Chapter 19: Chapter 19

JAMIE

I held my coffee cup close, the heat seeping through the ceramic and warming my chilly fingers. My eyes wandered over to my dad, who was stirring his own coffee, lost in thought.

“I can’t stop thinking about it,” I admitted. “I feel so guilty. It was the last thing she gave me.”

My dad looked at me and reached across the table, his hand covering mine.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, sweetheart,” he comforted me. “Your mom wouldn’t want that.”

He held onto a glimmer of hope. “It might show up, just like Mason said. If not, we can always get you a new one.”

A lump formed in my throat. I appreciated his effort to console me, but a new necklace wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be from her, something she touched and held.

It would be a mere replica. An empty replacement. I forced a smile, trying to hide the disappointment I felt.

“Did they take anything else?” my father asked.

I shook my head, recalling Mason’s words. “No, I don’t think so. But he said the house was a mess, except for Penelope’s room. Mason replaced everything before we got home because he didn’t want me to know.”

My father nodded in understanding. “I’m sure Mason meant well. You have enough on your plate without having to worry about this.”

I sighed, a mix of gratitude and frustration. “I get it… I know he’s trying to protect me. I just can’t help but wonder if he’s hiding anything else.”

I know I shouldn’t doubt him. Part of me understands that Mason was just trying to shield me from unnecessary stress.

But this is uncharted territory for us, and I just want to be treated as his equal.

Penelope’s bright, eager eyes and the hopeful tilt of her head were hard to resist. When she asked to go to the aquarium, I couldn’t say no.

The thought of denying her request filled me with guilt, a reminder of the life she had been missing.

Having Ezra by my side was a comforting presence. This was new for me—a day out with Penelope without Mason.

The idea of navigating the busy aquarium with a four-year-old, while being physically limited, filled me with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Penelope, with her endless energy and knack for disappearing in a flash, was a constant worry. But with Ezra’s vigilant eye, I felt a sense of calm.

His experience and training in protective detail were evident, and knowing he would ensure Penelope’s safety at all times was a relief.

Penelope’s high-pitched squeal cut through the soft hum of the underwater world. Her small, eager hands pointed toward a shimmering expanse of blue.

“Mom, look!” Her yell echoed slightly in the enclosed space.

“Okay, I’m coming,” I responded, a smile spreading across my face as I watched her excitement grow.

As I maneuvered my wheelchair along the smooth path, I felt a wave of gratitude for being able to share this moment with her, despite my limitations.

I turned my attention to the spectacle that had caught her eye. There, swimming gracefully through the water, was a turtle, its shell a mosaic of ancient-looking patterns.

Its movements were deliberate, almost meditative, as it navigated its underwater domain.

In her excitement, Penelope pressed her small hand against the glass, her finger tracing an invisible line across the clear barrier.

She held her breath as she watched, hoping the turtle would come closer.

A strange feeling washed over me. It was as if I had seen this scene before, a déjà vu of the heart rather than the mind.

There was no image in my mind, no vivid snapshot of a past event to latch onto. It was just a feeling…like it had happened a thousand times before.

“Can I have a turtle?” Penelope’s voice was filled with hope and determination, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Her small hand tightened around mine.

I hesitated. “Um… I’m not sure how your dad will feel about that,” I replied, smiling.

“Please,” she pleaded, her voice climbing an octave, pulling at my heartstrings. Her eyes, wide and brimming with hope, were locked on me.

A twinge of guilt washed over me at the thought of denying her request.

I smiled playfully. “You do realize that pets are a lot of work, right? I hope you’re ready for that.”

“So, I can have one?” Her face was filled with disbelief and excitement. I nodded, unable to resist the infectious joy radiating from her.

In that moment, time seemed to slow down. Her laughter filled the air like a burst of sunshine.

I wasn’t sure how Mason would react to the idea. The mental image of him, the embodiment of order and cleanliness, cohabiting with a messy, aquatic creature was amusing.

But that was a problem for another time. Right now, there was a little girl to spoil and a turtle to find.

With my father’s help, we set up the aquarium, and Penelope was bathed and tucked into bed before eight o’clock.

I think he appreciated the distraction, and the company late in the day.

I sank into the plush cushions of the living room couch, remote in hand, flipping through TV channels to ward off my boredom.

With Penelope asleep and my dad gone home, the house was eerily quiet, a silence I wasn’t accustomed to.

The shrill ring of the intercom snapped me out of my daydream. Grateful that Mason had synced the cameras and intercom to my phone, I reached for it on the coffee table.

The screen lit up, revealing the stern figure of our security guard at the front gate.

“Hello?” I asked, hoarse from fatigue.

“Good evening, Miss Jamie. It’s Vince from the front gate. I have an Eoin Newman here to see you,” the guard’s voice echoed through the intercom.

“Eoin Newman?” I echoed, racking my brain. The name Eoin was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

I could hear a man speaking in the background.

“He says he’s Mr. Knight’s cousin. He’s here to drop off something Mr. Knight left at the office this evening,” the guard clarified.

Suddenly, it clicked. Mason’s cousin, of course. Mason had mentioned him a few times, albeit briefly, and only in a work-related context.

From what I gathered, Eoin practically ran the company when Mason wasn’t around.

“Oh, right. Sorry about that. I forgot. You can let him in. Thanks, Vince,” I replied, regaining my composure.

I picked up my walking stick from its spot next to the couch, its familiar weight providing a sense of stability. I headed toward the front door, pausing briefly to check my reflection in the hallway mirror. A quick tuck behind my ear fixed the loose strands of hair, and I gave myself a once-over.

Thankfully, I hadn’t given in to the temptation of changing into pajamas once Penelope was asleep. I was still in the casual outfit I’d worn all day—skinny jeans, a top, and a casually thrown-on cardigan.

A soft knock at the door signaled the end of my brief moment of self-reflection. I swung the door open to reveal Eoin on the other side. He was of average height, with dark hair slicked back. A warm smile spread across his lips as our eyes met.

“Jamie… Hi!” he greeted me, his voice carrying a hint of familiarity.

“Hi Eoin! I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize who you were when security said your name. My brain is all over the place,” I apologized, my lips curving into a self-conscious smile.

“That’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” he assured me, his smile broadening. “Mason left this file at the office. I know it’s important, so I wanted to make sure he got it tonight.”

“Um, he’s not home yet. Do you want to come in and wait?” I offered, stepping aside to let him in.

“Sure, okay!” he replied, stepping over the threshold.

Eoin followed me into the kitchen, his long strides filling the space. There was something familiar about him, a comforting presence that eased the tension of the unexpected visit.

“Penelope is asleep so it’s super quiet. I was just about to open a bottle of wine. Would you like a glass?” I asked, reaching for the corkscrew.

Eoin’s lips curved into a smile as he nodded. “I’m driving… Maybe just one.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me when Eoin accepted my offer for a drink. I wanted him to stick around. I had a hunch he knew me before the accident, and maybe he could help me piece together my past.

“Could you grab some glasses from that rack over there?” I asked, pointing toward the corner. He nodded and returned shortly with two glasses in hand.

Eoin brought our drinks to the living area, placing mine on the coffee table before settling into the armchair. I snuggled into the couch, pulling a soft blanket over me.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here,” Eoin said, his gaze wandering around the room. “We had a break-in while we were away. Most of the decorations and furniture were damaged.”

“Mason had everything replaced before we got home. Did he tell you?” I asked.

He nodded slowly. “He mentioned it in passing.”

“He’s doubled up on security since then,” I confessed, feeling a hint of unease. “It’s so strange to me, living like this. Having security around twenty-four seven. The most I’ve ever had is a night security guard at an apartment building I used to live in.”

“A good life comes with its downfalls,” Eoin replied. “If someone wants something, they’re going to take it from the rich, not the middle-class folks like me.”

I still see myself as middle class. I don’t earn any money here. My name isn’t on this house. Everything in this house, all the money in the bank account he set up for me—it’s all his.

A comfortable silence fell between us as we sipped our wine. I found myself studying Eoin, his features, his dark hair. I was trying to remember him from before the accident, but my mind drew a blank.

“You look a lot like Mason, especially the eyes.”

Eoin raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. “Really? That’s a first.”

“I look at Penelope sometimes and I see my mother, and other times I see myself at her age. But when she scrunches up her nose and pulls a face, I see my brother.”

We both laughed. The shared moment lightened the mood. I felt a connection forming between us. Talking to Eoin felt familiar, like catching up with an old friend.

“Were we close before my accident?” I asked. “There are a lot of people I don’t remember, but I get a feeling when I’m around someone I used to know. You feel familiar to me.”

Eoin looked thoughtful. He took a sip of his wine, considering my words. “We were friends, especially after Penelope was born and Mason wasn’t around. I was helping Harry run the company, sometimes from his home, and you and Penelope would visit him often. We got to know each other better.”

A wave of sadness washed over me. The pieces of my life were slowly coming together, but the missing parts felt like gaping holes. “I hate that there are so many people I’ve forgotten. Waking up from a coma with no memories feels like some cruel joke.”

Eoin’s expression softened. “You’re getting your life back, even if it’s not at the pace you might want. Last I knew, you were in a wheelchair. Now you’re walking around on your own. I’d call that a win.”

I chuckled. “Well, when you put it like that… I don’t know. I guess sometimes I just get angry that I missed out on so much,” I confessed, glancing at Eoin. “What was Mason like after my accident? People don’t really like to talk to me about that time.”

The question hung in the air, a silent plea for information.

“He was a mess,” Eoin began. “He wouldn’t talk about it, but I got the impression that he blamed himself for what happened, even though there was nothing he could have done.”

“He’s never talked to me about it,” I agreed quietly. “Was he there for her… Penelope?” I asked, my heart pounding with a mix of hope and fear.

Eoin hesitated, his gaze shifting away from mine. It was a clear sign that the answer wasn’t going to be easy. “From what I understand, he was drinking a lot back then,” he began, his voice low. “Mason was in a bad place for a while, and he pushed everyone away. Your parents took care of Penelope until he was ready.”

I was beginning to grasp why he was so tight-lipped about it all. He was still shouldering the guilt for my accident, for the decisions he made. There was a significant part of me that wished he’d been there for Penelope back then. She was without a mother… She needed a father figure more than anything.

Yet, I was struck by a car right in front of him, and he’d been blaming himself for not being able to prevent it. He coped with his sorrow in his own unique way.

“Don’t let him know I’ve said anything,” Eoin implored me. “I realize you’re curious about a lot, but Mason should be the one to tell you.”

I gave a nod of understanding.

“I won’t breathe a word.”