Page 78 of Stealing Chances

Something the rest of us understood far too well, consideringweremembered all the years Chase had lost and still wasn’t getting back.

The doctor had said to be patient. To continue giving it time and that we were doing all we could. But it was everything else he’d quickly tossed out as possible explanations that had made me pause. Had worried me.

“It’s Chase’s mind that needs to repair itself,” the doctor had said. “It’s up to him to get his memories back. We don’t know what will trigger them, if anything. It could be something as simple as a smell or a sound. It could be that, along with protecting his body from the physical trauma of the accident, his mind is protecting itself from the emotional trauma. Maybe he just doesn’t want to remember. We just can’t know.”

Emotionally traumatic...the accident had been exactly that. Brandon and Konrad had described witnessing it in detail. I’d seen the aftermath. I’d been shown videos and early photos from before I’d gotten to the scene.

It’d been horrific—no one should’ve been able to survive that.

So, I understood the idea of Chase’s mind protecting itself. But if he’d already been so torn up over something he’ddone...was it possible his mind was blocking out not only the accident, but also these past years, to protectus?

“We come here all the time,” I finally answered and then cleared my throat as I gave him an encouraging smile. “It actually opened up not long after we met, so it became one of our places.”

He nodded as a humming sound rose in his throat.

But still, that look.

Not one bit of recognition lit his blue eyes, and I could see it aggravated him.

Grabbing my hand in his, he started leading me across the small parking lot and toward the building. “Then let’s see how it is,” he murmured as if a part of him didn’t already know. Pressing his mouth to my temple, he asked, “Chinese food tonight?”

A stunned laugh burst from me at the unexpected comment. “What? No! Where did that even come from? We aren’t fighting.”

“You were still yelling at me about the sling on the way to the doctor. When he said I could be done with it, you rolled your eyes and said, ‘Don’t say a word,’ so I’m not. I’m feeding you.”

My chest shook with amusement. “Because you’re thinking ‘I told you so,’ aren’t you?”

“But I’ve already got the apology lined up,” he said as a grin tugged at his mouth.

“You’re awful,” I tossed back as I let him lead me into the coffee shop.

“That isn’t ano.”

I slanted my head and gave him a look like I planned on saying exactly that, only to mutter, “Well, I’m never going to turn down Chinese food.”

“Now, about surfing—”

“No,” I said unquestionably as I brought us to a stop halfway to the counter. “Absolutely not. You heard the doctor.”

One side of his face scrunched up adorably, but the words that left him and the tone of his voice were pure sin. “You also told me I couldn’t fuck you, and I—”

“Chase,” I hissed, pressing my hand against his stomach and looking wildly around, making sure no one was close enough to hear him.

When I met his stare again, his eyes were all wicked amusement and carnal promises.

“I’ve proven you wrong,” he continued. “Repeatedly. I’m also fine.”

My head shook as I fought the smile threatening on my lips. “You definitely owe me Chinese food now,” I said under my breath as I turned toward the counter again, then added, “No surfing. Period.”

A contemplative hum sounded in his chest as he caught up with me. “We’ll see—what the fuck are you doing here?”

My head snapped up at his harsh demand to see him staring straight ahead, looking horrified and furious and like he was about to be sick.

A question lodged in my throat as I followed his line of sight to where Erin, the owner, was standing next to the barista who was waiting to take our order. Her stunned stare shifting quickly between us before landing on me.

“Did I miss something?” she asked, then jerked back when Chase charged the counter.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” he ground out. “What thefuck?”

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