Edge of the Heat 2 (Westwood Harbor Corruption) by Lisa Ladew Page B

sighed. “I really do think he’ll be OK.”
    The phone Hawk had given her buzzed. Emma wasn ’t sure if she should answer it or not. She turned it over and a text message popped up on the screen. Emma couldn’t help but read it. Hawk. He’s awake. The doctors are done. You can come back.
    “ Oh, Jerry, Vivian, I’m so sorry but I have to go. Jerry, he’s awake,” she squeezed Jerry’s arm too hard. “You guys have a great time.” She rushed away from the table without waiting for them to respond, weaving between neighboring tables as fast as she could. She ran to the elevator and jammed the button a dozen times. “Hurry, hurry.”
    The elevator came and she filed in, not waiting for anyone else, but jamming the close doors button over and over. On the 12th floor she sprinted down the hall, past t he agents at the door.
    Pulling it open, she rushed into the room. Hawk was standing at the side of the bed in mid-sentence. He stopped talking and looked up at her. She barely registered the concerned look on his face and then looked at Craig. His eyes wer e open! He swung his head towards her, expression blank. She smiled and walked towards him. “Craig, you’re awake, how do you feel?”
    His eyebrows drew together like he was confused. He did not seem happy to see her. In a weak and raspy voice he asked Emma “What are you doing here?”
    Hawk spoke up gently. “ He doesn’t remember anything from about the last week. Not even going to work the night before he was shot.”
    Emma pulled back like she was struck. Did that mean he didn’t remember forgiving her?
     

Chapter 9
     
    Emma felt like breaking down and crying right here. Or turning tail and running. Just hitting the trail and running out all this frustration and fear and anger. Frustration at having Craig stolen from her again. Fear that he’d never remember. Anger that this all had happened in the first place.
    He didn ’t remember forgiving her. In fact, every time he looked at her he had that hurt look on his face, the one he wore right before he walked out of her house and out of her life.
    She desperately wanted him to remember on his own. She couldn’t imagine trying to explain to him that he had forgiven her. Because he had to feel the forgiveness himself. Explaining wouldn’t do a damn thing.
    Hawk excused them and took her out in the hall.
    “The doctor called it retrograde amnesia and said he probably will remember the events that he has forgotten, but that he may not. He says the brain swelling may have caused it, or just the fact that his brain hadn’t had the time to commit the short term memory into long term memory yet. As he heals more he may remember, or something may trigger the memories to return. He said we just have to wait and see.”
    Emma grabbed Hawk ’s hand and looked imploringly up into his face. “Hawk, I did something stupid a week and a half ago and he was hurt by it, and mad at me. But he had forgiven me! When he put me into that helicopter he told me he wanted me to move in with him. He practically said he loved me. But now he doesn’t remember it and he is upset with me again.”
    Hawk nodded along as she spo ke, understanding filling his features. “Yes, I see that. I’m not sure what to do about it. Should we tell him, or just let him remember on his own?”
    Emma dropped her head. “ I don’t know. It’s torture for me to not be able to touch him and kiss him, but I can tell he doesn’t even want me in the room! But just telling him he forgave me is not going to make him be able to feel it.”
    Hawk nodded again. “ Why don’t we just stay close, and fill him in on everything that’s happened in the last few days and see what happens. We don’t have to try to convince him to forgive you again, but maybe something will jog his memory.”
    “ Ok,” Emma whispered, hoping against hope that Hawk was right.
    They went back in the room. Emma moved to the chair and Hawk brought in another chair from