Page 73 of Forget Me Not

Wildcat: Not yet. But it’s on my list of things to do.

HawkEye: I’m glad. You deserve to chase your dreams.

Wildcat: I think so, too. Thank you.

HawkEye: Is it safe to assume you’ve met someone if you got a shot of birth control? You’re not meeting clients anymore, right?

Wildcat: Not exactly. Well. Sort of, I guess. There is this guy…

HawkEye: Go on.

Dammit, I should have just said no. I could tell him about Alaric, but that conversation would never end. Instead, I lie a little.

Wildcat: He’s super sweet. Probably one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. But we work together.

I expect his response to be immediate, but when it doesn’t come, I type out another message.

Wildcat: Are you there?

He doesn't respond so I set my phone down, only to pick it right back up. Curiosity gets the best of me and I go to my search engine and type in ‘Alaric Banks.’

I hit enter, and watch as the screen loads with different articles about him ranging from business deals to accomplishments, and one with the headline:2021 Top 50 Most Successful Entrepreneurs.

I have to read it again just to make sure my eyes aren’t deceiving me. Alaric was selected as one of 2021’s top fifty most successful entrepreneurs. That’s fucking insane! It was two years ago, but still. It’s amazing. I had no idea he was so influential. And it’s not just his business,it’s him.

I click into the article and scroll to find out more about him, but there isn’t much to read. There’s a picture of him that gives my pussy a pulse because my God the guy is fucking gorgeous.

He’s the owner of a tech business called A to Z Technology, which is compared to some of the biggest companies in the world, such as Apple and Microsoft. I don’t read what they specialize in because I don’t really care. All I know is, Alaric has more money than I could have ever imagined. Not just that, he’s successful as fuck.

So what the hell does he want with little ol’ me? It’s baffling, to say the least. I’m a nobody and I’m worth nothing.

I close the article and click a few more, finding nothing interesting. Until one in particular catches my eye.

Planned Business Merger between A to Z Technology and Thorn Enterprise.

It’s not the headline that grabs my attention, it’s the photo. Two men, one being Alaric, and the other being my dad. They’re shaking hands and smiling for the camera.

I look at the date and it’s the same year as the other article—2021.

Alaric wasn’t kidding when he said he knew my father very well. I click the link and read the caption beneath the photo.

Lifetime friends, Alaric Banks and Grayson Thorn, have announced an agreement to bring global technology and natural resources together and create, what they hope will be, the nation’s largest solar assisted energy source. Acquisition to be finalized in late 2023.

Oh, shit. Iguess I really fucked that up for Alaric. I guess there's nothing I can do about it now. I turn off my phone and set it back on my nightstand, memories of that day flooding my mind.

Darkness looms as I enter the mansion that could have been my home. It’s large and beautiful and full of expensive things, but it’s also hollow and empty at the same time. It doesn't give off the comforting feel that one might expect for such a gorgeous place.

The smoky scent of a cherry lingers in the air and I follow the aroma, knowing exactly who’s holding the lit cigar.

This isn’t my first time in the house. I came here earlier to disarm the security systems and erase all the footage while Grayson was at his office. When he got home, I watched his red face from the window while he screamed at the baffled security company to fix the problem.

Now, luck seems to be on my side because the power has completely gone out at the Thorn estate.

I’d like to think it’s my mom looking out for me, but I get the feeling it’s something more practical.

I saw the mystery man’s car earlier today. I know he’s here in Redwood. Perhaps it was him. A stalker, but a savior at the same time. I’m not sure why I feel a sort of companionship with the stranger, chalk it up to being alone for the better part of my life and fighting tooth and nail for the other parts. This person doesn’t seem to want to hurt me. It almost feels like everywhere I go that they follow, I’m protected somehow.

Creeping slowly down the hall to Grayson’s study, where he’s likely puffing out smoke while rubbing his big fat belly, I take care not to make a sound. It’s a difficult feat considering the ceilings are so high in this house that every movement has an echo, but I’m a professional and memorized the route earlier.

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