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and went to the sofa at the end of the room. He looming presence dominated my tiny apartment, his handsome features contrasting with the shabbiness surrounding us.
    We sat down on the sofa, sipping our bottles of water. My apartment was every bit the student-on-a-budget look, cheaply furnished with hand-me-downs and furniture from Ikea. But I felt comfortable here. I had two large bookcases in the living room overflowing with classic novels and my favorite textbooks, plus various medical journals. My couch was a rich wine color with throw pillows in bright shades of lime and tangerine. The coffee table was a pale wood with enough nicks and dings to make it inviting to put your feet up on. But at the moment, neither of us seemed overly comfortable. We both perched on the edge of the sofa, with several feet separating us.
    Things felt strange with him here, outside the hospital room I’d seen him in every day. It was like his every movement was magnified, his scent invading my space, his forearms tense with muscles and veins as he held the water bottle. It was hard to pay attention to anything but him.
    After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Logan stood up. “Ashlyn, I think I need to be going. Being here with you isn’t a good idea. You don’t even know me.”
    I didn’t point out that I probably knew him better than anyone. “Logan, I want you to stay. It’s late and we should both get some rest. You can sleep on the couch tonight, and we’ll figure everything out in the morning. I’m not letting you go anywhere. You cooperated with me for my paper, and now I want to help. In the name of research, of course.”
    He let out a deep sigh, knowing I was winning this round. “So in the name of amnesia research, you’re inviting me to stay?” His voice is tinged with just a bit of humor, like mine was.
    I nodded, solemnly. “In the name of science, yes, I’d like you to stay.”
    He cracked a slight grin. “Then how can I say no?”
    “You shouldn’t want to.”
    “I don’t.”
    Our conversation had too many twisted meanings and double negatives. Just his physical presence made my head spin and I couldn’t be certain we were talking about the same thing.  “So you’ll stay the night?”
    “Yes.”
    I claimed a small victory at winning this round. “How could they just let you leave…? Without anywhere to go…any money…? That’s crazy.”
    He ran his hands through his hair. “Yeah, I suppose it is. But they couldn’t legally hold me there anymore and I knew sitting in a hospital room wasn’t going to help me remember anything. I’d rather be out in the city, experiencing life and seeing if anything sparks a memory. Or maybe someone might even recognize me. Assuming I did live here in Chicago.”
    “I guess that makes sense, but I mean, what was your plan? Sleep on a park bench tonight…and then…” I threw my hands up in the air.
    “Actually, no. Before I left the hospital they gave me the address of a shelter to stay at for the night and a social worker to visit in the morning about a work program they have for rehabilitating people. I just…couldn’t follow through with it.”
    I waited while he gathered his thoughts, not pushing him. Before I even realized it, my hand drifted to his and I lightly brushed the back of his hand.
    He gazed up at me, surprised. “Going through with that was like admitting I was nothing, a nameless, faceless nobody. With nothing to my name and nobody who even cares. It was too much.”
    “I see.” I understood just what he was saying. Sleeping overnight in a homeless shelter would be a very humbling experience. I was grateful, not for the first time, that I had happened upon him tonight. “You’re not alone.” I squeezed his hand.
    He looked down at our intertwined fingers, a frown forming on his face. “There’s something we need to talk about if I’m going to stay here with you.”
    I nodded obediently. “Come sit down.” I just wanted to keep him