She looked up, startled by his words.
He continued, "You used to hate misunderstandings. You'd rather confront something directly, even if it made things worse."
Lyla gave a short, nervous laugh. "So I'm still annoying."
Noah smiled faintly. "No. You're just… honest."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Do you want me to talk to you more?" he asked. "About us?"
Lyla bit her lip. "I don't know. I think… part of me wants to know everything. But another part is scared. What if I remember and it hurts?"
"It might," he admitted. "But not knowing is hurting you too."
She swallowed.
"What if I never get my memory back?" she whispered.
"Then I'll make new memories with you," he said without pause.
She looked at him, and something about the way he said it—gentle, assured, without pressure—made her eyes sting.
She blinked them away quickly. "I'm sorry for showing up like this."
"You don't have to apologize. You're always welcome here."
"I was jealous," she confessed softly.
