“ I will not shut up until you tell me what happened.”

“ Fine, you want me to tell you what happened? She hates me, Kevin.” AJ cried.

“ Awe, Aje. She doesn’t hate you.” Kevin’s tone softened when he heard the guilt in his voice.

“ She does too. She told me to go to hell.”

“ That doesn’t mean anything. You know what kind of a temper she has.”

“ She meant it Kevin. I saw it in her eyes. I know those eyes, Kev. I fell in love with those eyes. There’s no love in them for me.”

“ Yes there is. She just doesn’t know it. She’s confused. She thinks that she’s supposed to love you, but that’s only because I told her. I’d rather that she went out with you than Nick. You know as much as I do that Nick’s not good for her.”

“ Yeah, well, try telling her that. Even when she had her memory she still wouldn’t listen.” AJ looked up at Kevin for the first time since the argument.

“ Yeah, she does seem to want to get to know Nick a little better. Now, I fear, that its going to happen whether we like it or not.”

“ I just hate fighting with her. I really do. You’d think that after all those relationships that have turned sour so quickly on her that she’d listen to me. But, she won’t she’s just going to get hurt again.”

“ I know AJ. She doesn’t listen to me either.” Kevin looked down at the floor like he was to blame for everything.

“ Do you hate me?”

Kevin looked up in surprise. “ Why would I hate you?”

“ Because I told you that I had no hope left.”

Kevin’s face softened. “ I don’t hate you. I would probably feel the same way that you feel if I were you.”

“ You would?” it was AJ’s turn to be surprised.

“ Yeah. It’s hard watching someone who you’re suppose to be with not wanting anything to do with you. I’m assuming it must be hard knowing that she doesn’t remember what you two had.”

“ It’s very hard.” AJ looked down at the floor as he wiped away the tears that were forming in his eyes.

“ You two had everything going. If it wasn’t for me, you two would be happy together, or fighting. At least she would remember you.”

“ Kevin, the accident was not your fault. You did not make this happen to her. The truck driver did this to you guys. To us. It’ll never be your fault, and shame on anyone who says that you were to blame is wrong. You love that girl, and I know for a fact that you would die for that girl.”

“ I know, but I just feel guilty.”

“ Why? Because her side was hit, and not yours? You can’t control that. That part is in God’s hands. Not yours. All we can do is make it better.”

“ But how, AJ? I can’t handle her anymore. I think I’m losing hope.”

“ Kevin, you can’t lose hope on me now. I’m allowed to lose hope, but you’re suppose to be the strong one.”

“ Yeah, well, it’s hard to be strong when your own sister doesn’t remember he best friend, or her parents. I have to tell her what they were like. She doesn’t remember them. That’s the part that kills me the most. The only way she’ll ever remember them is if I tell her about them. It’s all up to me to keep their spirits alive.”

“ That’s why you can’t give up on her. If you do, she’ll never know who her parents were. We can’t give up on her, Kev. If we do, she’ll never remember what each of us had. We had a strong bond with each other, and I’d like to think that someday I’ll be your brother. But, if we don’t tell her, she’ll never remember and you may end up having nick for a brother. Can you imagine what their kids are going to look like? They’d be dumb blondes with bushy eyebrows. Whereas my kids with her will be beautiful. They have dark hair and dark eyes. They’ll have her smile and my sense of music.”

“ Okay, Aje. I get your point. Let’s not get too carried away. I don’t want either one of you to get her pregnant. Then, I would just have to kill you.”

“ Okay. So, I won’t go that far into the future. But, now’s our time to save her. If we don’t I don’t know what will happen. We have to keep hope. We can’t give up now.”

Kevin laughed. “ Wasn’t this the conversation that we were having before she stamped upstairs? Wasn’t I just telling you not to give up hope? Has AJ McLean actually listened to something I said?”

“ You know, even though you’re an invalid, I think there are more bones that I can break. Just watch it.”

“ Remember the hospital. Watch YOUR back. One false move and I’ll get you so good, you’ll never get your revenge.”

“ Yeah, okay, Kev. Do you want me to order a pizza and invite the guys over?”

“ Sure Aje. Whatever you want to do. I just want Anna to come home in one piece.”

“ I think we all do.”