“Emery?” I tip toe into my room but he doesn’t even acknowledge my presence. It’s been exactly two days since we found out why Vince hates Emery so much and the police started looking for him. However there’s no trace of him, just like there wasn’t with Emery’s dad which only makes me worry more.

Emery sits on the edge of my bed, holding the photograph of his parents in his trembling hands. His eyes are covered by his dark hair as he leans over it, staring at it intently. He hasn’t really said anything at all for the past two days, not even to my parents. So when he doesn’t respond to me, I’m not surprised.

He doesn’t look up or hide the picture away when I sit on the bed beside him, our arms touching each other. The photo I had seen so many times in secret looks different in his hands, as if now I’m seeing something in it that I didn’t before.

“Are you okay?” For a while, I don’t say anything more to him. I just try my best to give him comfort in his darkness. He’s going through so much that I don’t even know how to relate to. Both of his parents are dead, a bunch of people want him dead and he can’t remember me, a huge chunk of his life since he came to live on the farm. He must be extremely strong to stay sane throughout all of this.

“Even though my father was a horrible human being,” Emery whispers, finally speaking to me. “He still was the only father I had and the only parent I had left.” My heart sinks as I remember what Mary said about giving him some credit for the way he was acting. Once again, she’s exactly right. I don’t know what to say. I want to tell him how sorry I am however I can’t, because he wants to remember what happened to his father on his own. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers and finally meets my eyes. “Even though I can’t remember, it’s still not fair for me to drag you into this.”

I shake my head as he sets the photograph gently on the floor. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Emery.” His eyes move down to my neck and stay there. My cheeks flush and I suddenly feel embarrassed. “What are you staring at?” I whisper, avoiding his eyes.

His hand reaches out and brushes mine, which I hadn’t even realized was touching my neck. He moves his palm closer to him, pulling me along with it because of what’s in it.

“The necklace,” he murmurs, looking at the horse I had been twirling between my fingers without knowing. “I gave to you on your birthday.

My eyes grow wide and my breath catches in my throat. “You remember?”

He suddenly lets it drop, gently bumping onto my chest. His blue eyes meet mine again however he looks distant, as if he’s somewhere else rather than in my bedroom. Then, as soon as he drifted off, he’s back again.

“How much do you remember, Emery?” I grab both of his hands and try to lower my voice. “Do you remember me?”

His eyes quickly leave mine and stare down at the floor. “I only remember giving you the necklace.”

I squeeze his hands. “So you remember that moment with me?” When he nods his head, I immediately let go of his hands and wrap my arms around him. Before he could remember everything except for me. Now, at least he can remember one time with me. Even if it was a horrible and embarrassing night.

“River,” Emery mumbles, pulling back so he can see me face to face. “Do you…” he trails off, looking down. He takes a deep breath and then meets my eyes again. “Do you still love me?”

This time I’m the one to avoid his eyes. “Emery,” I whisper, not wanting to tell him. He grabs my chin and raises my gaze to meet his.

“You’re not,” he whispers, his eyes searching mine for something.

I shake my head no and feel my cheeks grow pink. “Emery, I am still in love with you,” I tell him quietly. My voice is so low that I’m unsure if he can even hear me. “It’s just hard to tell you that when you don’t feel the same way.”

Emery takes the necklace again, gently resting it in his fingers. He stares at it, growing distant for the second time. Once he’s back again, he drops it and meets my eyes.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you that night,” he mumbles shyly. I never thought I would see the day when Emery Hastings would be shy and embarrassed. However I suppose this isn’t the full Emery if he can’t remember why he hates me. “I want to remember.”

His eyes meet mine full of wonder and hope. They look over every part of my face, searching for some sign of recognition.

“What are you doing?” I ask as his hand moves my face back and forth. He stops and lowers his hand so he can stare at me.

“I want to try something,” he murmurs, leaning closer. His blue eyes are so close that I can see the tiny black flecks in them and how gorgeous they really are as the shades mix together to create a window into Emery. He stops moving closer and raises his eyebrows slightly. “Can I?”

“Go ahead,” I murmur, taking a deep breath. Our eyes lock as he gets only seconds away from touching me. I close my eyes and let my other senses take over. I can’t overcome the joy that Emery remembers a memory with me and all it took was him seeing the necklace. I push the thought away of being yelled at for snooping through his backpack when he does remember everything.

Emery’s hands grab the spot between my neck and cheeks. He doesn’t pull me or push me away as I keep my eyes closed, waiting for what’s to come. This is a moment that can make things go extremely well or horribly worse, however I just hope that what happens is what is meant to be.

“River Snow,” Emery murmurs, testing my full name for the first time since the accident. Then his lips meet mine. They’re gentle, cautious and full of need. Without realizing it, my fingers run through his soft hair pulling him closer to me. Even though I’ve kissed Emery many times before, this time feels like the first all over again.

Slowly I fall onto my back and Emery leans over me, not letting our lips part. His hands that before were cradling my head are no longer doing so. His left hand holds him up over me while his right trails my neck, each fingertip bringing up goose bumps.

Whether he remembers or not, it’s clear that Emery still has some feelings for me. My fingers run down the back of his head and onto his neck, under his black t-shirt. I’m too caught up in the moment to realizing what I’m doing until I gasp, feeling the scar.

Emery pulls back so he can see me. His hair hangs straight down, creating a black wall around his face as he leans over me. Despite the awful feeling that started creeping over me, I have the urge to giggle. He looks absolutely adorable as he stares down at me, eyes full of curiosity.

“What is it?” He asks nervously. “Did I do something wrong?”

I shake my head no and laugh lightly. “You’re just extremely cute.”

“Well,” Emery murmurs, leaning down until our noses are touching. “You’re extremely gorgeous.”

I don’t have time to get embarrassed as his lips brush mine again. Just like every time, we become inseparable. Every single thought is pushed from my mind as we kiss, as if we are the only two people in the world and nothing else exists. However, as soon as it leaves, it comes back almost as quickly when Emery pulls back.

His eyes are still closed, as our lips are barely touching. He doesn’t move and I’m not even positive if he’s breathing or not. Regardless, I get the feeling that I should stay perfectly still and not interrupt. Instead, I stare at his dark eyelashes and wait for them to open again.

“I wanted to try something,” Emery murmurs after a period of silence. “To see if I remember.”

“Do you?” I whisper back, not wanting to disturb him but also full of curiosity.

When his eyes finally open, it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Everything about them screams hope as I stare into them. The blue that had been dark ever since Emery left is now lighter and more inviting. They sparkle, if that’s even possible as they search mine for something of the same. Emery Hastings has changed many times throughout the small period of time I’ve known him; however I have a feeling that this is the best change yet.

Emery moves down and touches his lips to mine. When he pulls back, they’re in a smile that I’ve never seen on his face before.

“I remember.”