All Chapters of Gone Was My Memory, So Was My Love for You.: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Phoebe’s breath caught.Before she could say anything, Zac had already walked over with one hand hovering protectively near Xena’s shoulder.There was a tenderness on his face that Phoebe had never seen before.“Honey, Ms. Tucker just got back from abroad and doesn’t know her way around yet. She hurt her hand too, so I’m going to let her stay here for a few days. She’ll move out once she finds a place.”Phoebe looked at the man in front of her.She had once loved the warmth in those eyes.Now, he only felt like a stranger.He made it sound perfectly reasonable, but Phoebe knew what it really meant.He wanted Xena close so he could look after her every day.A heavy feeling settled in Phoebe’s chest. She took a sip of water before answering calmly.“Okay.”Zac clearly hadn’t expected her to agree so easily.After a brief pause, he broke into a smile and strode over to pull her into his arms.His voice carried obvious relief.“Honey, I knew you’d understand.”The sweet scen

Carl let out a sigh.“No one outside knows about this. It’s something only those of us from the institute know.”Those of us.A quiet warmth spread through Phoebe’s chest.After the way she had left, she never expected Carl to still count her as one of them.“Carl, just tell me what I need to do.”He was about to answer when he noticed how exhausted she looked.The words died on his lips.“Let’s find somewhere to sit down and talk.”Phoebe nodded and followed him to a Cajun restaurant they used to go to all the time.The moment she saw the familiar sign, a strange feeling came over her.Before she married Zac, Phoebe had loved spicy food. Back at the institute, no one could handle as much heat as she could.But Zac couldn’t tolerate spicy food at all. He liked everything mild.Little by little, Phoebe had changed the way she ate for him. The food at home became milder and milder until she eventually stopped eating spicy food altogether.Even though the change never sat pa

Phoebe wiped every trace of emotion from her face.Once the conversation inside died down, she raised a hand and knocked lightly on the door.A familiar low voice came from inside.“Come in.”Phoebe took a deep breath and pushed open the door.The moment Zac saw her, he instinctively shifted in front of Xena’s bed, almost as if he were shielding her.He paused.“Honey.”He clearly hadn’t expected Phoebe to get there so quickly.Chloe’s eyes lit up. She immediately jumped out of her chair and hurried over to take the box from Phoebe’s hands.“Yes! My favorite. Thanks!”She sounded so cheerful and natural that Phoebe could hardly connect the girl in front of her with the same girl who had just been talking behind her back about how Zac should divorce her.The contrast was almost unsettling.Chloe carried the box over to Xena.“Xena, try one. These are the honey cakes I told you about. They’re so good.”Xena lay comfortably in the hospital bed, wearing the same warm, gracio

Zion knew Phoebe well enough to know that once she made up her mind, there was no changing it.She might seem quiet and easygoing, but she was stubborn to the core.Otherwise, she never would have walked away from the institute so decisively all those years ago.And if she was determined to come back now, Zac had probably done something.Still, Zion had no intention of asking.If Phoebe didn’t want to talk about something, no amount of questioning would get it out of her.He would wait until she was ready to tell him herself.“Fine. Take Carl with you tonight.”Phoebe’s face immediately brightened.“Thank you, Dr. Zeller.”It didn’t take long for word of Phoebe’s return to spread throughout the National Biomedical Research Institute.She might have gotten in through Zion, but she wasn’t receiving any special treatment.She was starting at the bottom.Then again, even starting at the bottom at a place like this was an opportunity most researchers would jump at. There was pl

Zac noticed the look on Phoebe’s face and quietly slipped his arm away from Xena’s.Seeing Phoebe here with another man already bothered him. The fact that she was ignoring him only made it worse.“Phoebe, I’m talking to you. Did you hear me?”Phoebe finally looked at him.“I heard you. What?”Zac’s frown deepened.He hated the way she was brushing him off.Before, Phoebe would light up the second she saw him. She would come straight over, wrap her arms around him, and sweetly ask if he’d had a long day.Now she had come out with another man without telling him, and even after he caught them together, she acted like it was nothing.She was his wife.What was she doing shopping for a gown with another man?“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”Xena noticed how angry he was. A trace of coldness flashed through her eyes, gone almost as quickly as it appeared.She stepped in.“Zac, don’t be so hard on her. Remember what I told you about being too harsh with women? Maybe Ms. Walker h