Invisible (A Night Fire Novel Book 5) (8 page)

The doctor turned to the man that was standing at the end of my bed. His pain for the situation was obvious on his face.

“
Should return with a little time. You can help her with photos and videos, anything that will jog her memory. Show her a picture and ask her if she knows the people in the image or what the event was. If she knows the dates of events like birthdays. Ask her if she knows the current president, what the dog's name is, the name of the street she lives in. Structure it in two sections, personal and general and be patient with her. Love and compassion will help her.”

“
But she should have someone with her?”

“
Yes, absolutely. For the first few days to ensure there is no relapse.”

“
She can come to my place.”

The man that I guess is my father frowned at Jaxon.

“
No.” he said simply.

“
She remembers me and besides, you and the other family members have a lot to do. You can't be staying at home. I am expendable at the moment and when I'm not she can come with me.”

“
I think you've done enough already thanks.”

Tension was rising fast, even the doctor was frowning at the situation. Jaxon and the unknown man were butting heads over this and it was clear that neither of them would agree to the others plan.

“
Gentlemen I must insist on constant supervision. If you cannot agree to something then she will remain here.”

“
She's staying at the house. End of subject.”

“
Fine.” Jaxon grinned. “But I'm moving in.”

“
Like hell you are.”

“
Gentlemen, do I need to call security?”

I huffed at them rather loudly. They all turned and looked at me.

“
Did you happen to forget that I'm sitting here? Anyone bother to worry about what I might want?”

Blank faces stared at me.

“
Sorry, but I don't know you and although I can assume your role in my life it doesn't help any. The only person I can remember is him and you want to keep him away from me? Do you think that's going to work well? You can't just expect me to willingly follow you to a place I don't remember and not at least be a little anxious. So I would appreciate it if you would allow Jaxon to stay with me otherwise I won't be going anywhere.”

He nodded, not the slightest bit impressed but it didn't matter. What mattered was me feeling safe and although I know deep down that there is no issue with these people, I also know that anxiety won't help the recovery of my memory.

“
Well then.” the doctor sighed cheerily. “If you wouldn't mind stepping out gentlemen, the nurse will have to start the preparations for Kaylee's departure.”

Jaxon leaned over to whisper his gratitude and a kiss on the cheek. A kiss that left me with mixed emotions.

Chapter Twelve

My departure from the hospital was rather interesting. Instead of going out the front door like everyone else did, I was taken through the hospital and out the back door that led to a basement. While I dressed they discussed everything in great detail, had another heated discussion and then had the threat of the security guard yet again. Eventually they agreed that it would be wise to split up, Jaxon and I were to go one way and everyone else were going the other way.

I now faced a huge black car, an orderly helping me into the passenger seat. The belt went across my body, he carefully plugged me into the seat. He gave me a tentative nod and closed the door.

“
It only hurts a bit.” I offered as Jaxon started the car.

“
I know. He didn't know that you were strapped into a harness in the accident.”

Light flooded the car as we emerged from the car park, a sea of people surrounded the exit.

“
Shit.” Jaxon groaned. “I guess the ruse didn't work.”

These people had cameras, pointing them at us as they swarmed the car. Jaxon had to drive slowly to avoid hitting these fools.

“
Look at that Kaylee, for once they're more interested in you than me.” he grinned as he spoke, turning out onto the road.

Then the pursuit began. I looked in the side view mirror and saw a few cars and motorbikes trailing after us.

“
Is it always like that?”

“
For me, yes. You not so much until recently.”

“
What did I do?”

He looked at me as he mulled it over and then relented.

“
You might have been portrayed as a person that came between me and a recent love interest of mine.”

“
Oh.”

“
Look.” he sighed. “I wasn't really interested in her anyway. She was a distraction from the pain of my reality.”

I picked up a book that was sitting in the center console, it looked worn and well read. Someone had written in a neat cursive on the title page.

Hobbits aren't the only ones that can have adventures.

“
I'm adopted.” I whispered as a tear fell onto the back of my hand.

Jaxon nodded when I looked up at him.

“
You've got a couple of photos in your apartment. Someone's gone to collect everything so that you can look at them.”

“
They died in a car accident, didn't they?”

He nodded as he took my hand, holding it firmly until the lights changed.

“
You have an uncanny knack for surviving car accidents. I'm not going to tell you about it Kaylee. Even though you haven't said much about it I know you would prefer to not remember it.”

More tears escaped as I looked out the window, watching as we passed the arid land.

“
What happened with the recent accident?”

“
No one knows exactly what happened, there were no witnesses. Highway patrol came across you, it was probably only a few minutes after the accident. They said they saw the car pass them just outside the city limits and started to follow you at a distance. Somewhere along the way you must have put your foot down and they lost sight of you but continued, figuring that you were about to start speeding. Then they found you.”

He gulped hard, taking a careful peek at me as he turned the corner into a driveway, descending into a car park.

“
You were off the road in the dirt. The cops said that you must have spun out and ditched it. They ran the plates and called me.”

Darkness shrouded the sad face, I couldn't see him for a brief moment until the lights of the garage lit up the sadness again.

“
Worst phone call ever. I didn't even know you had left. How fucked up is that? You ran away and no one knew a damned thing.”

“
Everyone gets distracted.”

Jaxon laughed, the smile wasn't a happy one. He pulled into a park and turned off the engine.

“
It was your birthday party Kaylee, everyone should have noticed. The place was filled with at least a hundred people that should have had their focus on you but somehow you managed to slip away.”

“
Oh.” I said softly, feeling like shit.

That sucked. I got out of the car, Jaxon had rounded it fast so that he could help me.

“
Did I steal your car?”

“
No. I gave you one and trust me, I've been yelled at.”

“
Why?” I frowned.

He gestured to the red sports car beside us, low to the ground and very sleek.

“
Got you a blue one.”

I gaped at the thought of it, such extravagance was surely unjustified. He took my hand and led me to the elevator, the doors opened as soon as he pressed the button.

“
Just got to get some things and then we'll be going again.”

“
Do you live here?”

He nodded as he pressed the button at the very top.

“
Do I?”

His head shook slowly.

“
Are you my boyfriend?”

“
No but you wanted me to be.”

“
So why aren't you?” I frowned. “You keep kissing me, you told me that you loved me. I don't understand.”

He leaned on the wall opposite, his eyes were on his fingers as he trailed them around the circle buttons on the panel.

“
It's complicated.”

“
So explain it.”

“
We met when you were seventeen, it didn't seem right.”

“
Did you do something to me?”

My heart thumped a little harder as I leaned against the wall. Should I fear him? It didn't feel like I should.

“
No!” he gasped in shock. “God Kaylee, kissing you today was the most we've ever done. Jeez.”

His hand ran through his hair in frustration. The doors slid open as the car came to a halt, beyond the doors was a little entry way with two doors. Jaxon took my hand and led me to the doors on the left.

“
I still don't understand. How isn't right if we've never done anything? How old am I now?”

I frowned. How old was I? It was my birthday so I could assume that he wouldn't buy a car for someone who couldn't at least drive it.

“
Twenty-one.” he said quietly “I'll only be a few minutes, make yourself comfortable.”

He walked through the apartment, his footsteps heavy over the wood floors. Standing in the entry seemed pointless when he said to make myself comfortable. So I ventured further into his apartment, the lounge room was to the right. It seemed rather standard with the large lounge that dominated the room, a flat screen television mounted to the far wall. On the left was a dining room that contained a long glass table with a lot of chairs neatly tucked to the table. Overhead was a glittering light, the strands of glass beads in what looked like it could be in excessive a hundred, maybe two hundred.

All of the walls were the same, a soft white that was almost creamy in color. The shadowed walls were darker looking like a cream rather than a stark white. I passed yet another lounge room, this one had views of the landscape that was beyond the enormous patio area.

When I found his bedroom I stopped, wondering if I dared to step over the line. I looked down at the floor, there were no differences to be had. The flooring continued throughout. But that did not matter, what mattered was which way I stepped.

“
Is the floor that interesting?”

I looked up, Jaxon was standing at the edge of his bed. He'd changed from the suit into a pair of jeans and I guess he'd forgotten to put the shirt on. God damn, it was a stunning view. His torso was tattoos on nicely honed muscles. Not overdone but just enough to show definition and look incredible. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know where to look.

“
Do you not want to be my boyfriend?”

“
Memory loss has certainly affected your shyness Kaylee. Yesterday you would have never asked that question.”

Jaxon grinned and I turned away. He'd avoided the question with distraction. I might have memory loss but I wasn't an idiot.

“
I do.”

I turned to see him standing at the doorway, the momentary happiness had faded away, replaced with concern.

“
I do Kaylee, I swear I do. But you are bruised and hurt, you've lost your memory and it's my fault. I'm in the shit with everyone because of it and it's come at the worst possible time for my job.”

“
Clearly this is something that has caused an issue between us and even though I have no clue about what has happened I know that I'm not going to take any crap. Either you are or you aren't, there's no if's, buts or maybes. You decide now and stop the distraction nonsense.”

He walked over and took my hand, putting it to the new tattoo.

“
Do you think that I would get this on a maybe? If you want a definitive answer then so be it.”

My heart stopped, I swear it just completely seized up and refused to do anything more as it waited for him to say it. I wanted to beg him to just spit it out, fearing that my heart may never start again.

“
We'll take it slow because of this.” he gestured to my face. “But yes Kaylee, I am your boyfriend.”

As he leaned in to kiss me, he pressed me to the wall gently. My heart thumped hard, thankfully there was no issue with the stupid thing refusing to work. Now it was working overtime.

His lips traced over mine, wary of hurting me his kiss was delicate. My face was bruised, not my lips so I pulled him to me. He complied and our kiss became deeper, molding and pressing against the other. I felt his tongue trace over mine and my body became looser, folding into his arms.

The hand that had been on the new tattoo made its way to the back of his neck, feeling the soft strands of his hair. I could feel my shirt being pulled out of my jeans, his soft touch on my skin made me giggle. Jaxon grinned as the kiss ended, gently pulling on my bottom lip.

“
I have a confession.” he whispered cheekily. “I know where you are ticklish.”

His fingers danced over the skin on my waist, just below the ribs. I howled with laughter, unable to move because he had me pinned to the wall.

The phone in his pocket rang, Jaxon rolled his eyes and pulled it out. It was lit up with a name, Jerry.

“
Oh look, I'm in trouble again even though I said I was getting some things first.”

He pressed the green button and as he held it to his ear he walked away.

Jerry. The name was familiar. I remembered a happy man, one that always had a smile even if he was frowning. Except that I didn't see that man this morning. I saw a sad man. I saw my father. Slowly another piece fell into place as the memory continued, a woman reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. The crying woman. My mother.

But what was her name?

I thumped my head, trying to force my stupid brain to remember. I know that I called them mom and dad even though they aren't my real parents. They adopted me. Jerry and... I had nothing.

A tear slipped out, one that I wiped away fast. I turned to the door, looking through it as I had done not so long ago. Take that step. My foot stepped out, warily I placed it into the room. There was an issue with this room yet I could not figure out what. My eyes darted to the bed and I wondered if this was the issue.

His past.

He had said that I had come between him and a recent love interest, so clearly he was a man that had been with other women. But how many? And how many men had I been with? I had no idea. I walked closer to the bed, feeling my heart thumping hard, turning to the view of the wall behind me I saw a dresser that was as high as my shoulders. Along the top was a couple of photo frames.

There was a picture of Jaxon and an older man that looked a lot like him. I'm guessing his father. There was another one of somewhere tropical, four guys around Jaxon and all of them were in board shorts. I recognized one of them, the guy that Jaxon had dragged into the hospital room this morning but the others I wasn't so sure of.

I stared at the image, these guys were important to him and likely to me too. The guy from this morning...

“
Austin.” I whispered with a grin.

The next one along was Jaxon and then there was another that was roughly the same size as him. His skin was darker, his hair was black as the night with deep green eyes.

“
What's your name?” I whispered again. “Evan.”

My eyes darted to the next guy, almost twice the size of Evan. He was tall and built, muscles that were firm and for some reason he reminded me of closing doors. I laughed softly as I remembered him or rather, him closing the door to an office. With a gasp the memory became more vivid, I remembered his wife.