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Brandon’s shock faded until his face was that same ashy-white I’d seen earlier. His eyes glazed over until he looked sick when he confirmed, “Eighteen-wheeler. Went right through a red light and into you.”
I tried to remember the accident.
Tried to remember what I’d been told about it.
But no one had given me any real information, and I didn’t remember a thing.
“Thought I watched you die, man.” The agony in Brandon’s voice snapped me back to the present and had me going still in a way that sent a jolt of pain down my side.
“Wait, you were there?”
“Konrad and I were right behind you.” He jerked his chin as if it was all playing out just past me. “We’d just left McGowan’s and were going to pick up food on the way here.”
“Shit, I didn’t know,” I muttered as I thought about how that must’ve been for them. Watching it unfold right in front of them.
A breath left him that was all dulled amusement. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said as if I wasn’t getting it. “You shouldn’t bestandingthere. And you have bruises and cuts and a few broken bones—only one of which needs a goddamnsling. Chase, do you have any idea how lucky you are?”
I dipped my head as my stare fell to the phone in my hand.
“So, wear the sling. Help your bones heal properly. Stop being a bitter asshole because you’re already restless.” He leaned forward to push the sling closer to me. “And listen to Scarlet. She knows more and can help you better than most.”
My stare snapped up as I grabbed the material off the island to put it back on. “What do you mean?”
He held his hands out to his sides as he stepped away and started toward the entryway. “Ask her.”
“Is that going to be your response to everything with her?”
“Yeah, because you need to talk to her. You need to get to know your fiancée in case these years don’t come back to you.”
He’d been the first person to even hint at a chance that they wouldn’t. And instead of causing me to panic over the possibility, it eased something inside me. Like the pressure on me to remember had lessened with those simple words.
“And if they don’t?” I asked hesitantly.
“Then the two of you will figure out what to do from there.” Brandon shrugged. “But I saw you fall in love with her once. Amnesia can’t take away what you felt for her.”
I didn’t tell him he was wrong.
I didn’t tell him it clearlyhad.
I just nodded and walked him to the door before going back to the phone. Back to the thoughts and suspicions I’d had.
Entering my password, I went to the messaging app and only felt a small hint of relief when it was full.
But after looking through the different conversations, there wasn’t anything that was cause for alarm. Nothing that would’ve made my mind conjure up what it had. And the few messages Ididhave with Harper were always about my family.
But it was obvious from just the most recent conversation with Scarlet that she’d meant something incredibly significant to me.
Locking the screen before I could go back any further or do something worse, like go through the pictures, I left the phone on the counter and went back to the guestroom. Intent on sleeping away this searing heartache that was so much worse than the constant physical pain radiating through my body.
Ihadn’t noticed it before...
The big empty space above our bed.
Then again, he could’ve come and taken it when I’d been in the shower. But the bare space where our picture had hung just the day before was all I could see as I stood near the foot of the bed, frozen in grief and anger and pain.
Asshole.
I finally forced myself from the room and stormed through the house, my throat thick with emotion as I desperately tried to swallow back the building tears.
