Forget Me Not by Shannon K. Butcher

her forehead. She needed to wash away the blood before it dried and caked in her soft hair. “He is gone now,” said Toren, feeling the truth of his words, even though he wasn’t sure how he knew. “You are safe.”
    Toren carried her into the bathroom and made water flow through the overhead spigot. Once it was warm enough, he stripped Adria of her clothes and helped her climb under the spray. His own clothes fell to the floor in a squishy pile, covered in two colors of blood.
    The sight tugged at his mind, but nothing could tear his attention away from the beauty standing before him.
    She was silent and shaking, barely able to hold the soap. He took it from her and cleaned away all signs of blood, both red and purple. Once she was warm and clean, he tucked her into bed and crawled in beside her.
    “It’s almost dawn,” she said, as if that were supposed to mean something to him.
    “You should rest.”
    “I thought you wanted to be alone tonight.”
    “Why would I want that when I can be by your side?”
    “You don’t remember, do you?” she asked, tears shining in her eyes.
    She looked so troubled, he had to find a way to reassure her. “I remember everything that is important. I remember that I love you.”
    Adreeahbenwah’s eyes shut, squeezing out glittering tears. “I love you, too. And that’s why I will remember for you.”
    He didn’t know what that meant, but it mattered little. Once she rested she would feel better. All this talk of remembering would go away and he would make her smile again. Seeing her smile was the only thing that truly mattered.
    * * *
    There was only an hour before sunrise, and Adria was going to use that to collect as many memories of Toren as she could. Once he was gone, she would grieve for him, but for now, he was here. He was hers.
    And he loved her.
    She hadn’t realized how much that would mean to her until he’d said the words. It made letting go of him harder and easier all at the same time. She was going to miss him, but she could take comfort in the knowledge that he was happy and safe at home, where he belonged.
    Adria wiped away her tears and rolled on top of Toren. His hands stroked down her back, leaving a path of warmth trailing behind them.
    She leaned down and kissed him, refusing to think of the future. For now, there was only the feel of his hard body beneath hers and the soft brush of his lips. The kiss was flavored with new love, so sweet and full of hope it nearly broke her heart. Each touch of his hand shimmered through her, giving her the strength she needed to get through what she knew she had to do.
    His body answered to her need, hardening and warming in a way that stole her breath. He kissed her head where her injury had once been. His lips moved over her temple, trailing down until he was suckling her breasts with such sweet pressure she thought she’d collapse in on herself.
    Her fingers memorized the hot planes of his body—the shadowed valleys and hard ridges. She kissed and licked and nibbled wherever she could reach, tucking away the wild taste of his skin within her fondest memories.
    He rolled her beneath him and entered her in a series of slow, gentle tugs of moist flesh on flesh. They fit together like perfection, gliding as one, letting the pleasure build until it was glowing hot and vibrant between them.
    Toren’s body tensed around her, cradling her close as he came. The sound of his release, the feel of it pulsing within her sent her flying into shards of light and color.
    Slowly, she settled back to Earth like so much confetti, glistening and spent. The sun was peeking in through the window, warning her that their time was now at an end.
    Thinking about what was next would only slow her down, so she shoved her grief and sadness aside and thought only of the task at hand.
    She waited until Toren’s breathing had evened out before drawing him from the bed. A false smile stretched her mouth, feeling like a cheap lie. “Come with