."
"I thought he remembered everything though," Talia whispered cautiously. That is what he had told her, that was why they were together.
"No. Most, except for some things with Liz. There were a few gray areas in that part of his life."
Talia nodded along like she knew what he was talking about. Justin had lied to her, telling her that everything was okay. 'He wanted to be with me that bad?' she found herself wondering.
Talia sat in the waiting room, it was impossible to comprehend everything that had happened that evening. It felt like she had been sitting in the hospital for days, when she knew it was mere hours. How could Justin not remember her? How could Justin have lied to her about Liz?
"Talia hon. I brought you some pie from the cafeteria. It dawned on me on the way back from Justin's room that you probably haven't eaten," Lynn said as she placed the plate in front of Talia.
"Thanks but I'm not that hungry," Talia said quietly. She remembered the pasta meal she had ordered from the Italian place. The containers were still sitting, full, on her stove. The candles were still scattered throughout her room, wax already dripped down the side of each. She could only imagine how it would have felt if he would have showed up. Talia shook the thoughts out of her head. "Everything tastes like cardboard anyway."
Lynn smiled at Talia and took the seat beside her. "I know this night hasn't turned out like you might have hoped. If it's any consolation to you now, Justin was SO excited about visiting you tonight. I'm not about to jump to conclusions as to what exactly was planned or if you're just friends or more than friends. All I know is he was adamant about finding the PERFECT gift for you… we settled on this." Lynn pulled the shopping bag from under her chair and handed it to her. "He'd want you to have it. Even if he couldn't GIVE it to you. I'm just assuming tonight was something important to him… and you."
Talia nodded, and for what seemed like the hundredth time that day held back tears as she pulled away the tissue paper that lay in the top of the bag. "I have a feeling you played a role in picking this," Talia murmured. She looked at the lotion, the bath oils, the bubble bath, the candles.
"Well yeah," Lynn shrugged. "He picked the colors."
Talia looked at the blue tinted gifts and smiled. "Yeah… I see that."
Joey paced the waiting room and pulled some spare change out of his pocket. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing, but he felt Liz needed to know. She had some right to know. He walked over to the payphone and dialed her number. He knew it by heart from the countless nights Justin used to spend there. He had to call it on more then one occasion to keep Justin from getting in trouble.
"Hello," a timid voice answered.
"Liz… It's Joey…"
"Joey? What's wrong? You'd only call me if something were wrong." She sat up in bed and listened as Joey shared the details of Justin's re-admittance into the hospital.
"I'll be there soon," she said hurriedly. She didn't even bother to say goodbye as she slammed the phone into its cradle and searched for an outfit to wear. Second chances usually didn't come along. She had to make the best of the situation.
Part 37
Liz drove as fast as she dared to the hospital. She didn't want to risk getting pulled over, but she couldn't get over what this might mean for her. If there was any way possible that she could win Justin back after this whole ordeal, then she would find a way. She found a parking spot behind the emergency room and darted inside.
Talia finished the pie that Lynn had brought her and excused herself to go to the bathroom. She had to get a minute alone, without everyone's eyes on her. Once inside, she examined her make up streaked face in the mirror. "God I look terrible." She said out loud. She ran some water in the sink and washed off her face a little.
Liz looked around cautiously, trying to determine who was there. She saw Lynn, Joey, Jc, Lance, and Chris sitting together in the waiting area. After a minute or two without seeing Talia anywhere, she thought that maybe Talia didn't know yet. If not, that gave her an advantage. Liz tapped her foot impatiently, trying to figure out what to do. She decided not to disturb the group of people that were waiting on Justin and went to the nurse's desk.
A young nurse looked up. "Can I help you miss?"
Liz put on her best friendly smile. "Yes. Could you tell me what room Justin Timberlake is in? He was brought in this evening from a local mall."
"Are you family?" The nurse asked.
Liz forced herself not to be rude. "No ma'am. I'm his girlfriend."
The nurse looked her over. "153. Right down the hall that way." She replied and pointed to Liz's left.
"Thank you." Liz replied and started to walk in that direction. 'Good. Away from the others.' She thought, forcing herself not to look back. She didn't want to seem conspicuous. Once she found the door to Justin's room, she knocked lightly, hoping that he wouldn't be asleep. She heard a muffled 'come in' and opened the door.
"How are you feeling dear?" She asked, deciding to assume that Justin didn't remember anything since Joey hadn't told her any different. She noticed that he looked alright, not really traumatized at all.
"Dear?" Justin asked and eyed pretty blonde standing in his room. She was definitely a looker, and she did look familiar.
Liz tried to look crestfallen. "Yes." She replied confidently. "They said that you might not remember me." She paused for dramatic effect, forcing a sad edge into her voice. "I understand. You've been through a lot."
Justin felt bad for not remembering the girl and motioned for her to sit in the chair beside the bed. "I don't remember what happened." He said. "The only people I remember are my mom and Jc." He told her.
Liz let what he had said sink in. Justin didn't remember her OR Talia. That could be good for her. If he didn't remember the fascination he had with Talia, she just might have another chance to try and get him back. She had to do it differently this time though. She'd play the role of the sweet, concerned girlfriend.
Talia decided that she'd been in the bathroom long enough. She didn't want Lynn sending out a search party for her. When she got back to the waiting area, she saw that Lynn was sitting by herself. "Where did the guys go?"
"Oh. They went to get something to eat." Lynn replied.
Talia sat down beside Lynn. She recalled what Lance had said about Justin not remembering everything about him and Liz. Wondering if Lynn knew, she decided to take a chance on asking. "Lynn? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure dear. What is it?"
"Well… I… I was wondering if you knew what Justin couldn't remember about Liz. I know it may seem nosy of me, but he told me that he had remembered everything." Talia asked timidly.
Lynn could tell that Talia was being genuine and not nosy with her question. She had gotten the feeling earlier that Justin really cared about her. "Justin told me that he and Liz had a fight the night of the accident. He said that he'd thought it was a relationship ending argument, but Liz told him it was just a small one." Lynn told her.
Talia thought for a minute about what Lynn just said. "Thank you." She replied, then stood up. "I think I'm going to go check on him. Do you want to come with me?"
"No you go ahead. I'm going to wait here for the guys." Lynn wanted to see Justin all right, but she decided to let Talia try and deal with her feelings alone.
Talia smiled and headed down the halls towards Justin's room. While she was walking, she thought more about what Lynn had said. Justin thought that he had a huge fight with Liz, but she was telling him the opposite. She couldn't be mad at him for not telling her the whole truth. He seemed to really want to be with her, she couldn't fault him for that. She stopped in front of Justin's door and started to knock. But she saw Liz through the narrow window. Talia immediately felt apprehension. And jealousy. If it hadn't been for the relapse, she and Justin would be together right now. Just finishing up dinner and preparing for their night together. The thought only saddened her, so she pushed it out of her mind. Talia looked back through the window and saw that Liz was getting ready to leave. She stepped to the side of the door.
Liz left Justin's room with a smug smile on her face. Then she saw Talia standing next to the wall. "Hello Talia." She said sweetly.
Talia didn't buy her sweet act for one second. She thought Liz looked a little too happy coming out of Justin's room. "What, exactly, are you trying to do?" She asked suspiciously.
Liz's fake smile disappeared and she glared at Talia. "That's none of your business. It doesn't concern you in the least. No matter how much you want it to affect you, it doesn't." She replied and walked off.
It took every ounce of will power that Talia had not to scream at Liz how it did affect her. That if it he wasn't in the hospital, she and Justin would be together right now. Perhaps even intimately. But she bit her tongue and watched Liz saunter down the hallway. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Talia went in to Justin's room. "Hello again." She said shyly. Looking at him sitting up in bed, a person wouldn't think that anything was wrong with him. But even though every cell in her body wished that was true, it wasn't.
"Hi there." Justin responded brightly. "Come to check on the patient?" He even flirted a little. He smiled as he watched the slightest tint of color rise up her graceful neck. He thought to himself that he was a lucky guy to have two very pretty girls visiting him. Talia and Liz were as different as night and day though, he could tell. He studied Talia as she stood before him. Her eyes were rimmed with red and it looked like she had been crying.
"Well sort of." Talia replied quietly. She noticed how he was peering into her eyes and wondered what he saw there. Could he see how much she cared for him? 'Stop torturing youself.' She criticized mentally.
"Well come here and sit down." Justin patted the chair beside the bed. He felt pity for her, though he wasn't sure why. There was just something about her that intrigued him. His mother had said that she was a friend. But that description didn't quite seem to fit her. 'Could she have been more than that?' He wondered to himself. But he didn't see how that was possible because Liz had said that she was his girlfriend. He shrugged it off and hoped that he remembered soon.
Liz made it to the waiting area and saw Lynn sitting alone. "Hello Lynn."
Lynn looked up, surprised to hear Liz's voice. "Liz. I didn't know you were here." She replied.
Liz plastered a smile on her face. "Joey called me." She said and sat down next to Lynn. While they were talking, the guys came back from the cafeteria. "Hi guys." She said brightly.
She got nods from Joey and Chris. "Hello Liz." Jc said. Lance simply didn't say anything. He watched the other guys interact with her and thought about Talia. He didn't know what was going on between her and Justin, but he knew that Talia cared for him. He could tell earlier when she broke down on him. Lance didn't want to pass judgment on anyone, so he decided to sit back and just observe the situation.
Talia and Justin talked lightly for a little while. She saw that he was looking tired and excused herself. Before she reached the door, Justin stopped her.
"Will you come back and visit me later?"
She felt a twinge of déjà vu as he asked her that. Were they going to have to start all over? She didn't much like the idea, but if that was what it took for her to have him back again, then she would do whatever necessary. "Sure." She replied and walked out the door. She leaned against the wall in the hallway and willed the tears not to fall.
Part 38
Talia moved down the familiar corridor and back to the waiting room. She found Liz contentedly speaking with Joey. Cursing under her breath, she pushed the door open and waved Lynn over to her. "I'm going to get going," Talia said quietly, "I mean I'd love to stay and just be supportive and everything but… I just can't." Lynn noticed how Talia's eyes drifted toward Liz. "If I stay I'll say things I'll regret, and it's neither the time…
nor the place for it."
"I understand," Lynn nodded. She gave Talia a hug. She admired how strong she had been throughout the day. She could see it in her face that she was in pain. Her heart must ache, Lynn deduced. "See you tomorrow?"
Talia nodded coyly, like a young girl who was adhering to something her teacher had said. She felt so small, and ultimately so insignificant in the given situation. No one knew and no one could understand what hers and Justin's relationship was quickly developing into. Sure, Lynn had some idea. All of them must have assumed something was going on, but no one KNEW.
Lynn watched Talia move past the nurses' station and into the elevator. "Do you think she's okay to drive?" Lance asked as he came up behind Lynn and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I think she wants to be alone."
Talia searched through her keys as she came to her door. She opened the door slowly and was immediately confronted with the blinking red light on her answering machine. Her messages played as distant background noise as she surveyed her apartment. She had outdone herself for no reason. The whole essence of the room couldn't be enjoyed like she had hoped it would be. She heard her mothers concerned voice coming through the speaker.
"Talia you haven't called me in days…"
"Blah blah blah," Talia dismissed the message and entered the kitchen. She saw the piles of aluminum containers on the stove. She felt the urge to cry, but she knew there weren't any tears left for her to do so. She slowly walked to the table and cleared it of the plates and utensils that she had spread out. Again, she looked toward the food piled on top of the stove. "Leftovers," she mumbled to herself angrily. "Leftovers."
-The Next Morning-
"Good morning Justin," Lynn said as she wheeled a chair in for him. "You get to go home today."
"Well that's good," Justin smiled. He was already fully dressed and ready to leave. He couldn't get out of there soon enough. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"Calm down," Lynn smiled, "I have to sign a few papers and let them know you're going to be in good hands while you're home. You're going to stay at my house, NOT the apartment." Justin shrugged his shoulders flippantly. He couldn't care less one way or the other, as long as he could get out of the hospital. Lynn had motives behind keeping Justin closer to home. She didn't trust Liz, and knowing she'd come to visit Justin having
him home was a way to keep her eye out for any weird behavior.
Talia spent her morning at the local dance studio. She had been invited to drop in any time and take place in a class or two. She was flattered that they thought so highly of her. She needed to do something to get her mind off of the Justin situation. She knew sitting in a boring class wouldn't do her any good, so dance was her other option. She glanced over her image in the full-length mirror and noted how her eyes looked dark and cold.
Emotionless. She was too tired, too worn out, too empty to feel anything but cold inside. She didn't know how she was going to recover from this, but she had to. She needed the feeling that Justin gave her back again.
"I'm going to phone Talia," Lynn said as she opened the door to the house. "See if maybe she'd like to come visit. Is that okay with you?"
"Umm… yea… that's fine," Justin said as he created a mental picture of her in his mind. 'You can definitely call her.' He looked around the house, which looked vaguely familiar to him.
"Make yourself at home dear," Lynn called to him. She dialed the phone number that she had copied from Justin's planner. To her dismay the answering machine picked up. She left a message for Talia, urging her to stop by when she got the chance. No need to call first. No need to bring anything. She quickly spouted out the address and phone number, then hung up.
"Hey Justin," a young boy said as he entered the room. Justin squinted at his seemingly younger version. "It's me... Jonathan."
"Hey Jon," Justin recollected. 'My brother.' He was relieved there were things that he recalled. He, however, hoped that everything else would fall into place as quickly.
Talia found it a difficult task to pull herself up the front stairs of her apartment. Her legs felt heavy and her head no lighter. She mumbled to herself at the thought of facing her lonely apartment again. She had been unable to sleep the previous night. She'd wake with a jolt and become immediately aware that she was alone.
She entered the apartment and saw the blinking light of her answering machine. She debated passing it up completely on her way to the bathtub, but decided against it. What if something important happened with Justin? She pressed the rewind button then went to the kitchen in search of some bottled water.
Her ears perked up as she heard Lynn's voice inviting her over to visit Justin. "At least he's home," Talia muttered to herself. But she didn't know if she could put up with seeing him again and having him not recognize her. It slowly tore her apart to even think of it. 'I'll decide in the bath' she resolved.
She stepped into the bathroom and pulled out the gift that Justin had bought for her. She hoped in some odd way it would make her feel closer to him.
"JUSTIN!" Lynn called as she moved out of the doorway. "Liz is here."
"Ahh… send her in," Justin called back as he looked up from the game he was playing with Jonathan. Only minutes later Liz appeared in the doorway, looking positively flawless. "Wow Liz, you look amazing."
"Thank you." She blushed and knelt down on the floor between Justin and Jonathan. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling good. A little confused but good," Justin smiled. He tossed the dice and moved his game piece accordingly.
"Good. Well you're looking healthy," Liz commented. "As good as new." She reached over the game and squeezed Justin's hand supportively. Jonathan looked up from the game and made kissing noises.
"You remember Liz?" Justin asked his younger counterpart. Jonathan nodded enthusiastically. Liz felt her breath catch in her throat as she prayed he said something flattering about her. They had never really interacted with each other; she never had the time for children.
"She's pretty," Jonathan said simply.
"Yeah… well that didn't help me at all. That's obvious," Justin smiled. Liz blushed accordingly. This was going better and easier then even she had hoped it would be.
Part 39
Talia wanted so bad to go over to Lynn's and see Justin. Just not seeing him was wreaking havoc on her mind and her senses. But every time she would decide to go over there, she would remember that he didn't know who she was. He didn't remember what he meant to her, or her to him. That fact alone would change her mind each time. She decided to take a nap first, then go.
Justin sensed that Liz was getting tired of watching him play games with Jonathan. He couldn't blame her though. They had asked her to join, but she had declined. Justin was a little bothered by the fact that she didn't want to play one simple game with him, but he dismissed it. He understood that some people weren't into that kind of thing. He was just used to playing games and stuff with Jonathan.
Lynn tried to stay out of Justin's business, but she couldn't help checking on him every few minutes. She couldn't get rid of the suspicious feeling she had about Liz. There was something about that girl that just wasn't right. Along with what Justin had told her the day before, it just seemed a little fishy to Lynn. Justin had said that he remembered having a fight with Liz the day of his accident. Then Liz shows up and acts like everything is hunky dory. Lynn decided that she was going to get to the bottom of things one way or another.
Liz groaned inwardly. She wasn't exactly enjoying sitting on Justin's family room floor, but she had to play the part of the good little girlfriend if her plan was going to work. She'd gotten all dressed up for Justin and he wasn't making any kind of offer to take her anywhere. She stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "I think I'm going to head home."
Justin looked up from the game of Monopoly he had going with Jonathan. "Are you sure? You can stay here and hang out with me and Jon." He ruffled Jonathan hair.
'Oh big fun.' Liz thought to herself. "Nah. I've got a lot of things to do tomorrow." She said out loud. She gave Justin a quick kiss on the cheek and left. She made sure to say goodbye to Lynn on her way out.
Talia woke up from her nap feeling a little better. She decided to take Lynn up on her offer to go visit Justin. Even though he didn't remember her, she couldn't stand being away from him so much. Maybe if she went over there and hung out for a little while, something would come back to him. Deciding not to try too hard, she threw on some jeans and a sweatshirt, pulled her hair up in a ponytail, and applied a tiny bit of makeup to try and hide the circles under her eyes. After she was done, she grabbed her purse and headed down to her Jeep. She had written down the address that Lynn had left on the machine, so she knew where she was going.
It took about 45 minutes to make the drive to Lynn's house. It was further than the 20 minute drive to Justin's apartment, but Talia didn't mind as long she got to see Justin. She pulled onto the street where she knew the house was and drove slowly. She found the right house and pulled into the driveway. After searching the driveway and finding only 2 vehicles, she decided that it was safe to go in. She walked up to the door and took a deep breath. 'Well, here goes nothing.' She said to herself and knocked on the heavy wooden door.
Lynn heard a knock at the door and went to see who was there. She dried her hands on a dishtowel as she made her way to the foyer because she'd been doing dishes. Looking out the peephole first, she saw Talia standing outside. "Talia. How nice to see you. Come in." She said as she opened the door.
Talia managed a small smile with Lynn's warm greeting. "Thank you." She stepped through the doorway and was a little intimidated by the size of the house.
Lynn led Talia to the kitchen and motioned for her to sit down on one of the bar stools around the island. "How are you?" She asked.
"I'm dealing." Talia replied. She didn't figure there was any use in trying to play games or hide her feelings from Lynn. "It's a little hard though. How is he doing?"
"He's just fine. I think being here is better for him. Especially with Jonathan around, he has constant reminders of how it used to be. Hopefully he will get his memory back soon." Lynn said with a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Yeah. Really soon I hope." Talia agreed quietly. It was still a little hard for her to grasp what had happened. Just yesterday, they had been planning their first real evening together as a couple. And now there was nothing. He didn't remember who she was or what he'd meant to her.
Lynn studied Talia's face and saw the circles under her eyes. 'She's in love with him.' Lynn decided. She thought the same thing the day before at the hospital, but now she was sure. "He's in the family room playing games with his little brother. Will you take them some lemonade?" Talia nodded and Lynn made 3 glasses of lemonade. "Can you carry all those?"
"I think I can." Talia took the glasses and listened as Lynn told her how to get to the family room. She walked slowly, being careful not to spill the drinks. When she found the doorway, she peaked in and saw Justin stretched out on the floor. He was playing Monopoly with a miniature version of himself. She mustered up some nerve and walked into the room. "So who's winning?"
Justin looked up at the sound of a female's voice. Before he turned around, he knew that it was Talia. Her voice was so familiar to him, but he couldn't quite recall why. "Jon is of course." He greeted her with a smile and helped her with the glasses of lemonade she was holding.
The sound of his voice and the smile he gave her almost made Talia forget that he didn't know who she was. He was giving her that look that made her melt. Only there wasn't any recognition in his eyes. She sighed and handed him his and Jonathan's glass. They were just standing in the middle of the floor staring at each other until Jonathan broke them out of their daze.
"Justin. It's your turn." He said a little impatiently.
Justin smiled and sat back down in the floor. He handed Jonathan his glass of lemonade, then rolled the dice for his turn. Talia sat down on the couch and watched them. She saw that Jonathan was winning, but she could also tell that Justin was letting him win. About 30 minutes later, Justin threw in the towel.
"I give up. You made me go bankrupt Jon. Are you happy now?" Justin over exaggerated, putting his face in his hands.
Jonathan punched Justin in the arm. "I sure am! You wanna play again?"
"Not right now little buddy." Justin replied.
Talia watched as Justin helped his little brother put up the game. Jonathan took it and went to put it away. "So how are you feeling?" She asked.
"I'm doing okay." Justin replied. He wished that he could remember something about her. He sensed that she was a significant part in his life somehow. He didn't want to ask and make himself look stupid, although he didn't think that she would really mind. But he wanted to figure things out for himself. 'Maybe if I spend a little time with her, it will help.' Justin thought. "Come on. I'll give you the grand tour." He took her hand and led her through the house.
Talia let Justin pull her around the house, stopping at each room so that he could tell her what it was. She was enjoying the feeling of his hand around hers and wasn't really paying attention to anything else. The last stop on their tour of the second floor was his bedroom. She got nervous just at the thought of being in there with him.
"And this is my room." Justin said and smiled mischievously.
"I kinda figured that." Talia replied, smiling in spite of herself. She noticed that it looked pretty much the same as his room at the apartment. There was UNC stuff all over the walls and mostly baby blue clothes in the closet.
After he showed her around, Justin and Talia went back downstairs. Lynn was in the kitchen, cutting up some vegetables.
She looked up as the two came into the room. She saw that they were holding hands and smiled. "Talia, do you want to stay for supper?"
"Oh, I couldn't impose like that."
"You wouldn't be imposing dear. I invited you and I won't take no for an answer. Now why don't you two take a little walk and supper will be done in about an hour." Lynn was using her influence to get the two to spend time together.
"We'd better do what we're told." Justin told Talia and laughed a little. He knew what his mother was trying to do, but he didn't have a problem with that. His mom seemed to like Talia, and that was good enough for him. Plus, if he spent some time with her, maybe he would remember what she meant to him.
Talia didn't care who was pulling the strings as long as she got to be with Justin. She agreed on the walk and the two walked out the door hand in hand.
Part 40
Justin and Talia walked in silence for a few minutes. She wondered if holding his hand was the best option given the circumstances, but he was holding onto her so tightly she wouldn't dare tell him to let go. For a few seconds everything felt right to her, for a second Justin had his memory back and for a second the night was theirs to have.
"So…" Justin said, finally breaking the silence. "Tell me a little about what we used to do together. I mean since we were such good… friends and all." Justin looked at Talia intently, wondering if she'd correct him. He only knew that the vibe he got from here was a lot greater then one of friendship. He could also tell she was reserved and cautious around him. There HAD to be a reason for that as well.
"Well…" Talia began. She paused briefly; she wanted to choose her words carefully. "We watched television, went out to eat and talked a lot. Everything normal… friends do." Justin let go of Talia's hand and rubbed his face in frustration. "Something wrong Justin?"
"Just confused," he sighed. "I wished I could remember those things. They seem so simple."
"It was nice to meet Jonathan today," Talia began. She thought that maybe if she reverted back to a neutral subject that she could open up more doors then reminiscing would. "I've heard you mention him before but I had never met him."
"He's a good kid," Justin smiled proudly. "And he knows how to play a mean game of Monopoly."
"You let him win," Talia laughed, "I was there. I have eyes. Amnesia or no amnesia you don't just neglect to buy properties because 'the color isn't good'." She looked up at him and Justin immediately noticed a glimmer that shone through her eyes at him. She stopped laughing and abruptly turned away. Everything was becoming too intense for her. He was right in front of her but still a long ways away.
"You won't tell him will you?"
"Your secret is safe with me," Talia nodded. She sighed heavily and began the walk back to the house, keeping a few steps ahead of Justin at all times. She felt her lip begin to quiver and the all too familiar feeling of tears in her eyes.
"'Lia!" Justin called after her. "Wait up."
Talia froze in her tracks. He called her Lia, her nickname; it was certainly a start. "Your mom is probably waiting for us with dinner on the table and I don't now about you but I don't like cold meals."
"You're upset," Justin observed. "Did I say something? Not say something? That is the thing with amnesia Lia. I forget things that probably should mean something to me or A LOT to me. I'm sorry. I understand if you're frustrated."
"Sorry," Talia sighed, "don't be. I'm just being overly emotional. None of it is your fault." She looked up at him again; her face was etched in pain.
"But you're still hurt," Justin commented again. "I'm really going to try and remember everything."
"I know," Talia nodded. "We need to get back to the house." Justin placed his arm around her shoulders as they started the journey back to the house.
"How was your walk?" Lynn asked over dinner. Justin looked toward Talia, then back toward his mother.
"Good," he said quietly.
"The fresh air worked wonders," Talia smiled, "and Lynn this is delicious. I haven't had a good home-cooked meal in the longest time. Being in college, the extent of my cooking ability is soup." Talia's face saddened when she thought of it, bringing her back to the leftovers in her refrigerator. Lynn noticed Talia's face fall and decided to cover quickly.
"It's my pleasure," Lynn smiled politely, "Justin, in case you don't remember, Talia is one of my favorite people."
"Oh really?" Justin raised his eyebrow.
"Yeah," Lynn smiled. "She's been a great friend to all of us throughout this." Lynn smiled supportively at Talia. She knew what Liz was up to and she was going to take every opportunity she had to let Justin know where her loyalties stood.
"Well I just wished I could remember more about her. I'm sure she's great," Justin smiled.
'He's feeling pressured,' Talia found herself thinking. 'That's not a good thing.' She was fully aware Lynn was only trying to help, but it was so difficult for her to sit across the table from Justin while his mother spoke about her as if she wasn't even there.
"Well my mother seems to enjoy you quite a bit," Justin smirked as he walked Talia out to her car at his mothers suggestion.
"Well I enjoy her," Talia smiled. She searched through her bag for her keys. "She's a great lady."
"Listen Lia," Justin began. Talia felt herself smile at his nickname for her. "I was thinking maybe you and I should go out to dinner tomorrow."
"Tomorrow huh?" Talia thought out loud. She had tickets to a concert, but she certainly didn't have the heart to turn him down. Her outlook on the situation was rosy, especially since he had instigated the 'date'.
"Tomorrow," Justin smiled. "You're busy aren't you?"
"No not with anything of importance," Talia nodded, "sure… dinner tomorrow… sounds… sounds… great."
"Maybe it will jog some memories," Justin hoped.
"Yeah maybe. We've done our fair share of eating out," Talia smiled. She got into her jeep and shut the door. She noticed Justin not backing away from the car and opened the window. "You can call me with the information. Your mom has the number."
"Okay," Justin nodded. He cautiously leaned in and kissed Talia's cheek. "See you tomorrow then."
Justin stood back as Talia drove off. Dinner was certainly a first step in figuring out the conflict he had acquired. There was no doubt in his mind now that he and Talia were more than just friends. There was something in the way that she looked at him that spoke volumes more then friendship. Now dinner would be an interesting way to test his theories. He wondered if Liz knew about he and Talia?
'I'll figure that out over lunch,' Justin nodded to himself. He just had to phone Liz and ask her out for a lunch date. 'It shouldn't be that difficult to get her to agree.' If his memory wasn't going to work on its own, he was going to do his best to help it out.
Talia could feel the outline of his lips still warm against her cheek. 'Dinner.' She nodded in approval. 'Dinner definitely works for me.' She couldn't help but get excited at what prospects the night held for them. Maybe he had already started to remember? Maybe this dinner was his way to make things special for them. To make it up to her for the night she had planned for them. She found herself looking forward to waking up the next
morning.
parts 41-45
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