Page 66 of Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek)

I burst out laughing. “I’m so confused by our relationship.”

His smile widens. “You and me both, honestly.”

Hitting the call button, I wait and listen for it. It’s faint, but I hear it.

“I think it’s in one of these closets…” Landen walks over and opens a few of the doors. “Aha. Here we go.”

He brings over a white plastic bag that has my clothes and boots.

Digging around, I find my cell in my jeans.

“Whew, thank goodness. Miraculously, still in perfect condition.” Once I unlock it, I check my messages and see a few from Easton. I quickly shoot him a text so he knows I’m okay.

“My hat’s not in here…” I look inside the bag again.

“Oh, it’s in my truck. I grabbed it off the ground from when you fell. I knew how important it was to you and didn’t want you to lose it.”

My heart thuds harder than before. “Wow. That was very nice of you, thank you.”

An expression of amusement covers his face as if to hear me talk to him this way is shocking.

“You’re welcome.” He shoots me a wink and the fluttering in my chest continues.

I still can’t figure out what would’ve made me not like him. He’s definitely my type. Polite. Considerate. Willing to stay here with me after he’s probably had a busy day. So why? Why did I hate this man?

“Any chance you know why I didn’t like you?”

He shakes his head. “I’ve been askin’ you for four years to tell me.”

“Shit. I dunno what to say besides I’m sorry. I wanna say it’s probably something silly like you tripped me, but hating you for four years overthatwould be excessive.”

Landen chuckles at my frustration, but if it isn’t the sexiest laugh I’ve ever heard.

“The day we met…” He stops himself. “Fuck. I’m not supposed to tell you.”

“What, why?”

“Dr. Murray said it would confuse your mind if we told you too much. You won’t know if a memory is something you’re remembering or just remembering what you were told.”

“Well, that sucks…how am I supposed to get to know you if you can’t tell me these things?”

“You wanna get to know me?”

“Yeah…hasn’t that been obvious?”

He removes his white ball cap and flips it backward like a habit when he’s flustered.

“I’m not sure I should let you get to know me, Ellie.” When he frowns, I know I’m not going to like what he says next. “When your memory of me returns, which I’m sure it will, you’ll hate me even more for allowing you to get close to me.”

Fuck me.

And he’s selfless.

Ellie Donovan, why did you hate this man?I wish I could go back in time and smack myself for not taking the chance when it was in front of me.

Sadness consumes me, and I beg myself not to cry because I’m not a crier.

That has to be the meds making me more emotional than usual.

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