Our lips parted slowly, but the feeling stayed — like fire and rain all at once.
I opened my eyes and looked at him. And just like that...
Everything came back.
The first day. The hallway.
Our first real conversation.
Lunches with Chloe.
Him sketching me in silence.
Him catching me before I fell.
His soft smiles. The texts.
The sleepover.
His confession.
And then…
Serena.
The misunderstanding.
My tears.
The accident.
My hand flew to my chest as the memories rushed back like a crashing wave. I gasped, trembling, overwhelmed by the sudden clarity.
"I… I remember," I whispered, staring at him.
Damien's eyes widened. "You do?"
Every emotion hit me at once. I nodded, tears now spilling freely down my cheeks. "I remember everything. You. Us. That day in the hallway. The way you looked at me. The way you never let go of my hand."
He pulled me into his arms without a second thought, holding me like he'd been waiting forever to do it again.
I clung to him. "I'm so sorry I forgot. I'm so sorry I pushed you away. I thought I was losing my mind, but I wasn't — I was just missing you."
"I never blamed you," he whispered into my hair. "I just waited."
I pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "I love you, Damien. I think I've loved you since the first time I saw you sketching alone."
He laughed — a real, relieved laugh — and kissed my forehead, then my nose, then gently brushed my lips again.
"I love you too, Ava. Always have."
And right there in that quiet classroom, with his sketchbook between us and our hearts finally aligned again, I knew I didn't just get my memory back — I got us back.