“Morning, baby.”
She smiled, but it felt forced. There were a million things she wanted to say to him, a million questions she had. But in the end, she was silent. She didn’t know how to put words to everything going on in her head.
He got up and went to her. Taking her hand, he led her over to where he’d been sitting. There was a stack of pictures on the desk.
“I wanted you to see these.”
She looked at him, but he only pointed at the stack.
She picked up the first one and felt a wave of shock.
The image was of her, but she didn’t recognize herself. This was a girl who looked...different.
She flipped to the next picture and felt her lungs tighten. The same girl, but looking more and more like a stranger with each picture. The girl’s hair was dark, her features harsh.
Her fingers were shaking by the time she got to the last picture. She couldn’t understand what she was seeing.
“I don’t recognize this girl.”
“She’s you.”
She shook her head, dropping the picture and backing away from the desk. “That’s not me.”
“You’re in denial, Autumn.”
She stared at him. “What are you trying to tell me?”
He stepped closer to her, his eyes burning with an intensity she’d never seen from him. “You’re not who you think you are,” he said softly, his voice low and seductive. “You’re mine.”
“No,” she said, but the word felt hollow.
It was just the truth she’d been hiding from herself, wasn’t it?
He reached out and stroked her hair. “Let’s eat breakfast.”
She went with him like a zombie. She didn’t even know who she was anymore.
When they got to the kitchen, her phone rang from where it had been left on the counter. It was an unknown number. She reached for it, but he stopped her.
She stared at him, wanting to answer. The feeling had become overwhelming now that her life was being pulled apart. She wanted someone to help her make sense of everything.
“It could be a friend calling.”
He shook his head. “No one knows you’re here.”
She felt a tear slide down her cheek.
He wiped it away with his finger. “You have no one, baby. It’s just us.”
The feeling that was growing inside of her was intense. She had a feeling that her entire life was a lie. Who was she, really? She wanted to find out, but the only person she could turn to was Jacob.
“Let’s go out for breakfast.”
“What?” she shook her head. “Where?”
“To a place I know.”
She swallowed, feeling like everything was on the edge of a cliff. “Okay.”
He smiled. “Good girl.”
He dressed quickly and then led her upstairs to the bedroom. He helped her into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt. She felt like she was in a dream as he dressed her.
Then he took her hand and led her downstairs. She followed him blindly to a car parked in the garage. She got in when he opened the door for her and buckled up.
He got in behind her and they drove away.
It was morning, the sun barely up as they drove. They went through a town she didn’t know, people passing on the sidewalk. She thought about jumping out and running, but knew it was futile.
She was trapped now. Trapped inside her own mind.
They drove out of the town and into a park. He pulled off the road and into a parking spot.
They got out and he led her along a path until they came to a lake. He stopped at the edge of it and she stared out across it. A mist hung low over the water, hiding the other side.
“It’s pretty,” she said softly.
“Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten.
He pulled her into his arms.
“You’re confused, baby. You don’t know who you are.”
“I know who I am.”
He chuckled, and it sent shivers down her spine. “We’ll see.”
He kissed her temple.
She pressed her face into his chest. “How do I remember who I am?”
He held her tighter. “You let me show you.”
She nodded, letting him lead her to a bench and sit down.
“How much do you remember about your life?”
She shook her head helplessly. “I remember growing up in a home with my parents. I remember school.” She frowned. “But it doesn’t seem real now.”
He leaned in closer, his breath hot on her ear. “None of that is real, Autumn. It was all a lie.”
“But why? Why would anyone do that to me?”
He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “You were created for a purpose. A purpose only you can fulfill.”
She shivered, feeling cold. “What purpose?”
“You’ll see,” he murmured. “In time.”
She wanted to know now, but something inside of her was whispering for her to wait. To let him show her.
He stood and held a hand out to her. “We should get going.”
She let him pull her to her feet and then lead her back the way they had come.
He was right, she realized as she got in the car. She didn’t really remember her life. None of it felt real.
She was lost and she needed him to find her way. That was the truth. The only thing she knew for sure. She needed him.
The feeling was terrifying and exhilarating. It was a mix of love and need.
She leaned her head back against the seat and let him drive her home. Her home. Their home, now.
When they got there, he took her upstairs to their bedroom and undressed her, putting her in the bathtub and bathing her. When she was done, he dried her off and put her in a nightgown, putting her to bed.
She curled up under the covers and let him tuck her in. “Can I ask you something?”