Emily's hair spills across my chest like sunlight on water, creating a golden barrier between me and the rest of the world. Sunday afternoons have become my favorite part of this strange new life, lazy hours spent tangled together on the couch, her body curved perfectly against mine.
"You're getting better at cuddling," Emily murmurs, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my arm. "The first few days, you were so stiff I thought you might snap in half."
I laugh, the sound rumbling through both our bodies. "I was afraid of doing it wrong. Like there was some secret husband technique I'd forgotten."
Almost a week since coming home from the hospital, and this is the most normal I've felt. The mansion-like house still doesn't feel like mine, but Emily's warmth against me, that feels real.
I notice her shoulders are tense beneath my palm, her breathing slightly too measured. She's been quiet for the past hour, not her usual self at all.
"What's wrong?" I ask, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Emily sighs, the exhale seeming to deflate her entire body. "I have to go back to work tomorrow."
"That's alright," I say, trying to sound supportive. "You can't babysit me forever."
Her frown comes instantly, deep and troubled. She sits up suddenly, the warmth of her body disappearing as she takes my face between her hands. Her eyes scan my head with clinical precision, like she's examining a priceless artifact for cracks.
"I'm just a little worried," she says, her thumbs gently stroking my cheeks.
The intensity of her gaze makes me squirm. "I'm not going to fall apart the second you leave, Emily."
"That's not what I'm afraid of." Her voice drops lower, something raw and vulnerable bleeding through her usual composure. "What if you need me and I'm not here? What if something happens to your head?"
I can't help but smile at her concern. "The doctor said I'm healing fine. No swelling, no complications."
Emily's hands tighten slightly on my face. "Doctors make mistakes all the time, Charles.”
I place my hand over hers, offering a reassuring smile. "I promise nothing's going to happen. I'll probably just binge some TV shows and try to figure out if I actually enjoy them or not."
Emily sighs, her shoulders dropping with visible annoyance. "Mark has this week off," she says, not quite meeting my eyes.
"Mark?" I perk up at the mention of his name. "He could check in on me, maybe."
"Yeah." The word comes out clipped, reluctant. "Mark is... a lot of things, but he does care about you."
There's something in her tone that catches my attention. Her words aren't kind, but they're not exactly hostile either. It's almost like she sees Mark as a chess piece she keeps around reluctantly, useful but not particularly valued.
"I think I'll be alright alone, honestly," I say, trying to give her an out. "You don't need to worry about arranging babysitters for me."
Emily's fingers tighten on my face again, her perfectly manicured nails pressing just enough to make me aware of them. "Believe me, I'd rather you be alone than with Mark, but I'm that worried." Her eyes search mine intensely. "I'll be in the city, Charles. If anything goes wrong, I won't be able to get to you fast enough."
The genuine fear in her voice makes my chest tighten. Whatever her issues with Mark might be, her concern for me seems real enough.
"Alright, alright," I finally relent, holding up my hands in surrender. "Mark seems good enough to watch an amnesiac."
Emily's face transforms, tension melting away as she beams at me. "Charles, he's your best friend," she says, her voice softening with what seems like genuine sincerity. "You always enjoy your time with him."
I study her face carefully, looking for any level of deception. She seems to be telling the truth about this, at least.
"I can kinda tell," I admit, leaning back against the couch cushions. "When I met him that day, it just felt like there was something there, you know? Like I instantly wanted to mess with him or something."
Emily freezes, her body going rigid beside me. "Did any memories return?" she asks, her voice tight with what sounds like concern but looks more like fear.
"No, nothing like that," I quickly clarify. "Just a feeling. Like muscle memory, but for friendship, I guess?"
She visibly relaxes, but there's still something nervous in her posture, a new tension that wasn't there before. Her fingers play with the hem of her shirt.
"When you saw me for the first time," she says hesitantly, not quite meeting my eyes, "did you have any... feelings?"
The question catches me off guard. I think back to that hospital room, to opening my eyes and seeing her leaning over me. The immediate, visceral fear that had gripped me, like my body was instinctively afraid of her, even before my mind could process who she was.
"No," I lie, forcing a casual shrug. "Just confusion, mostly."
Emily's eyes search mine, looking for something I'm not sure I want her to find. I hold her gaze steadily, trying to keep my expression neutral. After a moment, she smiles, seemingly satisfied with my answer, though something uncertain still lingers in her eyes.
"You have my number, right?" Emily asks, pulling her phone from her pocket. "I put it in your new phone, but I want to make sure you can find it."
"Yes, I have your number, It's the only contact in my phone besides Mark's."
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, clearly not satisfied with my answer. "And you'll call me if anything weird happens? Anything at all? Even if it seems small or unimportant?"
I can't help but smile at her intensity. "Emily, you're worrying so much you're going to jinx it."
Her expression softens, and she nods slowly. "You're right. I'm being ridiculous." She takes a deep breath, then adds, "Oh, and while I'm gone... please don't go into my office."
The request catches me off guard. I hadn't even considered exploring her office. In fact, I barely remember which room it is.
"Sure, but why not?" I ask, genuinely curious.
The change in her demeanor is immediate and alarming. Her eyes widen slightly, and she swallows hard, looking suddenly panicked.
"Oh, you know," she says with forced casualness, "just case stuff. I'm in the middle of preparing a case for Lawnsanto to file against a bunch of farmers, and I could get in a lot of trouble if someone outside the fold saw anything."
"What's Lawnsanto?" I ask.
Emily's expression shifts to something like pity mixed with amusement.
"Oh boy," she says, shaking her head slightly. "Charles, I'm basically the lawyer for the bad guys."
I blink at her, processing this new information. "The bad guys?"
"They're an agricultural company that makes pesticides and genetically modified seeds," she explains, her voice taking on that precise, measured tone I've come to recognize as her lawyer voice. "They're... controversial, to put it mildly. They sue farmers whose fields get accidentally contaminated with their patented seeds."
I can't help but laugh, though I'm not judging her. "So you're basically a corporate gun for hire? Working for the big guys to crush the little guys?"
Emily's eyes flash with something between defiance and pride. She gestures around us with one elegant sweep of her arm.
"Look at this house, Charles. I'm 29 years old, and we live like this." Her voice carries a confident edge that's almost brazen. "Do you honestly think you can make this kind of money defending the good guys?"
There's something shameless in her admission that sends an unexpected heat through me. She's not apologizing for who she is or what she does. The ruthless pragmatism is oddly attractive, even if I'm not entirely comfortable with it.
"Probably not," I admit, studying her face. "Does it ever bother you, though? Working for the enemy?"
Emily goes still, her expression thoughtful. She takes so long to answer that I wonder if she's even going to respond. When she finally speaks, her voice is quiet but intense.
"If you weren't here with me? Maybe." Her eyes lock with mine, and I see something dangerous flicker in their green depths. "But I'd burn the whole world down to keep you comfortable, Charles."
The conviction in her voice sends a shiver down my spine. She means it, absolutely and completely. It should terrify me, this casual admission that she'd destroy everything for my sake, but instead I feel a twisted sort of warmth spreading through my chest.
“Oh boy.”
You can read early chapters here.
https://subscribestar.adult/astrolust
And a link to my Discord
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