Her Forgotten Past

Chapter 4

I opened my eyes slightly. Everything was so bright. I whimpered as I tried to move my legs. What happened? Where was I? How did I get here? I couldn’t remember anything. The last thing I remember was making dinner for my husband and him slamming the plate across room because he didn’t like the casserole I made. Where was he? Oh, no, I thought. He has taken me somewhere and is going to really kill me this time. His constant threats lingered in my mind, as I heard light footsteps behind me. If I could run, I would have been out of here in a matter of seconds. But I was stuck. I really was going to die this time.

Instead, a tall, attractive masculine male appeared around the side of the leather couch that I was confined to. He was wearing a pair of gray joggers and a red tank top that glistened with sweat. The contour of his abs showed through his top. I had to pry my eyes away before he caught me staring. My eyes wandered to his face. It was flushed, like he had just got finished working out. Sweat beads rolled from his forehead and bunched up around the corners of his perfect sandy blonde hair. He ran his hand through his hair and looked down at me, smiling. “Hi,” is all he said to me. “Hey,” I managed to reply.

Who was this perfect stranger, and why was I at this strange place at the same time as he? The way his chest heaved up and down as he breathed was so distracting that I couldn’t find any other words to say. He broke the silence and sat down next to me on the couch. “Are you feeling any better,” he asked. I didn’t know how to respond because I was unsure that I felt unwell. Other than the lingering pain in my legs and my head, I felt fine. Was I missing something here? “Um, I guess,” I replied. “Other than having no clue where I am or how I got here, I think I’m great,” I lied through my teeth as pain radiated up my thigh.

His eyes pierced through mine as if he could read my thoughts. His silence was stifling and bewildering. Would he not tell me what happened to me? And who he was? And why I was here? I swung my leg around the side of the couch, tears threatening my eyes as the tendons in my leg muscles shifted. “Easy there,” he said. “It’ll only make it worse. It’s probably best if you give it a little more time to heal.”

“Heal from what,” is all I could manage to utter. “You really don’t remember what happened to you, do you? I thought at first you were pulling my leg, but I guess you really don’t. You hit your head pretty hard, and possibly strained a few muscles in your leg,” he exclaimed.

“How did I get here? Who are you? What do you want with me? Did he send you? Where is he?” Words poured out my mouth like word vomit as I anxiously glanced around his place. He stood from his position on the couch and stared puzzlingly at me. “I have no idea what you mean, I just want to help. That was a hefty fall you had. Luckily, I was there to save you. There’s no telling what would happened if I hadn’t also been running and found you. New York is full of creeps. Especially Central Park in the early morning hours.”

I gaped at his words. New York. What the hell was I doing in New York? And why was I in Central Park in the early morning? Why wasn’t I at work in Wimberly? Where was Max? My head was spinning. This had to be some type of joke. I attempted to stand again, but winced in pain, deciding instead to lie back down. I could barely even move. What the hell? “So basically, I’m stranded in some random apartment somewhere in New York with some stranger. I have no idea what’s going on! And why am I not in Texas!” I screamed just a little louder than anticipated.

The handsome stranger continued to stare. His blue eyes burnt into mine, and everything below my waistline clenched. What the hell was wrong with me? I am a married woman, even if it is to an awful man. Why was a stranger having this effect on me? I brushed the thoughts away, as quickly as they came, whilst glancing up at him again. He continued to stare, likely awaiting my next outburst.

Instead, I calmly breathed, “So let me get this straight. You saved me from what exactly? And brought me here why?” This time he smiled, and responded, “I was running my usual early morning run before work when I saw you trip over a branch in the path and fall. You fell pretty hard and hit your shin and head pretty hard. I ran over to you to see if you were ok, but by the time I reached you, you were already unconscious. I searched for an ID but the only thing you had on you was a cell phone, which was locked by the way. I didn’t know who to call or where you lived, so I brought you here, to my home. I felt it was the least I could do was to keep you safe and make sure you were ok.”

He reached down and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear that had fallen in front of my eyes. His touch sent shivers down my body. Why was this stranger having such an effect on me? I brushed my devious thoughts away again. When was the last time a man looked at me the way he was looking at me? It was like he could see right through me. His baby blue eyes glistened as the sun shined through the windows in his apartment. I finally broke his gaze.

“Well, I certainly appreciate what you’ve done for me. So, if you could help me up and take me home that would be great,” I signed. Home? Where was home if I was in New York? And where was Max? Surely, he would kill me if he caught me in the same room with some gorgeous man as the one standing in front of me right now. I closed my eyes and tried to think. Why couldn’t I remember anything? Did I have a concussion? Why didn’t this strange man take me to a hospital instead of bringing me here?

I glanced in mystery man’s direction. “So, why didn’t you take me the hospital if you were so worried about my wellbeing,” I demanded. He didn’t respond. Was he hiding something?

Did he take advantage of me in my state of unconsciousness? I wondered. I glanced down at my clothes. They felt intact, as if nothing had happened. Mystery man didn’t give off any bad vibes either, nor did he seem like the type of man to do such a thing. It was like he read my thoughts, as he finally spoke, “I didn’t take advantage of you in case you were wondering; I wouldn’t ever do that to you.” His declaration sounded so sincere, so I brushed any intrusive thoughts away from my already demented mind. Not that I would mind him doing unspeakable things to me while I was very well awake and conscious. Something was wrong with my mind; thoughts of this handsome stranger doing unforeseeable things to my body continued to invade my brain. I couldn’t seem to shake this stranger whom I had just met and knew absolutely nothing about, other than he was incredibly sexy and lived in an amazing apartment. By the way he was staring at me so intently made me ponder if he felt the same way; he looked as if he was undressing me with his eyes…

Chapter 5

“I have to pee”, I retorted, interrupting the silence between us. “I figured as much”, he replied smiling. “Let me help you up.” He inched closer, lifting me from sofa, placing my arm around his strong shoulders. I winced as I stood, immense pain radiating up my thigh. The feel of his soft skin against mine and the contours of his muscular biceps was enough of a distraction to dim the pain in my mind. The sweet smell of his cologne mixed with his sweat was intoxicating; I was getting turned on by a stranger, and I could feel my panties growing moist. Where was the bathroom in this huge apartment, I pondered? I had to distance myself from him soon before I said or did something completely reckless and out of my element.

Chapter 6

“Do you normally pass out this much?” Mystery Man remarked comically, as I awoke for a second time on his sofa. “I usually make it a point to faint at the most inconvenient times,” I managed a small laugh. He smiled. My, his smile was contagious, and I could feel the butterflies flapping away in my stomach.

“So, what do you do?” I casually inquired, attempting to change the subject. He looked down, scratching the back of his neck, as if avoiding the question. “It’s nothing illegal is it?” I nervously pressed. Still no response. “Please tell me I’m not stuck here with a drug dealer or a mobster?” I screeched. This time he glanced up and chuckled. “No, just business,” he responded. His reply couldn’t have been anymore vague. He reversed the question on me, “What do you do for work?” I hesitated. It wasn’t that I was avoiding the question; I really didn’t remember. The last job I remember having was my senior executive job back in Texas. However, given my current state and the circumstances I had found myself in, that no longer seemed the case.

“Honestly, I don’t really know; I can’t really remember anything. I don’t know why I’m in New York in the first place, why I look like this, or where I live at the moment. Honestly, I’m sorry I can’t offer you a better explanation right now,” I said in defeat.

I placed my head in my hands and began to cry. My heart was heavy. I had lost my memory, I had no clue who I was anymore, and what I was doing thousands of miles away from home. I wasn’t even sure of where to tell Mystery Man to take me home to since I couldn’t recall moving here at all. I can’t even remember where I live! How fucking pathetic! The tears endlessly streamed down my face, as I felt his burly arms wrap around me; his muscular arms were so warm and comforting. For once, in such a long time, I felt safe. For so many years prior, I had felt so lonely and scared; but, in his arms, all those empty feelings evaporated. I wished I could dwell in this moment forever; I felt so whole and complete again all the missing pieces of my forgotten past briefly dissipated.

I glanced up from the corner of my eye and glimpsed him staring down at me so keenly. I broke his gaze too soon. This couldn’t happen. I was still married; I had no memory of a divorce. Divorce wasn’t an option, as I had found out the hard way. According to Max, it was “til death do us part” in the most literal sense.

I was running from something, I realized. Why else would I be in New York and not in Texas? Why did I change my hair, and cut it so short? Why were my rings gone? And where was Max? Maybe, just maybe, I had managed to escape. That must be what happened, I thought to myself. I forced myself to look up at my mystery man. Was he meant to be my knight in shining armor? Don’t be a fool! You’ve only known this person for an hour or so! There’s no way he could possibly want to be with you, my inner demons reasoned with me. So many thoughts clouded my mind, and I became dizzy again. I only wished I knew what exactly happened back home in Texas, so that I could fathom why I was here in New York. Then maybe I could move on and live a normal life and be happy again. Did Max die? Did I kill him and make a run for it to New York to hide? Is that why I look so different? Oh, no! Maybe I’m a criminal! The longer I dwelled in my thoughts, the deeper my thoughts consumed me.

All of a sudden, my cell phone buzzed from the other side of the sofa, lifting me from my hazy state. Mystery man glanced, unwrapping his arms from around me, and handed me the phone. The weight from his arms leaving my body me made me instantly cold, and sad. The caller ID displayed “Landlord”, and I sighed. Maybe I could find out where I lived by answering this call. Instead, I let it ring to voicemail; I couldn’t make myself look like a fool by asking my landlord where I lived. Surely, he or she would think I was on drugs.

“Steph, this is Dorothy from Apex Apartment Complexes. I was calling to inform you that there’s been an incident with your apartment. It appears someone broke into it early this morning. I went and had a look., all your belongings seemed to be intact. It didn’t look as if anything had been stolen, but I’ll leave that to your discretion. Just thought I would give you a heads up that I had Rufus replace the locks, since the door was kicked in and the whole knob was destroyed. Oh, lordy. I’m rambling. Just give me a call back. I’ll have you a new set of keys at my office.”

The phone slipped from my palm, as I replayed the voicemail. So, apparently, I rented an apartment at a place called Apex Apartments where there had been a break in right after I had left.

Shivers ran down my spine. Was someone watching me? If it appeared nothing was missing, did that mean that they were looking for me? Was it Max? Was he the one I was running from, and he had finally caught up with me? Or maybe it was one of his men come to take me away! I tried brushing these unpleasant thoughts aside, but something inside me didn’t sit well. Something suspicious was happening, and I was terrified to find out what it was.