Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes again, the harsh white light made me squint on instinct.

The smell of antiseptic hit my nose, and I frowned.

"She's awake!" An unfamiliar woman's voice.

My eyes struggled to focus as a doctor in a white coat checked my pupils with a penlight.

Caleb stood at the edge of the bed, pale, guilt and worry written all over his face.

"My... head hurts." My voice came out rough, barely more than a rasp.

"That's normal." The doctor's tone was gentle. "You took a hit to the head from a heavy object — mild concussion. We'll keep you overnight for observation. If everything looks good, you can go home tomorrow."

Caleb stepped forward immediately. "Doctor, is she going to be okay? This is my fault. If we hadn't argued, she never would've stormed off—"

"Don't beat yourself up." The doctor cut him off. "Go notify her family, and take care of the admission paperwork while you're at it. Nurses' station is at the end of the hall."

Caleb hesitated, glancing at me. "Sophie, I'm going to make a call. I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Only after his footsteps faded down the hallway did I let myself look back up at the ceiling.

Concussion.

Wait.

I blinked.

This was a stroke of pure luck.

What if I faked the amnesia? Would Frank still make me and Caleb compete fair and square?

A girl who'd just been through an accident, who couldn't remember a thing — there was no way she'd be expected to go head-to-head with Caleb on equal footing.

Perfect.

We'd been at each other's throats for three years. Finally, it was my turn to make a move.

Out in the hallway, I could just make out Caleb's voice. "Frank... yeah, something happened to Sophie. She's at the hospital right now..."

I quickly ran through the plan in my head.

Lucky for me, I'd always been a decent actress. Faking sick to skip school — I'd done plenty of that as a kid.

I was still working out how to sell the whole thing when I heard hurried footsteps coming down the hall.

Caleb was back.

I shut my eyes instantly, evening out my breathing, letting myself go slack and weak.

"Sophie?" Caleb's voice was soft.

I opened my eyes slowly, blinked a few times, then let my gaze drift toward him, blank and unfocused.

Then I turned to the doctor. "Doctor... who's this?"

Caleb's face went white.

"What?" He stared at me, his voice shaking. "Sophie, it's me. Caleb!"

The doctor stepped closer to the bed. "Mr. Vance, please stay calm."

"She doesn't recognize me?" Disbelief colored every word.

"Concussions can sometimes cause short-term memory issues — especially around events tied to the trauma itself. No need to panic just yet."

Caleb turned back to me, his eyes urgent. "Sophie, you really don't remember me? We work together every day, we—"

I forced my brows together, put on my best show of desperately trying to remember, then shook my head slowly. "I'm sorry... I really don't."

Caleb went quiet for a few seconds.

Then he moved closer to the bed, and his voice turned gentle out of nowhere. "It's okay."

He looked at me. "I'll help you get your memory back. Slowly. However long it takes."

I nearly laughed out loud at the sudden tenderness. What a performance.

But the next second, Caleb said something that left me completely floored.

"Sophie, I'm Caleb." He paused. "I'm your boyfriend. We've been together for three years."

What the hell?!

I nearly bolted upright off the bed.

Three years? Boyfriend?

What was this lunatic talking about? We were sworn enemies!

I bit down hard on my lip to keep from cursing him out on the spot.

You lying son of a—

The doctor watched my reaction closely. "Sophie, does any of that ring a bell?"

I made a show of straining to think.

A few seconds later, I shook my head, helpless. "I'm sorry... I don't remember any of it."

Something complicated flickered across Caleb's face. Disappointment? Or... relief?

Before I could figure out which, the doctor glanced down at his watch.

"Patient's stable for now. We'll observe overnight, and she should be able to go home tomorrow." He turned to Caleb. "Mr. Vance, you should go grab some of her personal things. She'll need a change of clothes, toiletries, that kind of thing."

"Personal things?" I asked, blinking, playing dumb.

"Clean clothes. Toothbrush, that sort of thing," Caleb explained.

The doctor nodded. "Familiar surroundings can help jog the memory in cases like this. Mr. Vance, do the two of you live together?"

Oh God. Is he seriously about to keep lying?

Caleb hesitated — I could see it — then said quietly, "We... each have our own place."

I let out a breath of relief.

Then he added, "But Sophie often stays at mine."

I nearly sat straight up in bed.

This liar!

The doctor didn't catch on to anything. "Even better, then. Someone should really be keeping an eye on her right now."

Caleb glanced at me.

"Doctor, I think she should stay at my place for a while." His voice was calm, like this was the most reasonable thing in the world. "That way I can look after her properly."

I lay there, keeping my face blank and clueless, while inside, my mind was racing.

Three years of dating. Staying at his place all the time.

And now he wants me to move in?

What was Caleb even trying to pull?

But what bothered me more than any of that —

Why was he lying to begin with?