The Princess and the Guard (Book 1)

Fifty-Six

Juliette arched her back. Noah said she had come to the gym with him before, and she tried to hold on to that so she didn't feel quite so awkward.

"Are you okay?" he asked when he neared her room.

She forced a nod.

"How'd your headache?"

"Better."

Noah smiled. "We'll take it easy today, just in case."

Juliette filled her lungs, walking with him down the corridor toward a small door built into the wall that led to another series of small hallways that eventually spit them out into a large room filled with exercise equipment.

There were a few others in the room, so Noah guided her to an empty corner. While he did pull-ups, she sank to the ground and did some pushups. The back of her head pulsed when she went down, so she didn't do too many of them.

Sinking back on her heels, she watched Noah finish his set. The edges of her vision blurred, and she crushed her eyes shut. The base of her neck tingled, and she could remember, vividly, sleeping in his bed. She didn't remember what brought her to his room, only that she was afraid, and he let her take the bed while he slept on the floor.

Her eyes welled up and she tried to remember more. Why was she afraid? Why was he so willing to give up his bed for her?

"Jules? Hey, what's wrong? Does your head hurt again?"

Juliette shook her head. Noah appeared in front of her, his eyebrows drawn in concern. Her lightly rubbed her arm and she fumbled for his hand. "You're... perfect."

Noah looked like he might laugh. "What?"

Juliette blinked, slowly. The inside of eyelids felt like they were made of sandpaper. She opened her mouth to say that something was coming to her, but she couldn't hold on to it long enough to figure it out.

"Take a breath."

Juliette pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. There was a bruise somewhere on her face—her cheekbone, right below her eye. It was from Odette. Odette had hurt her. She had tried to hurt Noah.

Noah took her face in his hands. "Look at me."

She did.

"You're okay. If something's coming to you, let it. Don't try so hard; let your mind remember on its own."

Juliette managed a nod, though she wished he wouldn't take his hands from her face. She filled her lungs, then pushed herself up.

She worked out for a little while longer before going back up to her room to shower and dress for the morning.

A small tinge of dread settled in her stomach. She knew she'd be going back to the infirmary today, as per Odette's instructions before she left. She'd been trying to tell herself over and over that it would be okay. The doctors were trying to help her, they were trying to fix whatever caused her to lose her memory.

She would survive. She would remember Noah.

Sitting with her back to the heating vent so her hair would hopefully dry faster, Juliette played around on her tablet while waiting for either Noah or another guard to come up and get her for breakfast.