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Sherry was looking at him, trying to figure out what he might be thinking. She was glad he was here and talking with her, but it was a little strange, a little painful, though her hopes kept rising. She just had to have patience. It wasn't his fault, was it? He just didn't remember.

His smile caused her to smile back, a little more relaxed. She thought for a second. "I...suppose there is. ...When it comes to food, I like waffles with strawberry jam. And I liked whipped cream." The island had crap for food right now so she shouldn't think about that. "I think the night sky is pretty, and I like cute fluffy animals. Um. I like helping people, which is why I spend time in the infirmary." It was always a little hard to think about such things when on the spot. Not to mention, she couldn't tell him that she liked him this time. Not now. So she smiled at him. "Does that answer your question? Kind of?"

Sherry blinked at him in surprise. Jake suggesting they go somewhere? That was a bit of a new one, though to be fair he seemed rather confused with this whole memory loss thing happening anyway. But even Jake with his emotional guards down had only suggested anything like a date once, maybe twice. And this... her heart fluttered even though she told it not to.

She looked to the floor when he flustered. "Oh, no, of course not, I get it." He was being nice, being friendly. He'd never suggest anything like a date, especially when he didn't even know who she was. Heck, he was probably here out of pity for her; she knew she'd been pretty pitiful the day before.

"No, you don't have to leave," she said, shaking her head. "It's fine, really." She wanted him to stay, but that wasn't fair to ask of him. "Unless you're uncomfortable?"

He didn't respond right away, and Sherry looked to Jake as he started to curl up.

For a few moments she just sat there, staring at him. Not because she couldn't find words, it was a matter of what ones to say first. "Of course it hurts," she began, her voice quiet. "It hurts a lot to be forgotten about. My boyfriend forgot about me. We weren't together long, but we'd known each other a while, and he straight up forgot about me. That hurts, deep down inside. When I think about it, if feels like there's a hole in my chest, a great big empty space that tells me I wasn't good enough to be remembered, that I didn't mean that much. And yeah, that hurts."

She swallowed, clearing the sob out of her throat even as the tears fell. "Maybe it is easier to forget. You can forget if you want. I don't want you to be here if it's out of some obligation or out of pity. But I'm not going to forget you, Jake." Her words were laced with anger and another sob was swallowed. "I don't care if I cry myself to sleep every night for the rest of my life, I'm not forgetting you. Forgetting is easy, but you mean a whole lot more to me than that."

She sighed, the anger that had crept into her voice faded a little. "I'm not pretending. It hurts, but it's not your fault. I didn't want to burden you with it. You see, I really want to get waffles with you sometime, I just know that as I am right now, I'd treat it like a date. And that's not fair to you."

She leveled her gaze at him. She wouldn't wish the way she felt on anyone. Being forgotten about was on of the worst feelings she'd known, and it hurt so much worse when someone you loved looked at you and didn't even know who you were, your whole existence forgotten. "Why would you say that? It hurts a lot to be forgotten, but I still have my memories. I'd rather miss you than not know you." She shook her head. "And I wouldn't want you to feel the way I do. The hollow I feel in here," she placed her hand on her chest, "is cold and dark, and it hurts, and I don't want that for you." The tears that fell were not just for her. She could see the pain on his face, hear it in his voice. It broke the pieces of her shattered heart even more.

She watched him. There were still too many words, too many feelings. It all hurt, every bit of it. Even the parts that shouldn't. If he'd looked at her, he would have seen silent tears. "I want another chance with you, I really do. But only if that's what you want. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

She stopped and looked at him, her expression sad and questioning. She kept expecting him to leave or belittle her or both, since that seemed to be his usual reaction to emotion. It was true that he hadn't done that yet and he didn't act like he was going to, but she kept expecting it. She didn't let herself hope for what she wanted because she knew that wouldn't happen. He'd have to remember her for that.

What he did caught her off guard. Not that she'd fight it. Her eyes closed as he pulled her in, as he begged her to be honest. Jake would feel her arms wrap around him as best they could, her fingers clutching at the cloth of his top. She tried not to sob. "I don't know how I really feel," she whispered. "When I'm not numb it hurts. When I'm numb I wonder why you forgot me, and when it hurts I wonder how you could. I'm angry sometimes. At myself and at you. Mostly I'm sad." Her body shook with a light sob and she squeezed him a little tighter. Clinging to someone was so much better than clinging to a pillow, and when it was someone you trusted and cared about... Sherry sniffed. "And I hate myself for letting you know how I felt and letting you see me cry because it hurts you."

She clung a little tighter yet. "I don't know if it can be fixed. I feel broken and confused and lost and empty and alone, and I don't know what to do about it."

She shivered when his fingers touched her hair, though the motion could easily be mistaken for a sob. The stiffness that followed it couldn't. Nor could the action that followed his words.

Sherry shoved him away from her, looking at him for a moment before turning and wiping at her face. "There's nothing to end, Jake. We'd have to start something in order to end it." Whatever they'd had before was already done, and this right now was just a jumble of tears.

One hand wiped tears onto her shorts, and she wished she'd been wearing her coat and scarf. Sherry felt too exposed like this, and she didn't like it. "You don't need to punish yourself for something you don't remember doing. You have no obligation to me, and I don't want to cause you pain."

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. There was no fake smile on her face this time. Just a sad look.

The way he sat made her heart ache, and she sat in silence as he took his hand back. The tears started to form again as he rose. His words open the hole in her chest right back up, and she felt cold.

Armagnac rumbled in her head.

Sherry closed her eyes. She should let him leave. It was clearly what he wanted. He'd pushed at her and forgotten her; he'd never wanted her. So she should let him leave, she shouldn't let him see her cry anymore.

The dragon in her brain was louder this time.

Sherry got to her own feet, on hand reaching out to grab Jake's shirt. "You can't leave."