The Chase, Volume 4 (12 page)

I frowned at the mention of my mother and I wished desperately that I could remember her.

“Anyway, Connor didn’t give up. You have to give the man some credit. He was certainly persistent and he kept wooing you. And after some time, you finally realized that there was something there between the two of you that you couldn’t deny. So you finally budged and agreed to go on a date with him. But before you did, and with your insistence, you guys went through the proper channels with the Human Resources department and signed some forms that disclosed your potential personal relationship.”

“That’s good.” I felt a sense of relief wash through me after hearing Anna’s recount of how I started dating Connor.

“So you see, sweetie, you have nothing to worry about.” She cocked her head and studied me. “Were you really worried?

I looked at her and nodded sheepishly.

“Sweetie, you have nothing to worry about! Connor is great to you. Do you know he visited you at the hospital every single day for the last four months, waiting for the day you’d finally wake up?”

“He did?” I thought about Connor and smiled at how lucky I was to have him in my life.

“Darling, that man loves you to pieces!”

Just then, a memory flashed before my eyes.

I was standing at the front entrance of a nail salon.

“O.M.G.! You’re engaged?” Anna squealed the minute she saw me walk inside the salon.
How she was able to spot my engagement ring within the first second of entering the salon is beyond me
, I thought as I looked down at the breathtaking, sparkling rock weighing down my left ring finger.

She grabbed my hand eagerly and pulled it up to her face, studying the ring closely. “Damn, not bad, Connor. Now
this
is what an engagement ring should look like.”

I laughed. “You don’t think it’s a bit too flashy?” I looked at her, waiting for her approval.

“For the future Mrs. Connor Brady, one of the richest and youngest CEOs in the U.S.? No, this will do perfectly.” She looked back at the ring, mesmerized by it. “It’s gorgeous.” Finally pulling her eyes off the ring, she looked up at me, grinning ear to ear. “So how do you feel?”

“Happy, but still a bit in shock to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

“I knew it was bound to happen! That man loves you to pieces!”

“Yeah, you’re right. So you don’t think it’s too soon?”

She didn’t seem to hear me as her gaze went back to my finger. “O.M.G. Let me get some photos of it.”

Before I could protest, Anna had already pulled out her phone and was snapping away at the ring.

I giggled. “Why are you taking photos of it? I don’t know if I want it up on Facebook or Instagram.”

“Why do you always have to be so modest, Liv! Sometimes you gotta flaunt what your mama gave yah! And in this case, flaunt that ginormous rock that your rich, powerful fiancé gave you.” She continued to snap away.

“Come on, Anna. You know I’m not into posting this kind of stuff on social media.”

“You and your modesty, Liv.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t actually planning on posting these anywhere.”

“Oh? What are you doing with them?” I eyed her suspiciously, knowing when she was scheming something.

She laughed. “I’m going to figure out a way for Rich to see them while I’m gushing over your ring to him. If that isn’t a hint, I don’t know what is.”

“Liv?”

Suddenly the salon disappeared and I was back in the living room with Anna.

“Did you say something?” I asked as I rubbed my head.

“Yeah. I called your name, but you looked like you were spaced out. Are you okay?”

I smiled. “I’m okay. I just had a flashback of us.” Excitement ran through me as another memory—a happy one—filled my near-empty mind.

“Oh?” Her eyes lit up. “What did you remember?”

“It was us—when I met you in the nail salon and you saw my ring for the first time.”

“Now that was a great memory to get back!”

I laughed at Anna’s genuine excitement for me, a level of excitement that rivaled my own. I instantly knew why we were best friends and why I must have loved her so much.

“Damn, Liv. It’s just so great to finally see you! You have no idea how much I’ve missed you in the last four months.” She reached for my hands and squeezed them. “You know, I had visited you in the hospital several times after your accident and it was so difficult to see you lying there completely motionless…” Anna’s voice cracked.

“Were you there that night…when it happened?”

She nodded as tears welled up in her eyes. “It was horrible. I can’t believe how fast it all had happened. I remember that I had been talking to you maybe only twenty minutes before your accident. You had gone to look for Connor in one of the other rooms and then less than half an hour later I heard all the sirens.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, it was your engagement party, and probably the most fabulous party I’ve ever attended.
Everyone
who’s anyone was there. And honey, you were so beautiful that night. You looked so happy.”

“I was?” I looked at her wistfully, wishing that I could remember being as happy as she’d remembered me to be.

“You and Connor were just so happy.” She shook her head as she thought back to that night. “I’ve never seen Connor look so happy and then so devastated before in the same night.”

“Did you see me after…after I was hit?” I felt my chest constrict as I imagined what it felt like to be hit by a car.

“Only briefly from a distance. I was inside when it happened and I didn’t know what had happened until I heard the sirens outside. By the time I ran out, the area was blocked off and all I could see was Connor by your side with two paramedics putting you on a stretcher. I will never forget the look on his face. I’ve always seen him calm and collected. But that night…he was as white as a sheet and sick with worry.”

Tears cascaded down my face as I pictured the scene in my mind. I thought about how it must have felt to be in Connor’s position. To watch the one you love being taken away like I had. My heart ached at the idea.

I thought about everything Anna had just told me about Connor and our relationship together and it was then that I reached for my phone and sent Connor a text.

Me: Hi. Do you mind if we sleep in the same bed tonight?

To my surprise, he immediately responded back.

Connor: Really? Of course we can, but are you sure you’re okay with that?

Me: Yes. I know this must be hard for you too. I think being in the same bed with you could help me with my memories.

Connor: :) I agree. I’ll let Debra know.

Me: Could we take things slow though?

Connor: As slow as a snail if that’s what you need. ;)

Me: Haha. Thank you.

As I put away my phone and turned back to my conversation with Anna, I felt a renewed sense of hope.
I’m so lucky to have an amazing fiancé like Connor. I need to do everything I can to remember him.

Oblivion
will be release on September 15, 2015.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Wood writes new adult contemporary romance.

While she has lived in countless cities throughout the U.S., her heart belongs to San Francisco. To her, there’s something seductively romantic about the Golden Gate Bridge, the steep rolling hills of the city streets, the cable cars, and the Victorian-style architecture.

Jessica loves a strong, masculine man with a witty personality. While she is headstrong and stubbornly independent, she can’t resist a man who takes control of the relationship, both outside and inside of the bedroom.

She loves to travel internationally, and tries to plan a yearly trip abroad. She also loves to cook and bake, and—to the benefit of her friends—she loves to share. She also enjoys ceramics and being creative with her hands. She has a weakness for good (maybe bad) TV shows; she’s up-to-date on over 25 current shows, and no, that wasn’t a joke.

And it goes without saying, she loves books—they’re like old and dear friends who have always been there to make her laugh and make her cry.

The one thing she wishes she had more of is time.

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