"Maybe I'll let you read it on your own," he said, standing up. I didn't protest, figuring it would be better that way. I was stalling, holding the paper but not yet mustering up the courage to open and read it. I didn't want to see something that would never let me look at my father the same way again. I didn't need a soothsayer to let me know my father was a hundred percent in on it and I didn't want to know the details. However, this was probably my only chance to leave. He had given me that opportunity. So why was I hesitating? If I left, I realized I had nowhere else to go. I couldn't go back to my parents' house. My father would skin me alive if he realized I had messed up his plans. I wasn't sure if he and Davis had struck up their partnership yet. I just knew I couldn't go home. Even if they wanted me back, I couldn't possibly look at their faces all day without getting mad. I couldn't go to Kayden either. He hadn't even settled himself and I would only be a burden to this
I held his stare, unable to look anywhere else with his hand firmly holding my chin. I swallowed, unknowingly parting my lips slightly when his eyes slowly dropped to them. His forefinger lightly brushed against my lower lip, softly massaging it. His eyes remained glued to them, as if he was only just discovering them then. Looking up at his own slightly parted lips, I wondered what they would feel like if I touched then with my fingers. Or with my mouth. This man was the reason I'd almost died. There was no way I was even remotely imagining kissing him…"When was the last time you ever kissed anyone?" he asked in a low voice and my eyes popped open. The question was sudden, an inquiry about a private part of my life. I didn't want to answer, but the way he'd asked it made me want to tell him whatever he wanted to hear. "I don't remember," I said honestly. Sure Kayden and I had kissed a couple of times, but ever since his sudden sickness, that had permanently become a thing of th
I absentmindedly trailed my fingers across the sides of the envelope as if I could somehow absorb what was inside without having to open it. The TV played in the background, serving as a distraction while I got lost in my thoughts. "Cassie, you're not going to believe this," Gloria announced drastically after running into the living room. "What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up immediately and reflexively hiding the envelope behind me."He's here, your…" Before she could complete the sentence, there was a knock on the door. A series of violent knocks actually, a very familiar one."Monroe, open this damn door!" The voice of my crass father came through, and I frowned, knowing my entire morning was ruined. Gloria gave me a sympathetic look before she slowly retreated into the kitchen. I remained seated for a while, hoping if I didn't react, he would get the hint Davis was at work and leave that place but there was no such luck. He kept pounding against the door like his life depended
"How so?" Davis asked, frowning. He did not like my father, so hearing he had done something to make me uncomfortable just made it worse. Should I tell him? Yes. "He came here to threaten you. To make you give him his cut which you promised him during our marriage. Then he saw me and he asked me to convince you to give it to him." Davis simply watched me as if he was trying to read my mind. Under his scrutiny, I felt guilty for some reason. With the plans I'd recently begun to hatch of late, I was not so different from my father. I didn't like this feeling at all. "So do you want me to pay him? Right now? I will. Just say the words." I hadn't expected that. "It's not my decision to make." "I'm making it your decision now," he said, walking up to me. He looked indifferent, but his words said a different thing. Truth be told, I didn't want my father to have anything. I wanted him to suffer for what he'd put me through but having to be the one to directly make that decision did
"This was us two years ago when we were on vacation in Texas for our anniversary," I said, showing Kayden pictures of us together on my phone. "Oh," he said, holding the phone up to his face as if he wanted to make sure the man smiling and holding onto the woman in the picture like she was all he had was truly him. "This was us on our first date three years ago, when you'd newly asked me out.""We looked really happy," he said, looking intently at each photo I showed him with no single ounce of recognition on his face. Sighing, he handed me back my phone with a look of pity on his face and my face fell. "I'm sorry. I don't remember any of this. The doctor said I might regain my memory soon but I haven't seen any difference yet." I nodded, holding back tears. I remained beside him, reminding myself not to be too selfish. His mother was on the other side of the bed, bawling her eyes out because her only son couldn't remember her. I didn't think anything could be more painful. "Oh,
Where I'd assumed Davis would scowl, or worse, ask me to get the fuck out of his office, he began to laugh instead. How did he just have a way of always belittling me? "I'm not joking," I said, holding onto my shirt to hide my embarrassment. It was only the two of us in there, yet I felt like he'd just disgraced me in front of a multitude of people. Fortunately, he stopped laughing. "It would have been better if you were, clown." Did he just…"Did you just call me a clown?" I asked, not even offended by the insult but surprised. The smirk on his face only grew deeper as he watched me with an amused expression. "Yes. I should have known your makeup that day had some hidden meaning. I was just clueless to notice until now." "Why do you find it necessary to…" "You know what? I like the sound of that; clown. Maybe I should call you that." "Excuse me," I began, wondering where he was going with this. "But I can't have people regarding my wife as a clown," he continued, lost in h
So much for my acting. I did as he asked, deciding it would be better if I just got it over with. I turned till I was lying on my back, facing him. We were way too close, I realized when I was on my back. He seemed to realize it too because a smirk crept into his face when I looked up at him. He was sitting on the bed next to me, his body just a few inches away from mine, so close he could touch me if he just moved his hand a little. And that was exactly what he did. My skin sizzled where he touched it and I was surprised by my reaction. Sitting up on the bed, I coughed to hide my reaction, but he had noticed. That self-indulgent smirk only deepened, but fortunately, he didn't try to get any closer. Getting up, he took off his shoes, then his tie and when he began to take off his dress shirt, I realized he was going to undress. I turned away immediately, suddenly feeling self-conscious. I didn't want him to view me as a prude or to make a big deal about it, but I didn't want to se
"I used to be an architect before my illness. I worked at a brewery and did other petty businesses by the side after I lost my job. I graduated from the University of California with honors, and moved here sometime afterward." I smiled at Kayden before giving him a little applause. "That's great. At this rate, you're going to remember every single thing like you never even lost your memory at all."Once I said that, his face fell. "Still feels like I'm just reciting someone else's life and not mine, though," he said, turning away. I frowned. This was how it always was. I hated the fact I couldn't help. His attitude toward all of this was eating me up as well. I felt his hand on mine and I flinched."I know you've been doing the best you can," he said, smiling back. "I'll never take that for granted." "Okay then. Let's continue.""We dated for three years and were so sure we would get married. I'd already bought the ring and all." I blushed, but I couldn't turn away. Deciding no