Chapter 87
Present day…
I just went to the town proper yesterday to pick up a few supplies. It’s been months since the incident, yet my memories haven’t come back. I’m just glad that Grant has been patient with me throughout the time I don’t remember anything.
Despite him claiming to be my husband, he hasn’t tried anything with me. Though he sometimes makes advances, which I quickly reject, he doesn’t take them against me. I would eventually apologize for rejecting him, and he would tell me that he understood.
No matter how hard I try to be affectionate with Grant, hoping it might jog my memory, I still can’t connect with him emotionally. Despite his insistence that he’s my husband, he feels like a stranger to me.
Moving to this island just six months ago means we don’t have many photos together from here. But beyond his words, there’s no solid evidence supporting his claim. He has a lot of reasons whenever I ask for our pictures, as if he is trying to avoid it. But he was convincing. I have my doubts, but I can’t find any solid reasons to suspect
Grant.
I was engrossed in tending to the garden when I noticed Steve hurrying towards our house, his breath coming in short gasps as he approached. “Is everything all right, Steve? You seem out of breath,” I inquired, curiosity piqued by his urgency.
“Do you happen to know this guy?” he asked, still catching his breath while showing a photo from his phone.
Steve’s question caught me off guard, and I couldn’t suppress the sudden rush of unease that washed over me. I took the phone from him, studying the photo closely. The man in the picture was a stranger to me, yet there was something oddly familiar about him-a nagging sensation that tugged at the edges of my memory.
“I don’t recognize him,” I stammered, struggling to make sense of the conflicting emotions swirling within me. I had no idea who this man was, but there’s something about him that feels familiar. It was as if I already knew him.
Steve regarded me with concern, his brow furrowing in thought. “Well, if you don’t know him, then I’m glad that I didn’t say anything,” he remarked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
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“What do you mean?” I asked curiously.
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“Well, he has been wondering around town, asking about you,” he answered.
“How did you know that he was looking for me?”
“He was holding a picture of you. Though the woman in the photo that he was holding has long blonde hair while yours is bob-cut brunette, the woman looks exactly like you,” he explained.
Steve’s words sent a shiver down my spine, the mention of a stranger holding a photo of me sending alarm bells ringing in my mind. Despite the discrepancies between the woman in the picture and myself, the resemblance was uncanny, leaving me with an uneasy feeling that refused to be ignored.
“Did he say anything else?” I pressed, my curiosity reaching a fever pitch as I sought answers to the myriad questions swirling in my mind.
Steve shook his head, his expression grave. “Not much. But Grant mentioned something about threats to your life, so I thought it best to come and warn you both,” he explained, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of Grant’s whereabouts.
But before he could go any further, I held up a hand to stop him. “Wait,” I interjected, a surge of determination coursing through me. If there were indeed threats looming over me, I needed to face them head-on, on my own terms. “Let me talk to him. He’s occupied at the moment. Thank you for telling me, Steve. I appreciate it.”
Steve nodded understandingly, his concern evident in his gaze. “No worries, Dylan. Just take care of yourself and Grant,” he replied before turning to leave.
As Steve’s figure faded into the distance, leaving me alone with my thoughts, a sense of urgency swept over me like a tidal wave. The man he had mentioned, the one holding a photo of me, seemed to hold the key to unlocking the secrets of my past. Every fiber of my being screamed for answers, urging me to seek out this mysterious stranger and demand the truth.
But as I grappled with the weight of Steve’s revelation, another unsettling thought gnawed at the edges of my consciousness. Why did I feel compelled to keep this information from Grant? Was it simply a desire to handle the situation on my own terms, or was there something more sinister lurking beneath the surface?
Despite the love and patience Grant had shown me since the accident, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were hidden truths he had yet to reveal. His explanations always seemed to skirt around the edges of the truth, leaving me with more questions than answers.
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With a heavy heart, I realized that I couldn’t trust anyone but myself in this quest for answers. If I wanted to uncover the secrets of my past, I would have to do this treacherous path alone, trusting only in my own instincts to guide me.
As I turned to head back inside the house, a sudden movement caught my eye, and I spun around to find Grant standing behind me. His presence startled me, as I hadn’t heard him approach.
“What’s wrong? You look pale,” he observed, his brow furrowed with concern. I swallowed hard, scrambling for
an excuse.
“N-Nothing. It’s probably just the heat from the sun.” I stammered out, hoping my lie sounded convincing.
“Oh, okay,” he responded, though I could sense a hint of skepticism in his voice.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief when he didn’t press further.
“Was that Steve? What was he doing here?” Grant inquired, curiosity evident in his tone.
My heart skipped a beat as I scrambled to fabricate a plausible explanation. “He was just telling me that there’s a new shipment of supplies that arrived. He’s wondering if I want to check it out when I visit the town,” I improvised, trying to keep my voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in my stomach.
I held my breath as Grant scrutinized me with a suspicious gaze. Every fiber of my being screamed with the effort of appearing calm and composed, desperate to conceal the tangled web of lies that threatened to unravel at any moment. But despite my best efforts, I couldn’t shake the overwhelming sense of fear that gripped me in his
I
presence.
It was a strange and unsettling feeling to stand before him as he studied me with such intensity. In that moment, he seemed more like a stranger than the husband he claimed to be. Doubt crept into my mind like a shadow, casting uncertainty over everything I thought I
Was he truly my husband, as he insisted? Or was there something more
was there something more sinister
sinister lurking beneath the surface of his seemingly benign facade? The questions swirled in my mind, each one more troubling than the last, as I struggled to make sense of the enigma that was Grant.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally
swered. ”
You won’t be back in town until next week. He doesn’t need the trouble of visiting just to inform you of that,” he a cold
His words cut through the air like a knife, their cold aid with e
ne.
s sending a shiver down my spine. I could feel the weight
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of his suspicion bearing down on me, each syllable laden with a sense of unease that I couldn’t shake.
As his words sank in, a realization dawned upon me like a bolt of lightning. It suddenly made sense why he had always b
so
ant about keeping me away from the town and why he never allowed me to venture there alone. There was something he was hiding-something he didn’t want me to
The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, painting a picture of deception and secrecy that chilled me to the core. Was he truly my husband, or was he something more sinister? And what secrets lay hidden behind the facade of our idyllic island life?
s burned within me with an intensity unlike
In that moment, the desperation to reclaim my lost memories burned within me with an intensity unlike anything I had ever felt before. I longed to peel back the layers of deceit and uncover the truth that lay buried beneath the surface, no matter the cost. For until I knew the truth, I would forever be trapped in a web of lies, held captive by the mysteries of my own mind.
heavy sigh, I conceded and chose to play along with his charade. The less he suspects that I’m harboring doubts, the greater my opportunities to uncover the truth will be.
reatm
“Yeah, you’re right. He probably has some deliveries on the nearby island, so he decided to drop by. But can we still check it? I was going to check out some new plants for my garden,” I said.
Grant’s expression softened slightly, his suspicion seemingly placated by my explanation. “Sure, we can check it out together,” he replied, though his tone still carried a hint of guardedness. “Why don’t we get inside for now? It’s getting dark already.”
I smiled in response before looking back at the vast ocean behind us as if the answers that I was looking for were there. I let out a loud sigh before following Grant inside the house.