Creed was ignoring Cole and watching Meg instead. She was lying on her side, her back to him. Her dark hair spilling behind her, showing not only the beautiful curve of her shoulder and neck, but the angry, fresh cuts inside the infinity symbol at the nape of her neck.
“Meg?” Creed was turned around in his seat so he could whisper into the back where his sun and moon just breathed a deep sigh.
“Hmm?”
“Are you awake?”
“Yes.”
“How do you feel?”
“Thoughtful.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Who I am.”
“You have no memories at all?”
“The furthest back I can remember was a few hours ago on the helicopter.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Tell me about myself.”
The rest of the car’s occupants chattered on about snacks and gas and bathroom breaks. Meg and Creed were in their own world as they spoke.
“You are a metahuman. Williams, the bloody guy in the chopper, experimented on us as children. Our DNA was altered by an injection of what’s called the Infinite Serum. Your mom, Dr. Margo Winter, rescued you and your brothers from him, hiding you away for years.”
“I’ve lost all these memories—I’ve lost myself.”
The rest of the SUV had quieted to listen to their conversation.
“Meg, I was thinking,” Evan spoke up, “It’s possible the ‘perfect concussion’ Arkdone performed on you to wipe your memory could heal over time.”
“What do you mean?” Creed asked.
“He’s right. I’ve been thinking the same,” Sloan nodded.
“I mean, the machine’s sub aural blast targeted the part of your brain that holds long-term memories—the hippocampus. If I understand the method correctly, it basically created targeted damage to that part of your brain. Like a tiny explosion went off right there. Well, as a metahuman you have advanced healing capabilities. While I doubt a human would ever recover the functioning of that damaged brain tissue, you may be different.”
“Are you saying I could get my memory back as my brain heals?”
“Maybe. It’s possible.”
“When?”
“We may have rapid healing, Meg, but even our healing takes time. I would like to monitor your memories over a period of the next year or two to look for progress.”
“That’s a long time,” Creed voiced the words Meg couldn’t.
“The injury she sustained was very serious.”
“Meanwhile, we can tell you all about your life before and you could make new memories in the here and now,” Alik offered gently.
Meg moved slowly to sit up, careful not to disturb the sleeping coydog who kept her so warm.
“There’s not much else that can be done, I suppose.” Meg couldn’t meet Creed’s gaze for a moment before she finally gave in to the draw. She looked at the chiseled-face, blue-eyed man who watched her with a mixture of devotion and concern.
“You and me, we were together?”
Creed tried not to cringe at her use of the past-tense. He nodded, yes.
“Did I love you?”
“You did. And I have loved you from the first moment we met.”
“How long were we a couple?”
“Not long enough,” Creed answered sadly.
“You gave me this ring. We were serious.” She said the words as if she was trying them on for size. She looked down at her hand and slowly spun the band on her ring finger.
“I know you don’t think you remember me, but a part of you must. It’s how I found you out there at the bottom of the mountainside.”
Meg’s eyes watched his face as he spoke. She nodded slowly, acknowledging his claim. “But I don’t think it’s right for me to wear this,” she slipped the band off and held it out for him.
Creed didn’t move. His heart was squeezing so tightly in his chest, he couldn’t breathe.
Meg’s hand hung in the air as she waited patiently for Creed to regain some sense of control.
“I appreciate that we had something, but I cannot expect you to wait to see if I regain my memory.”
“We could start over.” Creed didn’t care that desperation laced his words. His heart was breaking.
Meg shrugged softly, “Maybe, but it’s still not right for me to wear your ring while we’re getting reacquainted.”
The SUV was quiet, overflowing with Creed’s heartbreak, Meg’s coolness and everyone else’s awkward embarrassment at being unwilling witnesses to the break up.
Farrow pulled into a parking spot in the otherwise empty rest stop. The doors flew open the moment she put the car in park as everyone wanted to escape the uncomfortable air inside.
“How about those snacks?” Cole asked Alik and Evan as he reached way above his head, stretching.