by Kait Gamble
Tomas’ voice drew her attention. “So what have you been up to, Maia?”
“She and Alex were stuck on an island together for a week,” Chloe interjected, so helpfully.
He nodded approvingly. “Sounds ideal.”
“It was lovely.” Maia’s tight tone didn’t even sound convincing to herself.
“So lovely he’s chosen to work instead of spending more time with you.” Chloe didn’t even try for subtlety.
“We both realize we have commitments.” Why was she even justifying herself to the other woman? She’d already spent enough time pondering and wallowing. Maia had come out with them to enjoy herself and this was far from what she wanted. “You know what? I’m a bit tired. I think I’m just going to try to get some sleep.”
She got up and left before either could say anything.
Maia didn’t get very far before she heard heavy footsteps behind her.
“What was that about?” Tomas closed his hand over her shoulder, slowing her down.
She didn’t have the strength to shrug him off. “Chloe’s just being her usual charming self.”
He didn’t look as though he cared too much about the reasons, just in her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I don’t usually let her get to me. I’m just too tired to deal with her bull today.”
“She does seem to enjoy antagonizing you.” Tomas fell into step next to her. “Don’t let her get to you. She’s only looking to get a reaction.”
“I know. Like I said, usually I can handle it.” Maia sighed. All she wanted right now was a long, hot bath, preferably with Alex, then to get in bed. Again, preferably with Alex.
Tomas smiled encouragingly. “Feel like a walk on the beach? It always relaxes me.”
“Yeah, I remember.” She started to shake her head, but reconsidered. What was she going to do in her room alone? Mope? She’d spend hours tossing and turning and she knew it. “You know what? I could use some exercise after such a long flight.”
His smile was brilliant. “Wonderful.”
Silently, they headed for the sound of the ocean. The moment they hit the sand, Maia slowed to take off her sandals. The sensation of warm sand on her feet relaxed her.
“Good idea.” Tomas did the same, rolling up his trouser legs at the same time.
Their leisurely stroll buoyed her mood. It felt nice to just wander aimlessly and work out the kinks.
“You’re quiet. A lot on your mind?” Tomas asked softly.
“Yes and no.”
He chuckled. “If you want to talk about Alex, that’s fine, you know. I wasn’t lying when I said I was happy for you two.”
Did she really want to talk to Tomas about another man? “What makes you think what’s going on in my head has anything to do with Alex?”
“Just a look you have.” Tomas hesitated, keeping his piercing blues eyes on hers. “Are you sure everything is all right between you two? You seem sad.”
Still so sweet. She forced a smile, even if it was the last thing she felt like doing. Maia crossed her heart. “Jet lag. I swear.”
“Good.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and kept walking.
Awkwardness started to settle in. She cleared her throat. “How have you been?”
He scoffed. “Good. Work keeps me busy.”
“I’m glad you’ve been good.” Much better than this conversation was going, she hoped. Maia sighed. “The truth is, I don’t really know how it’s going between me and Alex. It’s complicated.”
“Oh?”
The slight press of his hand on her arm stopped her. Maia looked at him for a split second before turning to stare at the water.
“Remember the man I told you about. The one who had hurt me?”
Even in the darkness, she could see his expression turned grim. “Yes.”
“It turns out he didn’t know what he had done. He’d had an accident and that’s why he never came back. He lost his memories.”
Tomas took in the information with a nod. “So it was Alex.”
Maia was mildly surprised he had guessed who she was talking about but not really. “I guess you know about his accident, huh?”
“Alex and I have been friends for a while.” He frowned. “I had wondered why you two were so awkward with each other at the party. I thought it might be because of my presence.” He sighed. “So I had misunderstood how close you were then, but now…?”
Maia was thankful that the night hid the blush heating her cheeks. “Things have gotten a bit more complicated since then.”
“I gathered that.” He let out a slow breath. “I can tell you that Alex isn’t one to play around. He’s not that kind of guy.”
“So Angelique… He’s been with her a while?”
An understanding smile spread over his lips. “Not as long as you think, I’m sure. And as far as I know, from gossip in our circles, he’s moved on to a beautiful writer.”
“Really?” Her heart felt like it was going to burst.
Tomas smiled. “Yes. And from the smile on your face, I’m guessing I resolved your dilemma.”
A part of it. On a whim, she hugged him. “Thanks, Tomas.”
“No problem.” He hugged her back before taking a step away. “Shall we continue our walk?”
“I would love that.”
Hearing what she had from Tomas made her steps lighter. Her heart too. They wandered down the long beach. Maia ambled with her head back for part of the walk to stare at the sea of stars above.
“If you keep that up, you’re going to end up in the ocean.”
“I’m sure you’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” Maia stopped to look at Tomas. “You are a wonderful man. I wish I could have been the one to make you happy.”
He sighed and dragged her around to look at him. “It just wasn’t meant to be. And you did for a time. I’ll never forget that.”
“I’m still sorry about what I did.”
His smile was small, but she believed him when he said, “I forgive you.”
“Thank you.”
They wandered a little while longer before heading into the hotel. They stopped in front of her door.
“Thanks again, Tomas. You’ve been a big help.”
A smile curved his lips. “Of course.” He pecked her on the cheek. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Tomas.” She patted him on the shoulder.
As she entered her room, Maia dialed Alex, but for some reason he wasn’t answering. So she sent him a text bidding him a good night. It wasn’t until she got out of the shower that she received a curt Goodnight in return. He usually wanted to catch up for a bit.
Maia chalked it up to fatigue on both their parts. She’d text him again in the morning when all her brain cells were working once more.
* * * *
Alex put the phone down, irritated that the text had derailed his train of thought. He’d been doing mountains of research on memory loss, neurological trauma and all things associated with both. It seemed there was a wealth of information on the topics but not enough to satisfy him.
His calls to experts hadn’t yielded much more. They all seemed to agree that if the memories hadn’t come back by now, they weren’t likely to.
Alex scrolled through the text on the webpage. It was all beginning to blur together in a morass of hopelessness. Still, he wasn’t ready to give up. He wanted his memories. All of them. Everything about their time together.
Up until he found the truth about his past, it didn’t really matter to him that he’d forgotten a large chunk of his life. How much could he have experienced in that time? It was a rationalization that he’d made many times. What could he have forgotten but boring classes and monotonous university life?
What indeed. Could he have been more wrong?
Alex glared at a photo of their younger selves smiling blissfully into the camera and was torn between tearing it up and tracing her up-curved lips with his finger. He settled on the latter.
; He’d lost his first meeting with Maia, getting to know her, the first time they’d made love. It was frustrating to know that he couldn’t remember her favorite drink, or food. That he’d lost their entire relationship devastated and infuriated him at the same time. And he’d just let it go without a fight? That rankled worst of all.
He’d barely recovered from the accident before he’d simply moved on with his life. Finished with his schooling in Paris, he’d dived straight into work for the Girard Group. It never even occurred to him that he’d left anyone behind. And he’d let her down in the worst way possible.
He wasn’t going to just lie down and take it. He would rectify his sins against her.
Alex picked up the phone again to call the number on the webpage. He would see if this one was worthy of calling himself the best neurologist in the world.
Chapter Sixteen
Three weeks later, Maia stood looking down a rough Incan pathway, wondering how best to capture the image. With her phone or with her camera? She opted for both, sending the image she captured on her phone to Instagram when she was happy with it. She flipped through the past few uploads she’d made and smiled ruefully when she came to the ones of her and Alex’s trip to the ruins in Belize.
She hadn’t heard from him in weeks and before that, his texts had grown sparse and buffered by silences that were growing lengthier each time. Maia rationalized it for as long as she could, but even she had to admit that he was losing, or had already lost, interest.
What did she expect?
They were both too busy to maintain a lasting relationship. And, well, didn’t most men have a wandering eye? What made her think that Alex would be any different?
Because Tomas told her he wasn’t? Because she wanted him to be? Because she thought he was the love of her life? She had let girlish hopes of happily ever after cloud her judgment. Maia couldn’t believe just how stupid she had been to get caught up in all that again.
A solitary tear ran down her cheek and she angrily swiped it away. No tears. Not this time.
If he could just walk away from her, why couldn’t she do the same? Gritting her teeth, she sighed. She hated that he had done this to her. That he could affect her so deeply. She should have learned her lesson the first time.
Thinking about him soured her mood, so she forced him out of her mind to focus on the sheer beauty of where she was. Of what she was looking at. That lasted about forty seconds.
Her phone pinged, reminding her that she was there to work, not just gawk. When she looked at her screen, she didn’t expect to see Tomas’ name there.
Mildly surprised, she swiped her thumb across the screen.
M, I think you should see these. I was only just alerted to them. It looks like your coworker is out to start some trouble. T
She scrolled down to see pictures showing her and Tomas when they were at that resort at the same time. There were several photos, but the ones of her kissing him on the cheek and of them having drinks together grabbed her attention. The photos managed to make them look like a couple enjoying intimate moments in each other’s company. She agreed with Tomas’ assessment. They could have only been taken by one person—Chloe.
Maia quickly thanked Tomas via text and debated sending another to Alex in the hopes that he’d finally reply. His silence was message enough, really. Had he already seen the photos and taken them at face value? It was the only other explanation for his lack of response.
Did she truly want to try to continue a relationship with someone who would shut off from her without an explanation?
With a long, slow breath, she switched her phone back to camera and continued taking photos. She could push him out of her mind just as easily as he’d forgotten her. Maia wanted to. Desperately. Only she couldn’t do it. How could she? If she gauged herself by the progress she’d made over the past few weeks, she’d have to say she was failing. Miserably. She kept wondering what he was up to. What he would do if he was here with her. What they would be doing together.
And it annoyed her. A lot.
But she got him out of her head once before and she could do it again.
Maia switched off the camera and dialed Jo. If anything would help clear her head, it would be a new location and a new adventure.
“Maia! The French Riviera special is a hit! I’m staring at an inordinately huge bouquet from Monsieur Girard thanking us. And they should! Your article on the Girard Group will be lining their pockets for years to come!” She laughed gleefully. “How’re the ruins treating you?”
“It’s gorgeous but dull. I need something with a little more adrenaline.”
“And I thought you’d be worn out from Australia and Madagascar.” A chuckle came from the other end. “Right. There are quite a few of those coming up. What are you most interested in? We’ve got a jungle trek in Borneo, Singapore for the F1 Grand Prix, dogsledding in Iceland or a new luxury resort in Switzerland.”
They all sounded fantastic. “How about all of the above?”
“That’s ambitious.” Jo paused a moment. “Is everything all right?”
“Of course. Can you blame me for wanting to get to all those before my competition?”
“Is this about Chloe?” Jo asked, her tone knowing.
Maia could see how Jo would jump to that conclusion. “No, but I do want to talk about those pictures for the last article. She took those without my permission.”
Jo growled. “I see. I’ll have a talk with her.”
“Thanks.”
There was a long pause. “Anything you want to talk about?”
They weren’t the best of friends, but she and Maia had a good relationship. “Just in need of some diversion.”
“Nothing to do with your being trapped on an island with a certain hotel mogul a few weeks ago?”
Maia sighed. “Chloe?”
“You seem to be on her mind a lot.”
The woman was a nightmare. “I just need to clear my head.”
“I get it. I’ve been there.” Tapping on a keyboard came from Jo’s end. “They’re all yours if you’re up for it. And remember, I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.”
“Thanks.” Maia smiled a little knowing her offer was genuine. “So what’s up first?”
“Borneo for a week. From there it’s just a hop to Singapore for a few days for the Grand Prix. From there it’s Iceland then Switzerland.”
“Sounds perfect.” And hopefully she’d keep herself too busy to mope. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
She hung up and reverted back to the camera.
Maia couldn’t wait, especially for a trip to Iceland and the Alps. The ice and snow were just what she needed to snap her out of her melancholy. She could already imagine days filled with skiing and nights writing by the fire, watching the snow drift by the window.
The thought alone made her smile a little.
Solitude was what she needed. It didn’t hurt that the solitude she craved and was going to get was accompanied by five-star accommodations.
Maia sighed and she followed her guide. It had been so easy to fall back into Alex’s arms. It was understandable. Logical. There had been so much that went unsaid that seeing him again was bound to bring everything back to the surface.
She had let herself have her little fantasy. Even had a little revenge. She smirked as she remembered throwing the champagne. It felt like a lifetime ago. She’d found out the truth, said her peace, and they’d enjoyed each other’s company and that was enough.
It had to be.
So she had lost her head a little with Alex. She would have judged herself if she hadn’t. He was her first love and he’d grown into a spectacular man. Devilishly handsome, smart, driven. Maia would have thought herself irretrievably damaged if her head hadn’t been turned by that.
And most of all, she’d finally gotten her closure.
She just had to wait for her heart to get the message.
* * * *
Fireworks burst
high above, adding to the jovial mood of the night, but Maia just couldn’t get into the spirit. The opening night of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix should have been fun, exciting even, but she watched it all from behind her camera. She might as well have been watching it all through a webcam.
At least she got some amazing photos for her article.
Neither the energy from the crowds nor the music from the concert penetrated the haze of misery that cloaked her. As much as she tried, no matter how exotic or exciting the locale, Maia couldn’t stop thinking about Alex and how much he’d hurt her yet again.
She blamed herself for letting him in. Him for being an ass. Even her job got the blame for a little while for bringing him back into her life.
Maia quickly checked her phone for notifications, even though she knew it was pointless. Her calls, texts and messages hadn’t been returned. It was obvious he had cut her from his life and she needed to get it through her thick skull.
He didn’t want her.
Gritting her teeth, she took more pictures, preferring to focus on the beautiful scenery than what seemed like an endless stream of happy couples.
Making her way through the throng of glamorous people, she looked for a new vantage point for more photos and maybe a new angle for her article. So far all she had to write about was how stunning everything was.
“How did you enjoy the festivities?”
Maia turned to find a handsome man with dark hair, a wolfish smile and beautifully tailored suit smiling at her. She noticed the way other women eyed him, but she couldn’t say she was as taken by him as they were. “It was great. Just like the concert and the venue.”
He smiled and lifted two champagne flutes from a passing tray. “For having witnessed something so great, you don’t seem so enthused.”
Maia refused the drink when he offered it and didn’t reply, hoping he would take the hint and go away.
He wasn’t deterred. “Are you at least excited about the race tomorrow?”
She shrugged and edged away. Why wouldn’t he take the hint? There were plenty of women vying for his attention and he wanted the one woman who didn’t want it.
