noticed Rhys trembling, so he placed his hand on his back, hoping to calm him and wondering if this was all too much for him. Maybe they shouldn’t have come out here after all. “Are you o—”
Rhys gave him a stern admonishment through eye contact alone, so Emerson clamped his mouth shut and simply provided him silent support as Rhys worked through his thoughts and feelings.
He supposed being here was traumatic even if Rhys didn’t remember. He’d read that sometimes just the idea of an upsetting event could trigger something in an amnesia patient’s psyche. And in this instance, Rhys might’ve picked up on the danger of the situation.
“No way could you get me up there,” Sam blurted, coming to stand beside them. “The probability of something happeni—”
“Sam!” Emerson warned, cutting him off.
“Not sure I can either,” Rhys replied with a hollow laugh.
Audrey gasped. “But it’s part of who you are.”
Rhys shrugged. “Maybe not anymore. It feels different. At least right now.”
When their eyes met, there was sadness and worry in Rhys’s gaze, like maybe he didn’t know who he was anymore or didn’t quite recognize himself. And Emerson knew all too well what that felt like.
Audrey looked upset, and Emerson felt like he was supposed to say something, but he didn’t know what. Fuck, this was turning into a miserable outing.
“Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?” Rhys added. “But it was a nice drive, and it’s cool to be outside.”
“There was a sign on that path to a scenic overlook.” Audrey pointed in the direction of a tree-shaded area. “Does anyone want to walk for a bit?”
“You can see the ocean from that location,” Rhys replied. “Why don’t we all do it? And before your brother or Sam complain, it’s not far.”
“Yes.” Sam fist-bumped the air, and as they made their way toward the path, he picked up a couple more rocks as well as a walking stick. Good old Sam.
Rhys was right. It wasn’t that many steps to the scenic view, but he could tell by the way he held on to his ribs that the incline to the structure didn’t feel very good. The area was crowded with onlookers trying to take photos, so they waited a bit, Sam on tiptoes, trying to see over people’s shoulders. Once they finally got their turn and Audrey took a short video, Sam whined about getting bitten by mosquitoes and wanting to head back. Emerson rolled his eyes, and Audrey pointed out that he wouldn’t make that great of a biologist if he couldn’t hack it in nature.
Emerson thought for sure they’d start a shoving match again, but instead Audrey surprised him by squatting down and giving her brother a piggyback ride back through the trees.
Maybe the fresh air had been good for them after all.
Once they got down the incline, Emerson stepped in front of Rhys and squatted. “C’mon.”
“Come on what?” Rhys asked in a confused tone.
“Duh, I’ll give you a lift,” Emerson said.
“I’m too heavy,” he scoffed.
“Try me,” Emerson countered, and after only a moment’s hesitation, Rhys climbed on his back. They trudged toward their car as Rhys pointed out other spots they could visit on another trip. Feeling Rhys’s breath in his ear and his limbs wrapped around him did strange things to Emerson’s stomach as he reveled in the closeness.
“Thank you.” When Rhys’s breath ghosted across his ear, Emerson trembled and nearly lost his footing, but he held himself together as Rhys’s arms tightened around his neck. “You sure I’m not too heavy?”
Emerson shook his head. Even if he were, Emerson wouldn’t admit it. He wouldn’t give up this chance to be close to Rhys even if it wrecked him later. So as Rhys settled in closer and Emerson felt his stubbly jaw brush against his ear, he sighed, basking in the roughness of it, imagining the sting against his cheek and lips and throat for wholly different reasons.
After they were loaded in the car, Emerson pulled onto the road. “There’s an awesome ice-cream place off the next exit.”
“Sold,” Sam replied, and Emerson smiled.
As they left the park, Rhys looked back as if trying one last time to rouse his memory. Or maybe he was saying goodbye to the Rhys he once knew, and Emerson didn’t know how to feel about that.
15
Rhys
“Happy birthday to you. You live in a zoo…”
Rhys smirked at the Rose family as they surrounded him at the kitchen table. They had placed a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting in front of