When Johnny entered Holly's room, he found her staring at herself in the mirror. She turned around to make sure that it was him and then resumed her position. He looked at her from afar, amazed at her loveliness, and then silently sat beside her on the bed.
"Of all the ways my life could have turned out to be, this is probably the worse," she finally said in a flat tone. She played with the folds of her dress, spreading them about her. "I won't go back to it. This life, I mean. I am going to stay right here in Panama."
"Oh Holly! You can't stay away from you family forever!"
"My dear, precious family," she snorted. "I never thought that I could hate someone more than I hate Roger, but Blake really takes the cake tonight. She never liked Ross; I'm sure she did it to spite me."
"You don't have all the facts."
"Lord knows I've heard enough about stinking facts tonight. Whose side are you on anyway?"
Johnny went behind her and ran his hands on her shoulders, not daring to touch her for too long. She gazed at his reflection in the mirror, obviously musing over something. After a while, she slowly rose and walked to the middle of the room, facing him.
"Come here."
He let out a nervous laugh. "Why?"
"Just humour me. Please," she retorted with a smile, even though her eyes stayed serious.
He hesitantly obliged and walked up within a feet of her. She took him by the hand and closed the distance between them. "I need you tonight. I want you to stay." Before he could refuse, she pulled him into a kiss. He tried half-heartedly to entangle himself from her arms, but soon gave in and ran his hands trough her copper curls, bringing her even closer.
Minutes later, their lips parted and Holly rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh. He ran his fingers on her back, leaving a trail of goose bumps. He could feel her trembling in his arms.
He knew he would regret it later but said it anyway: Holly, we can't do this. You're married."
She wrenched herself from his arms, as if he was suddenly on fire. She took off her wedding ring and threw it across the room with a rage. "Are you kidding me? This marriage is a sham! It means nothing, do you hear me?"
"You might be thinking this now, but –"
"But nothing. Everyone has put their cards on the table tonight, Johnny, except you, Are you going stand here and pretend that you're not attracted to me?" She took a few steps closer. "Because I am to you."
Upon hearing these words, a shiver ran down his spine. Why did she have to be so damn sexy?
"Come on, you can't deny that we had a connection from the start, even if you had Chelsea, and I was with Ross," she added, playing with the collar of his shirt.
He raised his hands as if to defend himself. "Fine, I admit it, I want you. I always wanted you, and the only reason I never acted on it was that there was never a good time. We were both involved with other people that we loved. And whether you like it or not, this is still not a good time. Not only are you married, not to mention amnesiac, but you just learned that the man you're in love with – which is not your husband – is now married to your daughter. Are you following me? Because even my own head is spinning from everything that's going on right now!"
Holly shook her head, refusing to listen. "I don't care! I told you that I won't go back. I want to start fresh, with you, if you'll let me."
Johnny ran a hand through is hair, tired of fighting. "See here, you might really mean what you're saying, Holly, but the truth of the matter is that you don't know how you're going to feel tomorrow. You might regain your memory at any moment, and if it happens, then all bets are off.
He cradled her face in his hands and forced her to look into his eyes. "I can't let myself fall in love with you, knowing that you're pining after Ross and that you might remember someday that you're madly in love with Roger. Whether you regain your memory or not, I lose. I have to protect my heart, I am sorry."
The words finally sank in for Holly, and she bowed her head in defeat. "You're right. I'm being selfish. Mark my words though, I am not going back to Springfield, or wherever it is that I'm supposed to live now. I am staying here, at least for a while, so you can come and visit me whenever you want," she managed to say with a smile.
He smiled back. "It's a deal. If we should not see each other again, though, there something I'd like to give you before I go."
"What?" she whispered.
"This," he said before kissing her again. This time he did not hold back and neither did she. He pushed her against the wall, aching to feel every inch of her body pressed against his. And then, almost before she could realize it, he was gone.
Before the sun was up the next morning, Johnny had left Panama City, and so had Ross and Blake.
