Empyreal: Awaken - Book One
you
can’t remember anything…”
    “No, it's only certain things, you
know, not everything. I have memories. They are all just very cut
and dry, black and white...” she paused, assembling her words. “I
guess what I'm trying to say is that ... umm, that there are
holes...”
    “Holes...”
    “Yeah, holes ... like where something
should be...”
    “Like something’s
missing...”
    “Exactly… I never used to notice
before... but recently, I have...”
    “Cor,” Court slid over closer to her
side, sliding his arm around her, “I am so sorry...”
    “It's not like you've caused it or
that you would even know anything about it ... and I don't tell
these things to a lot of people, so...” she let her voice trail
off.
    “Your secrets are safe with
me...”
    “Thanks...”
    The two of them sat in silence for a
few moments, Court holding Coralie in the safety of his
arms.
    “It’s not fair...” Court spoke up,
breaking the silence, his voice sounding almost as if it was
filling with anger.
    “What?”
    “It's not fair that your life is like
a movie reel, you know, with scenes that don't make the cut ... So
what? Do they just get to hit the cutting room floor, never to be
relived again? It’s not fair that you are unable to remember the colors in your life ... because that's what memories are,
they are colorful moments that we can relive over and over and over
again ... some are good, and some aren't, but it's from those that
we learn from...”
    Coralie shrugged. “I guess … I just
wished that I knew why or even what was causing this...”
    “Coralie, I promise you that I will
always be here to help you ... anytime that you ever need me, I'm
here ... and I will try my hardest to help you get those memories
back, okay?”
    Coralie nodded.
    Court, with his arm still around her,
he rubbed his hand along Coralie's arm, and then pulled her closer
to him. She put her head against his shoulder. Feeling secure where
she ordinarily felt lost.
    After a few long, what Coralie would
consider, moments - because time didn't seem to matter when she was
with Court - of sitting on the rooftop, Court finally spoke,
quietly. “I probably should go ... my parents will wonder where
I've been ... I left hours ago...”
    “And I still have a paper to write …
But Court, I don't want you to go...”
    “Me, either...”
    “Oh, how I wish we could just stay up
here, just like this...”
    “Me, too...”
    “I guess ... I guess that I'm just
afraid...”
    “Afraid?”
    “Afraid that I'll lose this memory
too...”
    “Cor … I don't want to go, either, but
it's not for the same reason as you ... listen to me, you can't do
this to yourself ... you can't be afraid of living, because you're
afraid that you may, or may not, forget ... you will remember this night, just like all of the rest of the days and
nights that we will spend together...” he looked down at her, “and
I plan on there being a lot of those...” he finished, giving her a
smile. After seeing a smile sweep across her face, he continued
with, “I'll see you tomorrow, okay?” He kissed her cheek, and then
rose to his feet.
    “Court,” she started, “you can come in
and go down the stairs...” as she watched him walk to the side of
the three-story roof line.
    He turned and flashed his most
handsomely, cunning grin. “Now, what fun would that be?”
    And then he jumped...
    Coralie rose quickly to her feet and
dashed to the side from where he'd leapt. She watched as he
gracefully landed onto the ground beneath her.
    When Court turned, he smiled and
winked, sending flutters straight to her stomach.
    Suddenly, Coralie felt that she had
witnessed a familiar scene before, as she watched him disappear
into the darkness of the night.
    What was this feeling? This feeling
that had overcome her? Not the overwhelming butterflies pent up
within her stomach that she felt every time the very thought of
Courtland Cumberlin crossed her mind. It was something else.

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