Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Clara slipped back into her bedroom and headed straight for a shower. When she came out, everything on the table had been neatly put away. She noticed the shape under the covers, and with a soft smile, she quietly slid in next to him.

His embrace was comforting, warm in a way that made her feel at home. Her fingers traced down to the bracelet and ring on his wrist. He never failed to wear them, and that thought made her happy. "Are you ever going to take off that ring and bracelet I gave you?" she teased.

He pulled her closer, his grip firm yet gentle. "Not a chance. I'll keep them on unless something really drastic happens. Otherwise, they're staying put."

Clara frowned playfully and put a finger over his lips. "Don't jinx it with talk like that."

He kissed her palm, his mood lifting as he promised, "Alright, I won't."

Lately, Clara had been feeling run down, and as she let out a yawn, nearly drifting off, he asked, "A lot of people have a thing for your old boss. If he starts hanging around you, would you ever second-guess us?"

His question jolted her awake. "Second-guess? Fall for Dylan? Have I lost it?"

Her answer was so immediate, it left no room for doubt. He went silent, his fingers brushing against the bracelet on her wrist. Sensing his unease, she reassured him. "Don't worry, I could never like Dylan."

"Why not?"

"We're just too different, and he's not my type. Z, why do you seem so concerned about him?"

His already low voice dropped another notch. "I'm just scared everything we have might be too temporary."

Too tired to argue, Clara planted a couple of lazy kisses on his cheek. "Stop worrying about things that haven't happened."

Her eyes were closing, but she was wide awake again when he said, "Why don't we just get married?"

Alarm bells went off in her mind as she sat up, realizing he was serious. "If you give me your documents and agree, I can get the marriage license sorted out quickly. Then I wouldn't have to worry about losing you," he said.

When she didn't respond, his tone grew darker. "What's the matter? Don't you want to?"

Clara was silent. She had only wanted to date Z, not rush into marriage. The idea of marriage seemed too abstract for her, and she hadn't even seen his face clearly yet.

Sensing her hesitation, he added, "Once we're married, I'll let you see what I really look like."

She turned away from him, her back now facing him. Feeling a wave of anxiety, he hugged her tighter. "Clara, I'm scared. Every day, I worry."

It wasn't often he used her full name, and the tremor in his voice tugged at her heart. But with everything that had happened recently, she was overwhelmed. Maybe it was the amnesia, but she couldn't grasp his fears. Their current dynamic seemed just fine to her.noveldrama

"Z, let's talk about it another day," she murmured, eyes shut.

But he wasn't ready to drop it. "It's just a piece of paper. If you "

She cut him off. "I don't want to get married. Not to anyone."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a memory surfaced-a voice from the past.

"Can I marry you someday? I can't wait to be old enough to get married." "Are you serious?"

"Of course, I love you and want to marry you."

Clara rubbed her forehead, sitting up abruptly. His hand was still on her waist, and

seeing her like that, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I remembered something from before."

"What did you remember?"

"I'm just really tired, Z."

"When aren't you tired? It seems like whenever you're with me, you feel exhausted."

Clara frowned, deciding to get out of bed. Before her feet hit the floor, he wrapped his arms around her waist again. "You can't keep shutting me out..."

Her head was throbbing, so she pried his hands away. "I'm going to sleep in the guest room. We both need to cool off."

She got up, opened the door, and left without looking back.

Z sat on the bed, feeling lost. A dark, obsessive feeling washed over him, and he grabbed his phone, making a call. "I need that medication. My insomnia's getting worse."

A puzzled voice answered, "Didn't you just see her? How are you still having trouble sleeping?"

"I have this gut feeling I'm about to be left behind again, just like before. It's always because of that ghost from the past; I can never compete with him."

"Z, your emotions are all over the place. You need to come back. If you keep this up, you'll—"

He hung up abruptly, running a hand through his hair, feeling trapped like a moth banging against a glass jar.

*

Clara had just settled down when the doorbell echoed through the living room. She got up to check and found a stranger at the door. The man looked respectable, wearing a white coat, his manner polite.

"Ms. Clara, I'm a friend of Z's. I've brought him some medication."

Her heart sank with regret over their fight, knowing Z's occasional struggles. She hurried to head back to the master bedroom, but the man held up a hand to stop her.

"Ms. Clara, please wait here. I'll make sure he takes his medication. He's not ready for you to see him right now."

"What's wrong with him? Why does he need medication?"

"Z's dealing with some mental health issues. Past events have left him pretty scarred, but don't worry. He'd never harm you. He'd rather hurt himself than you."