Womanizer (Spoilt) (22 page)

They’d apparently planned to move into a new house together so it was reasonable to assume they were serious about each other. Isabelle decided these were the things she needed to find out. Perhaps the more information she could obtain, the higher the chances of her memory being triggered. As Isabelle began to consider all the information she needed to gather, Carol was wheeled in by the handsome stranger. Following behind them was an adorable blond, curly haired boy who resembled Adrian so much that her heart ached. There was
no doubt in her mind that he was his Adrian’s son. Now if only she could remember that he was hers as well.

“Isabelle, honey, I was so worried about you,” Carol said leaning forward to embrace her daughter. “I’m so relieved you’re alright.”

“I’ll be OK, Mum. I’ve just got a really sore head.” She smiled. Seeing a friendly, familiar face helped.

“Have you remembered anything?” Carol asked.

“Not yet,” she said turning to the beautiful boy who was her son. “Hello, Jesse. I guess this is all a bit confusing for you.”

“Mummy, I’m sad that yo
u can’t remember,” he whispered with tears in his eyes.

Isabelle’s heart lurched as a familiar maternal instinct rose within her
, and despite not being able to remember her son, she felt the instant connection.

“Jesse, come up here and sit with me.” She watched as Mitch helped him onto the bed and another familiar feeling tugged at her heart. Ignoring it for now she looked down into the face of her son. “Come here, sweetie,” she said, arms outstretched.

Without further thought he curled into her embrace and she pulled him in close. The scent of his hair and the warmth of him in her arms brought forth a familiarity she felt rather than remembered. He cried quietly in her arms and her natural inclination was to croon to him until the tears subsided.

“Do you remember him?” Carol
asked, her voice full of hope.

“It isn’t a memory but a feeling. I want to nurture him and I feel our bond
, though I can’t remember it. I guess you’re going to have to fill in the blanks for me.”

“I’ll tell you all our stories when you come home,” Jesse announced with pride.

“That’s sounds great, Jesse. It will be kind of like doing them all again. Maybe it will help me remember.”

With a quick glance at the silent Mitch, Isabelle turned to Carol. “Where is home?”

“Didn’t Mitch tell you we’re all moving into the house that he bought?” Carol turned to him in confusion and his face remained stoic, giving Isabelle no idea as to what he was thinking. Blue eyes studied her but he remained silent.

“Wait a minute, you told me we’d bought the house together,” Isabelle said to him and once again his face didn’t change. His unreadable expression increased her frustration. “Did we buy it together or did you buy it?”

After several moments he frowned before letting out a small sigh. “I bought it so you could finish your studies. You have your own money to contribute but I was going to help you.”

“Where did we live before that?” She asked Carol.

“In a small apartment in the city.”

“I guess it would be appropriate for us to go there when I’m discharged.”

“Honey, we no longer have a lease. The only place we have to live is the house at the beach. All our belongings are there.”

“Would it be possible to find us somewhere else to live while I’m in the hospital?
Dr Greene said I would be here for a week.”

“I’m not being discharged for another couple of days either.”

“You can stay at the house, Isabelle,” Mitch said and she turned her attention to him again. His expression still gave nothing away. “There are four bedrooms, so there is enough room for all of us.”

“I can’t expect you to support my whole family.” She knew she was being stubborn but there was truth to her words. Mitch was a stranger to her and she didn’t want his pity or charity.

“We have some money saved,” Carol said. “We can live off that for a while. If you want to find somewhere else, you can, but let’s wait till you are released from the hospital. Recover at the house for a while until we can work things out.”

Carol hoped Isabelle would relinquish her pride and stay at the house. Her aim was to try and evoke some memories with Mitch around. Maybe their love for each other could help. She admitted to feeling a closeness to Jesse, maybe she could find it for Mitch as well.

“I’ll think about it,” said Isabelle.

That was the best they would get for now and it was a start. Isabelle generally liked to mull over things before making a decision, at least she had until she met Mitch. The changes she’d seen in Isabelle were a welcome sight and Carol cursed the events that had reversed all of them.

Dr
Greene put a stop to further conversation and advised them all to let Isabelle get some rest while giving her time to absorb all her new information. Jesse kissed Isabelle goodbye and went out to the hall where Nathan and Carrie were waiting for him. Mitch wheeled Carol back to her room.

“Do you think she will come and stay at the house?” Mitch asked and Carol couldn’t help but miss the hope in his voice. Although he’d been quiet while they visited Isabelle and seemed to be taking it all in his stride, she now knew he was trying to remain strong in Isabelle’s presence. Inside he would be in turmoil. How awful it must be to know the woman you love has no idea who you are.

“Yes, I do. She might be proud but she is also sensible and will realize that it is the best option. When I’m released we can collect Jesse and stay there while we wait for her to recover. Perhaps you could unpack all our things so that everything is ready for her discharge. You may as well do something to keep busy rather than being here day and night. It must be hard for you to see her anyway while she doesn’t remember you. You know her, Mitch, and you must realize we have to tread carefully and slowly.”

“I know you’re right,” he said with a reluctant sigh, his expression now showing his sadness and worry. She had no idea how he managed to keep his face impassive during their visit. Inside he would be torn apart. Encouraging him to remain strong would be the best solution or she feared he wouldn’t get through it.

“I miss her so much. I’m a stranger to her now. How am I going to live in the same house with her and not be with her?”

“Mitch,” she placed he
r hand on his before continuing, “you have to try. Like Dr Greene said, tell her about your time together, it may prompt her memory. Even being around you may do this as well.”

“What if it doesn’t, Carol?” His voice sounded pained and she cursed the man who had caused their lives to change. Until
this moment Carol hadn’t understood how dismayed he had become.

“Then I guess you’re going to have to get her to fall in love with you again.”

After leaving the hospital, Mitch went back to the house to shower and change. He intended to start unpacking
, until the scent of Isabelle in a box containing her clothes assaulted him and he knew it would be too difficult to do today. His wounds were still far too fresh. The thought that she might never remember their time together was tearing him apart. As Carol had said, if she didn’t remember they could always start over. The trouble with that was what if she didn’t fall in love with him for the second time? How was he going to live in their house with her and not be able to touch her, kiss her and share his bed with her, have her not be familiar with him, know him and love him?

He decided to go and see the only person he knew who could suppress his
feelings and remain in control - Jared. After calling his phone and discovering Jared at home, relief flooded him as hanging around the house wasn’t an option and any reminders of Isabelle, such as Jesse, he wasn’t ready to face yet. After he visited with Jared for a while, he would collect Jesse and take him home. He needed stability more than anyone else at the moment and Mitch was determined to ensure that he would be strong for Jesse. Mitch also thought Jesse might enjoy unpacking his things and putting them into what would become his new bedroom.

“Hey, Mitch, how’s Isabelle?” Jared asked after opening the door.

“The doctor is pleased with her progress.”

Jared studied Mitch for a moment. “Then why the long face?”

“She has what they call post-
traumatic amnesia. Her last memory is before she’d had Jesse. She doesn’t know him or me.”

“Ah, Mitch, that sucks.”

“Tell me about it. First I thought I was going to lose her and now she is going to be OK, I’ve lost her anyway. I’m grateful she is alive but she still isn’t back, not for us anyway.”

“Will she get her memory back?” Jared asked him as he led him out to the patio. Mitch slumped into the nearest chair.

“The doctor doesn’t know. He’s encouraging us to fill in her memories and see if it returns. The only positive thing was she felt a bond with Jesse even though she didn’t remember him. The doctor was pleased and told me it was a good sign.”

“You will just have to be patient then, won’t you?”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that? How do I suppress how I feel and remain strong and in control?”

“With resolute willpower.”

“How did you do it when Charlotte was here recovering and you were determined not to trust her? How do you suppress your feelings?”

“With great difficulty.
If you remember, I didn’t last very long.” They exchanged a brief smile.

“My point exactly.
If you couldn’t do it, how will I?”

“You have to find the strength deep in your gut and push your feelings aside. Think about the outcome and benefits that
will come from it. That is how I do it. I don’t have to do it with Charlotte anymore, of course, but I do have to at work. Some of the things I see ... you have to learn to be unemotional.”

“I have a newfound
respect for you, little brother. I have no idea how I’m supposed to do that.”

“Growing up with two older brothers has taught me to be resilient.” He grinned again.

“Was I really that bad?”

“Sometimes.”
Jared smiled again. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. I was born serious and it has its benefits. I appreciate the good things about life more. Charlotte tells me this is why I’m thoughtful and romantic.” He rolled his eyes but Mitch could see the truth in his words.

“I’m proud of you, Jared.”

Jared’s booming laugh filled the porch and resonated across the yard into the night. “Now who is the sentimental one? You’ve always given me a hard time about that but I think you are the most sentimental of us all. You just hide it better. That is what you have to do with your feelings, bury them a little. Show her that you love her without pressuring her.”

“How did you get so wise?” Mitch asked with a wry grin.

“By looking at the world through serious eyes. The less you say, the more you observe.”

“I think I lost myself somewh
ere. When I was traveling I saw things I wish I hadn’t. I started to become consumed with sympathy and I knew I had to walk away. I shut it all out and I think I must have become desensitized and withdrawn. I became that womanizing creep because I was numb. I’ve always been easy going but I think the compassionate side of me disappeared until I met Isabelle. Now I’m softer than before.” A self-conscious laugh erupted from deep inside and all of a sudden he felt like a new man and found the strength in this.

“You’ve always been soft.” Jared laughed again and Mitch glared at him.

“Don’t push your luck, little brother.”

“Seriously, Mitch, I feel like for the first time we have something in common -
compassion. Until I met Charlotte, I hid it too but now you need to use these emotions and stop hiding too. Use your emotions to give you strength.”

“Thanks,
Jared, you have helped me see things clearly.”

“Anytime.”
He smiled.

“Listen to us
... I feel like I have to go and do something macho and manly now.”

“Sounds like a beer and catching a footy match on TV is in order
, then.”

Many beers, jeers and arguments later, Mitch crashed in Jared’s spare room.

Although a little bleary from too many drinks, he woke determined and ready. After consuming a greasy breakfast, Mitch set off to collect Jesse from Nathan’s.

During the days which followed, Mitch and Jesse prepared the house for Carol
’s and Isabelle’s homecoming. Mitch took Jesse in to see his mother each day but didn’t intrude on their visits. He’d decided not to pressure her, so stayed away, unless she asked to see him, which she didn’t. As painful as it was to be unacknowledged by her, he knew that it was going to be a long, slow process and he had to be patient.

Seizing the opportunity to learn more about
Jesse by spending time with him, they spent the hours they weren’t at the hospital together. His feelings for Jesse intensified as each day passed. Jesse had his mother’s strength and this enabled Mitch to stay strong. If a four year old could accept his mother had lost her memories of him, then so could he.