Adonis

I slammed my hands down on the counter. Frustrated and angry I clenched my fists. The helplessness I was feeling reminded me of what I had felt like when Lacey had been sick and there had been little I could do but I refused to feel that way now. I wasn't going to let her continue the downward spiral I had witnessed for the first time last night.

Taking a few deep breaths I tried to expel the negative emotions. I needed to keep my head clear. Getting angry or upset wasn't going to help the situation. I raked a hand through my hair. Tiredness made me run my hands across my face. I hadn't slept much. Lacey had consumed my thoughts and I'd been unable to clear my mind of the worrying thoughts long enough to sleep.

Talking to her last night hadn't helped and I'd helplessly watched her get so drunk she had eventually passed out. Thankfully I'd been close enough to catch her. Holding her unconscious in my arms I had made the decision to do everything I could to stop what she was doing to herself.

I had tried the nice way and it hadn't worked. It was time to try tough love. It wasn't going to be easy but I had no choice. There was the part of me that just wanted to take her into my arms and hold her close to protect her but it wouldn't help her. Her family had no idea how to handle her and even Reece didn't know how to approach this problem.

I pushed away from the kitchen counter and got a bottle of water out of the fridge. Taking a few gulps I was still trying to formulate my plan when I heard the soft tap of feet against the floor tiles. I set the bottle down on the counter before my eyes found her standing in my kitchen.

The sight of her slammed into my chest. She was dressed in one of my shirts. Even hungover, she'd never looked sexier. I had to pull my thoughts away from what she looked like under my shirt. In my mind I could trace every inch of her body from memory.

I watched her silently while her eyes scanned the kitchen from the doorway. The confusion in her features told me she was still trying to figure out what had happened and why she was in my house instead of at home in her room. I crossed my arms as I watched her. She bit down on her lip when her eyes met mine.

"Why am I here?" she asked. I had to stop myself from giving into the vulnerability in the depths of her eyes. To do what needed to be done I needed to be ruthless. Giving into her wasn't an option, not if I wanted to help her.

"You don't remember?" I asked, already knowing she didn't have an recollection of the night before. She'd been so out of it.

Her teeth sank into her lip as she contemplated her answer. After a few unsure moments she shook her head.

"How does it feel to get so drunk you can't remember what happened?" I asked, my voice laced with my anger I was trying to control. My thoughts turned back to the night her date had come tried to kiss her and she'd tried to push him away.

Anything could have happened while she'd been drunk. Didn't she realize the danger she was putting herself in? This wasn't just about the effect it could have on her health, or the medication she was taking.

She frowned and crossed her arms.

"What's your problem?" she asked. Her eyes glittered with anger.

It took all my control not to let my temper loose and let her know exactly how angry I was with her and her irresponsible actions. The truth was I had done the same. I had used alcohol for a while to numb the emotions I didn't want to feel but I had managed to step back and reevaluate my actions. Watching her last night I knew she needed help. She wouldn't be able to do this on her own.

"How much of last night do you remember?" I asked, experiencing a feeling of deja vu. Like when she'd first woken up after surgery.

"It's all a bit hazy," she started to say. She rubbed her temple before her hand dropped to her side. "I remembered what happened at Reece."

I kept my expression blank.

"And then I remember getting ready for the party."

Did she remember what I'd told her about what we had shared?

"I remember what you told me about...us," she added. The way she said the word 'us' sent a shiver through me. Her fingers touched her lips briefly and I was reminded of how I'd kissed her. I wanted to do that again but now wasn't the time. First I had to fight to get my Lacey back.

"What happened to the Harp I knew?" I asked suddenly and her eyes found mine. There was so much emotion in her beautiful eyes I felt a moment of guilt.

"I feel like I lost a part of myself after the surgery." She sounded so fragile it tore my heart into two.

I wanted to be able to understand but the truth was it was hard to know what she was feeling because I'd never walked in her shoes.

"I know you've had a lot going on since the surgery but all you had to do was tell someone and we would have done whatever we could to help."

I took a couple of steps closer before I stopped.

"I don't know how someone can help me find the piece of me that's missing." She shrugged her shoulders and I felt my earlier anger return.

"How do you know? You haven't even tried," I said, not hiding my growing frustration with her.

She remained silent. I got a glimpse of the vulnerability in her that could bring me to my knees but I fought against it.

"You're being irresponsible and you need to get yourself together," I said, with a steeliness in my voice, forcing myself to sound tougher than I felt.

Her forehead creased and she gave me a hurt look.

"Who do you think you are?" she asked stepping forward. "You don't get to lecture me around."

"Someone has to," I murmured under my breath as I shook my head at her.

"I tried the easy way but that hasn't worked," I told her. Her frown deepened.

It was time to lay down the rules and let her know I wasn't going to allow her to keep drinking herself into oblivion.

"You've left me no choice-"

"What are you talking about?" she asked in a raised voice.

I wanted to shout back but I needed to keep calm. Two people screaming at each other wasn't going to get this sorted.

"I want you to see someone," I began to say but she was already shaking her head.

"No."

I'd expected nothing less. I was going to leave nothing to chance.

"You can't make me," she added when I kept silent.

"You see that's where you're wrong," I revealed as I stepped closer to her. Her arms wrapped around her waist.

"Your medical insurance wasn't enough to pay for the specialist and the surgery," I began to explain. "I paid for everything."

It had never been a question about money. I would have done anything to make sure she'd survived her diagnosis.

"I had no idea." She was stunned. "Thank you."

She swallowed.

"I want you to get help," I told her feeling like an asshole for what I was about to do.

She contemplated my words. "And if I won't get help."

"Then you leave me with no choice. I'll make your parents repay the money."

Her horrified expression hit me hard but I kept my cool. I was bluffing. There was no way I would ever do that but for her to get well she had to believe I would.

"You wouldn't?" she gasped taking a step closer, like I had physically struck her.

I kept my expression free of emotion.

"Do you want to take the chance that you might be wrong?" I asked calmly. "I want you to get better and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that it happens."

"I can't believe you're going to blackmail me," she yelled but I kept my composure. She threw one last glare before she stormed out of the kitchen.

**********

Lacey

It was unbelievable. How could he do this to me?

I lifted my hand to my temple to try and contain the anger that I wanted to take out on Adonis. He was being so mean.

I had a hangover. I felt awful and it was hard to think with the thumping inside of my head. My body was sore and my mouth felt dry. I looked at the shirt I was wearing. It was one I recognised belong to Adonis. Where were my clothes?

Looking around the strange room I didn't see any evidence of the outfit I wore the night before. I wanted to walk out. I was so angry with Adonis but I couldn't be sure his threat was empty.

Closing my eyes I tried to remember back to last night but there was only a dark nothingness that told me nothing. I didn't want to even begin to figure out how I'd gotten into Adonis' shirt.

My parents did okay financially but my medical costs would bankrupt them. I still found it hard to believe that he would do that to my family if I didn't do as he wanted.

I bit my nail as I tried to think of how I could get myself out of the mess I had made.

A nagging voice in my subconscious echoed what Adonis had already said. I needed help. I had been struggling for months without any success in getting my shit together.

I wasn't happy about being blackmailed but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe there was a way to get me back to who I was before the surgery. I let out a resigned sigh.

For a while I sat contemplating my options before I heard a soft knock at the door. When I didn't answer the door opened slowly and my eyes met Adonis'.

He remained silent as he walked into the room.

"I've made an appointment with the specialist for Monday," he told me. I knew he was trying to help but being forced into something I wasn't sure I was ready for made me angry.

"Why?" I asked, feeling argumentative.

"I want to make sure you haven't done any damage with your excessive drinking."

I wanted to throw a comment back but instead I bit my lip and kept quiet. I couldn't argue that drinking while taking medication after brain surgery hadn't been my best decision. I could already hear the lecture I was going to get from Dr. Clarke.

"I've also got the name of someone you can talk to," he added. His gaze was direct and unwavering. Feeling vulnerable and guilty I dropped my gaze to the floor. It was easier if I didn't have to look at him.

"I've made an appointment with her for later on Monday,"

I was going to have to lie on a couch and spill my deepest most thoughts to a complete stranger. That sounded like fun. I clenched my teeth together to hide my frustration at being forced into it. I couldn't be sure his threat was empty and after everything I'd put my family through for the last few months I couldn't put them in a financial mess as well.

"Harp."

His voice pulled at something deep inside of me and I looked up to him.

"I'm not trying to punish you," he began to say. I couldn't stop the flare of anger that he was pushing me into this and I wasn't sure if I was ready.

"You could have fooled me," I bit back. He seemed to be surprised at my reaction.

"I want you to get better. I want you to be the girl I knew before the surgery."

His eyes softened and I got a glimpse of his feelings for the girl he'd lost in my memories, the girl I wasn't.

"You're doing this all so I can remember us so we can be together like we were before?" I asked watching him closely for a reaction.

He studied me for a few moments.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you to remember but the most important thing is to stop your downward spiral."

"What if I never remember?"

"That's okay," he said with a shrug but I saw the glimpse of sadness in his eyes before he masked it.

I remembered the kiss from the previous evening and I felt my heart skip a beat. The truth was I still felt the same about him and he cared for me. Did we need the moments I'd forgotten to be together?

"What if I can never be that girl again?" I asked.

"How I feel about you doesn't matter on whether you remember or not," he said softly and I felt my heart beat quicker. Staring into his intense gaze made it impossible to break the connection.

I loved him for so long but I wasn't ready to pick up where we had left off. He remembered how we had finally figured things out. He could remember our first time and I couldn't. It was too much.

As if sensing my inner turmoil he broke eye contact.

"What happened to my clothes?" I asked changing the subject.

"You threw up so I had to change you," he told me. Finding that out did nothing to make me feel better.

"Can you take me home?" I asked softly feeling like the idiot I was.

His eyes swept over me.

"I called Alex. He's bringing some of your stuff over."

I frowned. "Wouldn't it just be easier to take me home?" I asked. "I'm sure you have a pair of sweatpants I can lend."

He shook his head.

"While you sort yourself out I want you to stay here."

That took me by surprise. Stay with him. Being around him filled the empty but it raised other issues. The pressure to remember felt greater every time I looked at him. I would wonder through my memories tugging at the door that locked the most important memories of him. I would feel disappointment if I failed.

"I don't think that's really necessary," I began to argue but he held a hand up to stop me.

"I want you where I can watch you."

Realistically his life was hectic and he really didn't have the time to babysit me.

"You're busy and aren't you supposed to be leaving in a week?" I asked. I was no shrink but I was pretty sure it was going to take longer than that.

"I'm going to take you with me."

He was going to take me with him. I was dumbfounded.

"Don't worry about it. I'll sort everything out," he assured me confidently. I had no doubt that he would.

"You just expect me to drop everything and leave with you, just like that?" I asked feeling angry that he was just making plans with my life without asking.

"Yes," he said with a determine glint in his eyes. "I have commitments I can't get out of and there is no way I can let the guys down."

I felt a pang of guilt.

"You're not working at the moment," he argued. "It's easier for you to come with me."

"Why can't I just stay here and go to the shrink or whatever else you want me to do?" I asked, still hopeful he would give in and agree.

He pressed his lips together while his eyes held mine.

"No," he answered with a steeliness that told me he wasn't going to budge. Any hope I had that i would be able to change his mind deflated. "I left you here before and you got worse. I only trust myself to make sure you do what you need to get your life back on track."

I frowned as I crossed my arms.

"I don't want to be the bad guy who is going to make you face your problems instead of drowning yourself in alcohol."

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions from breaking free.

"Your family and Reece are worried about you. They, like me, just want you to get better."

I felt the sting of tears at the guilt of what I'd put them through.

"Your surviving surgery was a miracle and I won't let you throw it away."

He gave me one last intense look before he stormed off.