"Can you act like an adult now?" Johnathan asks, swinging the keys to the cuffs around his finger.

"He started it with his douchebag one-liners."

"I was stating facts, Cameron." Ryan rolls his eyes. "I'm not here to ruin your marriage so quit being a dick."

"For some reason, I don't believe you." I mutter, my glare causing him to look away.

"Amelia, please," Ryan hand comes up and be grabs Lia's wrist. "I know I made mistakes years ago, but I love you."

A soft snort escapes me before I can stop it. 'I love you so much I cheated.' Ryan doesn't know what love means.

"Ryan..." She whispers frowning. "Don't do this."

"Mia, don't marry him tomorrow."

I should leave. That would be the right thing to do, to give them privacy. Instead of moving away from the cracked door, my feet stay frozen. I know I have nothing to worry about, but I'm curious how she is going to turn him down.

"Tell me you don't love me." He's asking her to break his heart... Does he not see the ring on her finger, the one I put there?

"Ryan, I do love you." Ha! Suck- wait, what? I'm about to make my presence know when she continues. "But it's not the same. We dated for three years. I care about you, but it's the same love I feel for a lot of people in my life. What I feel for Cameron is something I've never felt before."

A grin replaces my frown when she mentions me.

"How safe I feel when he holds me, how loved I feel when he simply looks at me? I didn't think it was possible to feel that way."

Her next sentence fills me with pride.

"I'm sorry Ryan, but I never felt anything close to what I feel for Cameron when I was with you."

"Eight years ago she chose you, Cameron, I'm not here to try to get her back again. I'm here simply because Johnathan called saying she wouldn't see anybody until she saw me. That's it."

Under different circumstances, I might have been comforted by his sentence, but I know that nineteen-year-old Amelia believed she was completely in love with Ryan.

"You can come in." Lia says out loud once Ryan leaves.

"How did you know I was there?" I ask, walking to her. She never even looked in my direction.

She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me to her. "I heard you snort when Ryan said he loved me."

"Oops." I mutter, sheepishly grinning when she glances up and rolls her eyes. Concern suddenly fills me. "Does that mean you said all that just because I was standing there?"

She scoffs, shaking her head as she pushes me away. "I will tell you this once, and then we're never going to talk about this again."

Before I can agree, she starts talking.

"I'll admit when Ryan an I were dating I could have sworn I was in love with him. I thought he might be the one." Hearing that she saw herself possibly marrying Ryan wasn't new, but it still hurt. "But now, with you, I have no hesitation. I know I will never love someone the way I love you and I know without a doubt that you're the one."

Her hand slowly comes up and wipes a tear from my cheek.

"Please," She whispers, rising to her tip-toes and brush my lips with hers. "Don't ever doubt my love for you again." Her breath is hot against my lips and her blue eyes sparkle as she looks up at me.

"Sorry, it's just hard to do when you refused my first proposal." I joke, attempting to lighten the mood.

Instead, it has the opposite effect, and her eyes fill with hurt. Regret instantly fills me.

"Cameron..." She starts to pull away, but I pull her closer.

"That was stupid to say. I'm sorry. I won't talk about the proposal or Ryan again, I promise."

"Mr. James are you ready?" Doctor Percy breaks me from my thoughts.

"I will be once these cuffs get taken off of me." I glare at Johnathan as he pulls me up from the floor and takes the cuffs off.

"Hey, a lot is going on, you didn't need assault charges added to the list."

"Mr. James," Doctor Percy starts causing me to look at him. "I am sure I don't have to remind you how sensitive your wife is going to be. This situation will be hard for both of you but please, if you feel yourself about to lose control, leave the room. Your wife's body has been under too much stress already; Doctor Kingsley feels that even the slightest bit more could compromise the fetus."

I give his one sharp nod in understanding while hoping my eyes don't show my fear.

"With all due respect, just keep your mouth shut."

"Mr. Russel." He nods, at Ryan - who in turn straightens up and follows Percy into the room.

I'm hot on their heels with Johnathan behind me.

Megan is sitting on the bed, Lia's head resting on her shoulder. Lia's face is red, her eyes puffy, a sure sign she's been crying. The urge to wrap my arms around her hits me with an almost unbearable force.

Her eyes immediately snap to Ryan, and a faint smile graces her face.

That's my smile.

She catches my eye, and her grin fades.

"Amelia," Percy catches her attention. "Can I call you Amelia for now?"

She nods, then glances at Ryan.

"Come sit." She pats the bed. "Please." She insists when Ryan shakes his head.

He doesn't even glance at me as he approaches her bed. I move to pull him back, but Isaiah stops me with a subtle shake of his head.

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to sit with you, okay?"

My wife's eyes suddenly fill with hurt and tears.

"What is going on?" She cries. "Everyone is acting weird. I know something is wrong."

"You have amnesia." Meghan suddenly blurts, causing everyone to freeze.

"Mrs. Hunt!" Doctor Percy shouts. "That is not how we handle situations like this."

"Mrs. Hunt?" Amelia questions in shock.

Meghan brings up her left hand and sets it on Lia's leg.

"Wh- I- wheeeeeen?" Amelia squeaks, unable to form a straight sentence.

"Ten years ago..." Meghan says, and Amelia's face pales.

"Ten years?" She whispers. "How many years am I missing?"

"Amelia.." Doctor Percy starts.

"How many years?" She cries, tears streaming. "Johnathan," She gasps. "Mom and Dad."

"You're missing twelve years, and Mom and Dad are fine." Johnathan answers and Doctor Percy sighs.

"I'm sorry but is this a free for all? You all are going to fill my patient in one dramatic sentence at a time?"

"Actually, I'd prefer that..." Lia sniffles, taking a deep breath. She then grabs Meghan's left hand. "How did this happen? It was a misunderstanding right?" There's a spark in her eye when she looks at Isaiah next to me.

"There was definitely some misunderstandings." He replies seriously.

"Back to explaining what's wrong with my patient." Doctor Percy mutters.

"Cameron." Meghan drags my attention from Amelia, and everyone turns to me. Oh, it's my turn for a dramatic sentence.

"We- You and I-"

"We broke up twelve years ago." Ryan interrupts my stuttering.

Amelia's eyes, again, fill with tears. "Why?"

"I made mistakes." Yeah, 'mistakes'- plural.

Ryan glares when a scoff escapes me.

"And it took me too long to apologize, when I did it was too late."

"How late? How late Ryan!?" She screams when he pauses.

"After the rehearsal dinner for your wedding."

"Oh my god." She breathes, horror and confusion fill her face. Her eyes glance down at her left hand and my fist clench around her rings in my pocket.

"Your rings were taken off when you were brought in. They're now in custody of your husband."

Taking that as my cue, I step forward. The erratic beating of my heart is the only thing and can hear. Her rings feel like a massive weight as I pull them from my pocket.

"No." Lia starts frantically shaking her head, and my heart stops.

"Lia, baby," I start, kneeling beside the bed.

"No." Her cries cause my chest to feel as if it's caving in.

"Baby, please," I don't know what I'm begging for. Her to remember us? To accept the rings I'm holding out in front of her? I don't know, but I'm on my knees begging for something.

"Please, Cameron, leave."

"No."

"Cameron," She sobs and I feel my own eyes well with tears. "Leave!"

"I'm not leaving." My voice is rough while I try to keep my own tears at bay. "I love you okay? We're going to figure this out."

My small speech causes more sobs; when I move to touch her, she jumps looking at Meghan.

"Please," She rasps. "Make him leave."

"Mia..." Meghan starts but is interrupted when Lia's heart monitor starts beating erratically.

"Everyone out!" Doctor Percy shouts when Lia's breathing becomes quick and shallow. Johnathan and Ryan both leave the room but my feet are stuck. I'm frozen, unable to look away from my wife who's struggling to breathe. "Doctor Hunt, page Doctor Kingsley and request a fetal monitor be brought up."

At the mention of a fetal monitor, Lia stops breathing altogether.

Her eyes rapidly snap back and forth, from Percy to me. They widen, as the realization sinks in, before rolling backward.

😁