Page 36 of My Almost Ex

“Thanks, Jed.”

I hear the door shut and lock. Finally I release a breath and come out from behind the post.

“You’re thin, but that post doesn’t hide you. You know that, right?”

“I guess my eye for dimensions went with my memory and my hearing.” I roll my eyes.

He laughs and goes behind the bar. “Glad to see it wasn’t your sense of humor that went.”

I sit on a barstool and he pulls out two shot glasses, then pours a clear liquid into both.

“Jed, it’s, like, nine-thirty,” I say.

“I can use it. Cade woke me this morning jabbering about my best man responsibilities. Turns out he’s not going to pick between his brothers. So…” He nudges the glass toward me and downs his shot. “Don’t tell Adam though.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Our conversations are brief at best.” I circle the shot glass in my hands for a moment before downing it, regretting the decision as soon as the burn hits my throat.

“You did rip his heart out with your bare hands.”

“Nice.”

He pulls a bottle of water from behind the bar and cracks it open before giving it to me. “I’m just speaking the truth. The poor guy was listening to Motown just to forget you.”

“Motown?”

He chuckles and props up on the other side of the bar, his foot on a stool behind there. “Yep. The poor bastard was like a billboard ad telling other guys, ‘Monogamy sucks, don’t do it.’”

“As big as the one out there?” I point to where Cade posted a huge posterboard declaring his love for Presley.

“Wanna make a bet they try to put it up in here? That’s happening next to never.”

I chuckle and sip my water. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Saving me from Fran and her gang. Making me laugh. I haven’t laughed since I got here. Actually, since the accident maybe.”

“Well, losing your memory isn’t exactly funny.”

“No, but everyone is always so serious with me.” I pick at the label on the bottle.

“Do you ever think about what it will be like if you never remember everything?” I stare blankly and he holds up his hands. “Just asking.”

I shrug. “It’s fine. My doctor is bringing it up to me too. That’s more of a probability than me remembering everything.”

“So what do you remember?” He looks at me with keen interest.

“Well, I remember people, but not the memories associated with them. Like I know Adam is my husband, but I can’t tell you much else. But there have been these moments when I remember things from when we were younger.”

He smirks. “You look like you enjoy those memories.”

I try to bite down my smile before giving up. “I do. I love him and I’m terrified I’m never going to get him back. What if my memory doesn’t return and…” My throat closes up and tears pool in my eyes. “What if I can’t tell him why I left him, and he never forgives me, and he just carries on with his life?” A tear slips and I swipe it away with the back of my hand. “I can’t bear to live without him. And then there’s this girl, Alicia. Do you know her?”

Jed nods, his face showing no emotion.

“How long have they been dating?” I wave it off. “Never mind. You’re his brother. I shouldn’t be asking you.”

“Technically, I’m only his stepbrother,” he says, a grin tipping his lips.

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