Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Carly Lewis
POV
The moment my phone rang and I saw Amy’s name on the screen, I knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. After the phone call from the other day I knew she would return soon. I just didn’t think this soon. It’s been a week since she called and I’ve been living blissfully taking care of Stella, learning how to cook. Though my attempts have been less than successful.
But I was having fun. The last week has been fun, I’ve been smiling more, a part of me didn’t care as much about remembering who I was.
Back to Amy. Amy had been away at a nursing conference for almost a a month.
Normally, she’d spend the first five minutes complaining about airport food or rude passengers. She was the closest thing I had to a friend and most of the time she felt like she was forced to take care of me. Instead of being an actual friend.
Instead of complaining, today, Amy didn’t even say hello.
"Carly, where are you?" she asked. She sounded really annoyed with me.
I frowned. "Good morning to you too." I couldn’t help the remark from slipping from my lips.
"Where are you?" She asks again ignoring my remark.
There was something in her voice that ruffled feathers I didn’t even know I had.
"I’m at Chase’s house. I’m working right now.."
The line went silent. Like she’d expected me to say that. Like she wasn’t shocked by my answer. I had a feeling she was quiet because she was angry with me.
"I want you to pack your things and leave." she said calmy like she made up her mind for me.
I blinked, like my brain was unable to comprehend her demand. "What?" I asked unsure if I’d heard right.
"You heard me."
I actually laughed. I couldn’t believe this. "Amy, what is this about?"
"Chase Jacobs." The way she said his name made my stomach tighten. Like he was some sort of criminal.
"What about him?" I asked.
"I don’t want you near him Carly. You should stay away from that man and his poison..."
The amusement vanished from my face. "Excuse me?" There was a pinch in my tone. I wasn’t very impressed with Amy right now.
"Carly, listen to me very carefully." That tone. She was actually talking to me, like I was a child that wouldn’t listen to reason. Like there was no room left for discussion, she’d already made up her mind for me.
"I want you out of that house today." she says with a tone of finality.
I leaned against the counter. "No." The answer came so quickly it surprised even me.
I look upstairs even though I couldn’t see Stella. But she was having a nap right now. And the last thing I wanted was to leave Stella, the girl has used the last two weeks working her way into my heart. I couldn’t imagine not seeing her anymore. I didn’t spend every morning wondering who I was and where I came from. I spent morning getting ready for the day with Stella, helping her with her hair, while she tried to do mine as well.
I’ve spent more time with her father as well. Stella was creating opportunities for Chase and I to spend together and it didn’t escape either of our eyes.
"No?" Amy asked sharply.
"No Amy."
"Carly." she tried to speak but her cut her off, my jaw clenched.
"I’ve spent three years listening to everyone tell me what I should do. I should try to make a life for myself, that my life would never be the same again because I might never get my memories back and for once in the last three years I feel like I belong somewhere."
"Carly..." she tried again.
"No. I know you care for me. But I’m a fully functioning adult Amy, I’m allowed to make my own decisions, mistakes and solve my own problems."
The silence that followed was deafening. When Amy finally spoke, there was an edge to her voice I’d never heard before.
"You don’t know who these people are Carly. I’m trying to protect you." she says.
I almost said... Neither do I really know you either, but I trusted you... Instead, I replied. "I know Stella, she and her father have been nothing but kind to me. Even when I’m constantly messing up."
"Stella isn’t the problem Carly." she reminded me.
"Then what is?" I was so confused.
Amy didn’t answer immediately.
And that bothered me. What was she hiding from me?
"I looked into Chase Jacobs." she says finally.
I rolled my eyes. "Let me guess, he poops unicorn poop?" I tease.
"Carly." she sighs,
"He runs some giant company..." I stop teasing her.
"He has connections." she says.
"So? Don’t all businessmen do plus, isn’t Chase and actor?"
"So people talk Carly, the man has many skeletons in his closet."
I sighed. "Don’t we all?"
"Don’t do that." she tries.
"What exactly am I doing stating the obvious?"
"Carly." I could practically hear her pinching the bridge of her nose. "Stay away from him." The demand hit harder this time.
Not because of the words but because of how serious she sounded.
As if Chase was genuinely dangerous and as if Stella was somehow dangerous too, I knew Chase would never put Stella in harms way. He’d give his left arm to protect his little girl.
I looked out the kitchen window, the backyard was empty, I looked at the playset outside, the house was peaceful, safe. Nothing about this place felt threatening, this place was ten times safer than my old place. Nothing about Chase felt life threatening, was he protective of his daughter?
Absolutely.
Did he go out of his way to make sure his daughter was safe?
Definitely.
But was Chase dangerous?
No.
"I like working here." The words slipped from my lips before I could stop them. The thought of leaving Stella and Chase pained my heart and I’ve only knew the two about two weeks.
"That’s exactly the problem." Amy says bringing me out of my thoughts.
"What does that mean?" I ask.
"It means you’re getting attached."
I laughed. "To Stella?"
"To the both of them Carly."
The accusation made me frown. "What’s wrong with that?" I couldn’t help but ask.
"Carly." Her voice softened unexpectedly.
For a brief moment, she sounded tired, no longer held any anger or demand for me to listen to her. She just sounded exhausted.
"I helped put your life back together."
Guilt immediately surfaced, she has been there for me more times than I could count, she had given me for than she should have. Three years ago, when I had nothing, Amy had been there, adding me to her health insurance, helping me understand the medical terms, the doctors kept throwing at me. When I could move on my own, she helped me find an apartment, a job and a life outside the hospital. I admit without her, I didn’t know where I’d be.
"I know."
"No." Her voice hardened again. "I don’t think you do."
The familiar knot formed in my stomach. I hated that I didn’t understand why Amy was so upset. I didn’t make sense to me.
"I don’t understand why you’re so upset." I had to question her.
The silence that followed lasted too long, long enough to make me uneasy.
Finally she spoke. "Because you - I don’t trust Chase Jacobs." The answer came quietly.
It felt like she was being honest with me. But at the same time she sounded like she was hiding something from me.
For the first time during the conversation, I felt like I had some sort of clarification. She probably had a bad past with Chase. Maybe they met at the hospital and he brushed her off. Amy liked to hold grudges over the smallest misgivings.
Feeling enlightened, I frowned. "Why?" I asked. For clarification.
She paused once more, this time it was even longer than before.
"I just don’t like the man, and you shouldn’t too."
That wasn’t good enough for me not to like him. Just because she didn’t like him, didn’t mean I shouldn’t like him too and we both knew that.
I sighed. "Amy..."
"Just leave his house." The command startled me. "I want you to leave that house." There it was again, she wasn’t requesting I leave his house, no she was ordering me, like I was her subordinate.
I stared at the floor. A part of me never felt like Amy was my friend. It always felt like she was helping me because she had to. I don’t know if it was for selfish reasons or because she took me as a charity case. And for the first time since meeting Chase and Stella, I found myself wondering why Amy cared so much, nothing she said made sense. She couldn’t even tell me why she disliked Chase. Why did it matter that I left him? Why she sound so desperate for me to leave.
"Amy." I couldn’t help myself. I feel like I’ve always been a straight forward person. I didn’t talk in circles or riddles.
"What?" she asks.
"What aren’t you telling me?" I ask.
The silence on the other end was immediate, I could hear her breathing heavily.
"Nothing." she says, but it sounded forced.
A lie. I knew it instantly. It was the way her voice went higher than usual.
"Come and meet me at the café not far from the Jacobs house. I’ll meet you there..." She says hanging up on me.
I sigh.
I go and find Chase asking him if I could leave for a few hours, I was meeting a friend. He agreed. I called an uber to drive me to the café, when my phone rang again.
Unknown number.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Miss Carly Lewis?" The woman sounded professional. "I am Felicity Daniels calling from First National Bank."
I frowned, I didn’t bank there, why would they be calling me?
"This is her..."
"We’ve been attempting to contact you regarding your safety deposit box."
Every thought before vanished in an instant. What safety deposit box? I’ve never been to that bank before.
My pulse skyrocketed.
"I don’t remember having a safety deposit box." I admit.
The woman laughed politely. "According to our records, you’ve had it for over five years, I’m calling because payments lapsed three years ago"
Five years. The box has been there in my name for five years? My breath caught. Five years meant I’ve had the box before the accident and because I didn’t know about it payment lapsed.
Excitement exploded through me, this was a clue to my life before I lost my memory.
What was in the box?
For the first time in years, I wasn’t chasing theories. I was going to find a lead to who I was. What type of life I led before the accident.
This wasn’t a dream, it was a fragment of a memory, it wasn’t my body’s instincts. This was something real, something tangible.
Something left behind by whoever I used to be.
"When can I come in?" I asked immediately.
Felicity gave me the details, I barely heard half of them.
Because my mind was already racing. I was finally getting answers.
Maybe not all of them, but some of them. But it was something. A part of me was sitting in a safety deposit box I didn’t know about.
I ended the call and told my driver a change of plans. I paid me triple of what I should for the trip. But I was just so excited to get to the bank.
For the first time in three years, I felt closer to the truth than ever before, I wasn’t about to let anything stop me from getting those answers.
