Page 21 of Stealing Chances

I refused to accept that what I felt wasn’t real.

Anda small part of me was clinging to the chance that there was truth to my memories.

I’d accepted that Harper and Brandon were married. That Harper wasn’tminein the sense that I couldn’t hold her and kiss her whenever I wanted. But what if our heartbreaking affair had really happened? What if Harper and I had come together when we shouldn’t have? After I’d gotten engaged to Scarlet, or she’d married Brandon, or sometime in between.

What if my mind had twisted the reality of our situation and fit it into something from years ago, and I’d carelessly outed us in front of Brandon and Scarlet?

What if my fiancée wasn’t the person I was in love with?

And it was that small part that kept me from asking Scarlet for details about her or our life together. Kept me from wanting to get close.

“I can see those thoughts you’re warring with,” Brandon said, his voice edged with warning. “Chase, I can’t imagine waking up and losing years’ worth of memories and having an entire year changed. But I can’t stress this enough: the Chase that was standing there a little over a week ago wouldn’t stomach anyone even suggesting him and Harper together.”

My jaw ached from the pressure I was putting on it, but I didn’t say anything. Just waited for him to continue.

“Knowing how you truly view Harper, you’re going to have a hard fucking time dealing with the way you’ve been thinking about her when you get your memories back,” he said. “Not only that,”—he gestured in the direction Scarlet had gone—“youworshipthat girl.”

“I get that,” I said through clenched teeth. “People keep reminding me of all that. But that isn’t what I feel or what Iknow.”

“In that regard.. .you can’t have my wife.” He shrugged. “I would say ‘sorry,’ but I’m not. She’s mine.”

Yeah, we’ll see about that.

“Is that why you’re here?” I asked, forcing the thought aside and nodding to the remnants of the breakfast he’d brought with him. “To remind me of that?”

A breath that bordered on a laugh bled from him. “I’m here because this is what we do. Mostly,” he amended with a slant of his head. “We surf. We go home. We meet back up at the gym and then have breakfast at one of our houses.”

“McGowan’s?” I asked, brow furrowing as I waited for him to confirm or tear apart more of what I thought I knew.

“Yeah.” He blinked quickly and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I know I need to explain things to you, but I keep expecting you to alreadyknow. I bought McGowan’s last year—Konrad and I bought it when McGowan decided to retire.”

“You own McGowan’s?” I asked dully. “The boxing gym. The place—I mean, we met there, right?”

Confusion washed across his face as if he was surprised I’d even question that. “Yeah...”

“I don’t know what in my life is or isn’t real,” I said harshly.

He held up a placating hand. “Sorry—yes. I met you there my freshman year. That’s how we got started fighting in the Underground. Not that you fought long.”

I nodded, thankful that at least something was as I’d remembered. “You still fight?”

“Hell no. Harper would kill me.” He scratched at his temple, something flashing across his face. “I’ve taken too many hits. One of my last fights didn’t end well, even though I won—you were there. Wasn’t anything like what you just went through, but I apparently scared the shit out of everyone, enough that Harper warned me against fighting again.”

“But you saidone ofyour last fights,” I said, the unspoken question clear.

His eyebrows rose in confirmation. “Yeah, well, I’m not perfect.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

A hushed laugh him. “Shut up, man.”

The corners of my mouth had been twitching in amusement before I finally realized what he’d said earlier. “How the hell did youbuyMcGowan’s?”

One of his shoulders lifted. “Underground.”

Surprise wove through me. “Fuck, I’m in the wrong profession.”

His next laugh was sharp and loud. “That was your exact reaction when I first told you I was buying it.”

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