Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 32.1: The Visit

"I got it," Reine yelled as she hurried down the hall past the stairs toward her entryway. Shifting the stack of freshly laundered towels in her hands, she pulled the front door open just as the sound of the doorbell died down.

Without any acknowledgement, a tall, blonde figure stepped inside and enveloped her in his arms.

"What the--" she began as Gabe bent down to kiss her, crushing the towels between their bodies.

The unexpected act threw her for a loop. The last time they'd kissed was while he was in the hospital recovering from surgery. For months afterward, she believed he was dead. Even after the truth came out, the fact he had no memories of her diminished Reine's hopes of their relationship ever returning to what it had been. Now he was standing in her home, kissing her with the same passion she remembered. In fact, almost everything about him was the same: the feel of his soft lips, the rhythm of his ragged breathing, the warmth of his fingertips.

But something was off, and it wasn't just because he wasn't supposed to know her.

"Who was . . .?" Noor took the first few steps down the stairs. "Woops. Don't mind me. I wasn't even here." She quickly retreated upon seeing the couple.

While Reine briefly opened her eyes at the interruption, Gabe was undeterred. Sliding one hand down her back and over her bottom, he grabbed her thigh and lifted her off the floor. She let out a small squeal of surprise, but his ravenous mouth on hers prevented anything more from escaping. She squeezed her arm between their bodies and touched his face with her fingertips. He gave a content sigh and slowed his kisses to gentle nibbles and pecks.

Reine could feel herself slipping from his grip, so she pulled her face away from his and scrunched her nose. "Can you put me down, and explain yourself, please?"

"Oh, right." He smiled while lowering her feet to the floor. "I just missed you so much."

Closing the door behind him, he wobbled slightly as he walked back to her.

"Are you drunk?" Her pregnancy had dulled her sense of smell, and Reine's eyes now widened at the realization.

Gabe winked. "Little bit."

"Of course! That's why you're acting like this. Here. Come sit," she said, leading the way into the living room. Still holding the towels in her lap, she took a seat on the couch. It was a conscious move to delay revealing her condition for as long as possible.

Gabe stopped behind her, leaned down, and placed his mouth next to her ear. 

"I'm like this because five minutes after downing my first-ever martini, I got my life back. And do you know what my first memory was?" he whispered before grazing her earlobe with his lips. "You." His warm breath carried the single syllable into her ear before it quickly travelled through the rest of her body like electricity.

"This is a bad idea," she whispered as his lips travelled down to her neck, knowing she couldn't resist his advances much longer.

He drew away and looked at her from above. "After that scene last weekend, can you blame me for being curious about who you were to me? A guy with memory loss doesn't just dismiss the words 'former lover' when it comes to a woman like you," he said.

He'd misinterpreted her concerns, but Reine went along. "You know the side effects, right? The juniper may make you remember, but it takes away your invincibility."

Gabe smiled. "You always did worry too much. Here, you need to relax." Leaning over her, he put his hands on her wrists and slowly drew them upwards to caress her arms.

"Ooh, that's nice," she admitted as goose bumps formed over her skin. "Do it again."

He laughed and repeated the action, once again getting the same response.