Amnesiac Bride

Chapter 1

I woke up after nearly drowning, missing a chunk of my memory.

I didn’t recognize the guy who kept visiting me, Ethan Chase.

I only knew he hated me.

I’d overheard him talking to his friend.

“It’s just as well Ashley Brooks doesn’t remember anything. Saves me from her clinging all over me again. You know… I hate girls like that.”

But then, on my wedding day…

He showed up at the ceremony, a desperate mess with red-rimmed eyes, begging me to leave with him.

“Ashley! We’re meant to be together…”

1.

“It’s just as well Ashley Brooks doesn’t remember anything. Saves me from her clinging all over me again. You know… I hate girls like that.”

My hand froze on the hospital room door handle.

Ethan was outside, bad-mouthing me to his friend.

The drowning had wiped a part of my memory.

Like how I knew Ethan, who’d been visiting me constantly.

Now, I had a clue.

He despised me.

Which made his constant visits even weirder.

I went back to my bed.

Ethan came in a few minutes later.

He had a bag of takeout, which he placed on the table.

“I had my assistant grab this. It’s all your favorite stuff.”

I glanced at it, my voice flat.

“Thanks, but I don’t think I like that anymore.”

Ethan’s face stiffened, then smoothed over.

“Right. You don’t remember anything. It’s normal your tastes would change.”

Silence hung in the air.

Just when things were getting super awkward, Jake Walker arrived.

He’d brought me stuff, too.

He’d been visiting just as often as Ethan, actually, even more attentive.

My best friend told me Jake had been chasing after me for seven years.

Seven years! I could hardly believe this gorgeous guy had been into me that long, and I hadn’t said yes!

Jake came to my bedside and carefully poured me a glass of water.

Then he peeled an orange and fed me segments.

He completely ignored Ethan the entire time.

Remembering my best friend’s words about Jake liking me, I comfortably accepted his care.

Ethan stood there for a long time, watching, until finally he couldn’t take it anymore. “Ashley, I have something this afternoon, so I can’t take you home from the hospital…”

I met his complicated gaze and nodded.

“That’s okay. I have Jake.”

Polite on the outside, I was mentally cursing him out.

Even if you were free, I wouldn’t want you to take me home!

Jake’s lips curved upwards.

“Good girl. Drink some more water.”

Ethan pressed his lips together.

As he was leaving, he suddenly asked, “Ashley, do you know what your relationship is with him?”

The “him” clearly referred to Jake.

“Future boyfriend,” I replied.

“And what about us…?”

“Us? There is no ‘us’. We don’t have a relationship.”

Ethan visibly relaxed, then his face fell at my firm tone.

Before he could say anything else, I gave him an impatient look.

“Don’t you have something to do? Go already!”

He gave a tight smile and slammed the door on his way out. It was loud.

Jake leaned over, touched my ear, and brought his face close.

“Your ear okay?”

I had to admit, he was even better looking than those guys on TV.

I swallowed hard and nodded.

Jake chuckled and sat back down to continue feeding me.

“Were you serious about what you said earlier?”

“What?”

“About me being your boyfriend.”

Huh?

“I think you misheard…”

“Did I? I definitely heard ‘boyfriend’…”

2.

Jake drove me home that afternoon.

After bringing my things inside, he started cooking.

When I came out of the bathroom, the table was laden with fragrant food.

“You’ve worked so hard!” I said.

Even though Jake often brought me food at the hospital, it wasn’t the same as eating at home.

I trotted over and tripped, but Jake caught me just in time. My clothes were a bit disheveled, though.

Under Jake’s intense gaze, I coughed, adjusting my clothes.

“Let’s… eat first!”

Jake nodded vigorously, but his eyes were glued to me throughout the meal.

After dinner, he did the dishes.

I sprawled on the couch with my phone, drifting off to sleep.

I don’t know how long I slept.

My face felt ticklish, like a feather brushing against it.

I opened my eyes to find Jake huddled nearby, looking委屈.

I was confused.

“You haven’t left yet?”

“It’s raining really hard outside.”

I heard the rain pounding against the windows and blinked.

“Well… you can stay here for the…”

“Okay!”

He agreed before I even finished.

As I went to get him some bedding, Jake followed me into my room and closed the door.

He looked innocent.

“It’s scary out there with the wind and rain…”

“But…doesn’t this feel a bit…forward?” I asked, twisting my fingers.

Jake pulled down a blanket and pillow from the top shelf and spread them on the floor. He spoke in a slightly hurt tone.

“I just want to be close to Ashley. And you said I was your boyfriend this morning…Doesn’t a boyfriend have the right to sleep on his girlfriend’s floor?”

He looked so pathetic like this.

Besides, he’d really been there for me lately.

While I was hesitating, he’d already fallen asleep on the floor.

Jake’s nose was red, like he’d been crying. I poked it – it was soft.

He didn’t wake up, so I played with his nose a bit more.

Finally, tired, I climbed into bed.

As I drifted off, my mind was full of Jake and our confusing relationship.

I even dreamt about him.

We were getting married. It felt…good. I wasn’t opposed to it at all. I was actually pretty happy.

Then the scene shifted. I was in the ocean, sinking, unable to swim back up. I was terrified a shark would swallow me whole, terrified of drowning.

I struggled, screamed.

Then I heard a voice soothing me, over and over.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Don’t be scared, Ashley. Jake’s here.”

I woke up with a tear rolling down my cheek, and clung to Jake, sobbing.

I didn’t know why, but I felt so heartbroken and scared.

“Bad dream?” he murmured.

I nodded weakly against his chest.

Jake stroked my hair and chuckled.

“What kind of monster would dare enter my girlfriend’s dreams? They clearly don’t respect me!”

He made me laugh.

“Who said it was a monster?”

“Oh. Then I guess I misjudged them…”

Jake wiped my tears. As he started to get up, I grabbed his arm.

“Where are you going?”

He gave a wry smile.

“To get my girlfriend some water.”

“You cried so much. Aren’t *you* thirsty?”

I blushed.

“You… Stop saying nonsense!”

Jake leaned in close, his eyes fixed on mine.

“What nonsense? That you’re my girlfriend? Or…”

“Okay, okay!” I covered his mouth. “Just go get the water!”

3.

Jake ended up staying at my place for a few days.

He’d barge into view whenever my best friend video called.

I couldn’t stop him.

My best friend teased him.

“Trying to force Ashley to make it official?”

Jake scoffed.

“I don’t care about ‘official’.”

He said that, but he was posting about me constantly on social media, every picture with me, every caption full of cheesy lovey-dovey stuff.

Ethan saw it and texted me, asking how I could let Jake stay over.

“It’s dangerous for a girl to be alone with a guy like that!”

I ignored him.

We weren’t even friends.

After teasing Jake, my best friend turned to me.

“Ashley, just give in already. At this rate, he’s going to be glued to you for life!”

Jake was cooking in the kitchen.

I peeked over.

She had a point. I had been feeling something these past few days. And like my best friend said, it was just dating. What’s the big deal? If it feels right, date. If it doesn’t, break up. Why overthink it?

After hanging up, I went into the kitchen and watched Jake.

He smiled at me.

“Hungry? Dinner will be ready soon.”

I shook my head, nervously swallowing.

“Um…Want to maybe try dating?”

Clatter. A spoon hit the floor.

Jake stopped cooking, grabbed my shoulders, and asked excitedly, “Ashley, are you serious?”

“Ow…Jake, that hurts!”

“Sorry, Ashley! Sorry, babe!”

His flustered apologies made me laugh.

It was just dating. Look how excited he was.

But I liked it.

He swung me around and around until the smell of burning food reached our noses. Then he rushed to check the pot.

That afternoon, he wanted to take me shopping.

We ran into Ethan.

He was with a tall, beautiful woman, laughing, but when he saw me, his face changed, and he subtly distanced himself from her.

Jake went up to them.

“Babe, this is my cousin, Tiffany Lee, and her…future husband.”

He emphasized “husband.”

Ethan looked at me with a flicker of guilt. Tiffany, on the other hand, was defiant.

She lifted her chin haughtily.

“So you’re Ashley Brooks.”

Before I could respond, Jake said, “Tiffany, I call you cousin, but don’t get too cocky.”

Tiffany paled, her hostility fading slightly. She gave a strained laugh.

“Look how protective you are! I just wanted to meet Miss Brooks. She’s your…woman now, after all.”

‘Woman now’?

That sounded harsh.

Jake ignored her, taking my hand and announcing that he was now my boyfriend.

“Protecting my girlfriend is my duty.”

4.

Maybe it was just me.

But I could practically feel Ethan grinding his teeth after hearing we were together.

Tiffany’s smile was forced.

She still insisted on us shopping together.

Her true colors showed in the fitting room.

She looked down her nose at me. “With that flat figure, even if you chased after Ethan for another ten years, he’d never marry you.”

“Besides, with your orphan background, you think you can marry into the Chase family? Dream on!”

She continued her haughty taunts.

“Ashley Brooks, don’t actually believe you’ve snagged Jake Walker, do you?”

“The Walkers care even more about social status than the Chases!”

She folded her arms, looking me up and down.

“Instead of daydreaming, why don’t you work on improving yourself?”

Tiffany clicked out of the room in her high heels.

I heard Ethan outside complimenting her, saying she looked beautiful.

I wouldn’t have cared, but then Jake chimed in with a “beautiful” of his own.

My spirits plummeted.

My eyes welled up.

“Jerk. We just got together, and you’re already like this.”

I muttered to myself in the fitting room.

Then Jake knocked on the door.

“Babe? You okay in there?”

“Don’t call me babe!”

My voice trembled with unshed tears.

Jake immediately pushed the door open. Seeing my red eyes, his face darkened.

“What happened? What did Tiffany say to you?”

I looked away, mumbling, “Is Tiffany really that pretty? You want to have a fling with your cousin?”

Jake paused, then burst out laughing.

He tugged my ear. “So my Ashley is jealous!”

Am I?

I shook my head quickly, but my face grew hotter.

Especially as Jake leaned closer, inch by inch.

“I meant the other dress the saleswoman brought was beautiful, not Tiffany.”

“Ashley, you can’t just question my loyalty like that!”

The fitting room felt suddenly small as he crowded me, making me flushed.

I pushed at him. “Just talk normally… Don’t get so close!”

“Babe, can I? I can’t hold back anymore…”

His words were so blunt, I was at a loss.

Was he really going to…do it…here?

Sure, it wouldn’t be me embarrassed in the morning…

While these crazy thoughts were running through my mind, and my hand was almost touching him *there*, Jake quickly grabbed my other hand and kissed it.

“I crossed a line. Sorry.”

Now *I* was stunned.

“Your ‘can’t hold back’ was…kissing my hand?”

Jake nodded seriously.

“Don’t worry, babe. I won’t be so forward again. If I break this promise…you can do whatever you want to me.”

I pursed my lips.

I’d totally overthought things.

When we went out hand-in-hand, Ethan was the only one left.

His face was dark as he glanced at us.

He strode over and demanded, “What were you doing in there?”

“Ashley Brooks, you shouldn’t degrade yourself like that!”