The Demon's Angel (VegasPete AU)

Twenty three - Memory Lane

[Vegas]

"So, he really doesn't remember you anymore?"

I downed the drink in my glass completely before answering.

"Nope. According to that bastard, he can't ever remember being a ghost."

Mark was giving me a look of pity, which to be honest was making me feel so much worse. Yesterday had been so hard for me, reuniting again with Pete after three whole years of not seeing him. I'd been dreaming a lot about how that first moment was going to be, how I was going to react and in all my imaginations, I'd always run up to hug him because that was what I wanted to do the most but, I couldn't actually do that because Pete no longer knew who I was. It was painful, standing so close to him on that first day and seeing it in his eyes that I was nothing more than his boss's nephew.

"So, what are you going to do?" Mark asked me. "Try and make him remember you? Or let it go and start over?"

I'd given this a lot of thought and I still hadn't been able to come up with an answer. I'd thought about starting over, just keeping everything Pete and I had experienced within myself and starting a completely new journey with him. But the problem was, patience. Would I be patient enough to wait for him to start seeing me the same way he used to? Or...what if he doesn't? Being my soulmate did not mean he would automatically love me. I didn't realise I was tightening my hold on my glass until Mark pointed it out.

"Calm down, bro!"

I sighed. "I'm scared."

"About?"

"What if he won't be able to love me again?"

This had been a constant fear in my mind, that along with the memories of our time together, that his love for me was long gone as well. My mind fleeted back to yesterday, when I'd let my emotions overtake me and tried to kiss him. He didn't run away, nor did he try to avoid it but, what if he didn't do any of these because he was scared? Because he was a bodyguard and I was his new boss? Because he was worried about being kicked out? My paranoia antics had doubled over the years and I hated it.

Mark had an amused expression on his face now, shaking his head at me.

"You being so head over hills over someone wasn't something any of us ever expected to happen." He chuckled and I glared at him, pissed that he was finding such a situation funny.

"Are you going to help? Or just keep on making jokes?"

He lifted his hands up in defence. "Relax, relax. To be honest, I don't think you have anything to be worried about. There was clearly something in you that made him love you before, as long as you haven't lost it, then it should be okay."

But what if I did? Was I still the same Vegas I was at 18?

"So what do you think I should do? Focus on getting him to like me all over again?" I blew a breath. "Let our past go?"

Mark pressed his lips together, thinking for a moment. "How about both?"

I quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Have you actively tried to make him remember you?"

I shook my head. "Well, that Angel man said-"

"Forget what he said for a second," Mark interjected, dropping his glass on the table. "Have you actively tried to make Pete remember you?"

With narrowed eyes, I rested my elbows on the table. "No...what are you thinking?"

"Take him out on a date, and at the same time, try jugging up his memory by doing the things that you both have done together before and at the same time, lay some new moves on him." He downed the last contents of his cup before continuing, "Then, if maybe he's still not able to remember, it'd still be a win-win because he'd still end up liking you."