Chapter 3
Lena stepped out, the cold morning air brushing against her skin. The world beyond the house stretched out vast and wide, a picture of serenity-too perfect, too still. The trees on the path swayed gently, their whispering leaves the only break in the silence.
Ethan kept pace with her, his hand resting lightly at the small of her back. It was a comforting touch, but to Lena, it was an anchor-a subtle reminder that she was never truly alone.
"We used to love taking walks like this," Ethan said, his words smooth, practiced.
Lena nodded, but the phrase had no meaning for her.
She had no memory of having ever walked this path before.
No memory of laughing with him as they strolled under the huge oak trees.
And yet, Ethan said it with such certainty that she almost wished she could believe him.
She forced herself to breathe, drawing a deep breath as they strolled along the sidewalk. The subdivision was oddly quiet, the houses tucked far back, each one a pristine replica of the last. White picket fences. Meticulously trimmed hedges. No car drove by.
It felt less like a neighborhood and more like a carefully constructed set.
A world where nothing happened unless Ethan allowed it to.
Lena's fingers curled around the sleeve of her sweater as a chill ran through her.
"You're quiet today," Ethan observed, his gaze sliding toward her.
She hesitated before responding. "Just. thinking."
His lips curved into a soft smile. "About?"
She could feel his eyes on her, studying her.
She had to be careful.
"I don't know," she whispered. "Memories, I guess."
Ethan's smile didn't waver. "Anything coming back?"
Lena searched his face for something-a fissure in the façade. But there was nothing. Just the same patient, loving expression he always gave her.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
Ethan took her hand, intertwining their fingers. The touch was intimate and tender, but all Lena felt was the gentle pressure of possession.
They walked in silence for a few minutes before Ethan spoke again.
"I know it's frustrating, "but you're getting better every day", he said.
Lena bit her lip. Am I?
If anything, she was only becoming more aware of how much she didn't know.
How much she wasn't remembering
, and how much Ethan was keeping from her.
They turned a corner, and Lena noticed something ahead-a figure, a woman, walking in their direction.
For a second, relief flooded her.
Someone else. Someone outside of this.
The woman walked closer, and Lena felt an odd tug in her chest. There was something familiar about her-just out of reach.
Dark hair and bright green eyes.
The woman's gaze snapped to Lena, and for a moment, something passed between them.
It was a recognition, but the moment was there and then gone.
The woman's face relaxed into a polite but distant smile as she nodded in recognition.
"Good morning," she said, her voice bland.
Ethan's grip on Lena's hand tightened-firm, but discreet.
"Morning," he replied easily.
Lena's mouth opened, question asked, but the woman had already passed them by.
She turned, following as the stranger disappeared around the corner.
Who was she?
Why had she looked at Lena that way?
A whisper of something brushed the edges of her mind-an emotion, a spark of something forgotten.
Not recognition. Maybe Familiarity.
Lena's heart accelerated.
She had seen that woman before.
She was sure of it, but she couldn't place where she had seen her
A hand on her shoulder made her jump.
Ethan's.
He was staring at her, his eyes unreadable.
"You okay?" he asked.
Lena pretended a smile. "Yeah. Just. Lost in thought."
He scrutinized her face for a moment before nodding.
"Let's go back."
Lena didn't argue.
But as they approached the house, her head reeled.
That woman.
That look.
It was the first crack in the universe Ethan had built for her.
And she was not going to let it close.