Cherish (Covet #1.5) by Tracey Garvis Graves Read Free Book Online Page B

painful. I can also remember random, obscure details from almost twenty years ago, like the U2 Zooropa concert T-shirt I was wearing the night I met Jessie. I could say I remember those things like they happened yesterday, but the truth is it’s the things that happened yesterday that I can’t remember.
    My brain is a work in progress, and my mind is a constantly changing and unsettling place to be.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
    JESSIE
    I stop by the front desk to say hi to Erika, the daytime receptionist I’ve become friendly with since I spend so much time here.
    “So a new visitor today,” she says.
    “Really? Who?”
    She glances at the visitor log and runs her finger down it until she comes to the most recent name. “Someone named Claire Canton signed in. Friend of yours?”
    I shake my head. “I don’t know who that is.”
    Why does that name ring a bell?
    Dylan.
    When I asked him if Daniel had a girlfriend, Dylan mentioned a woman named Claire but said we didn’t need to call her. What did he mean by that?
    “Is she young? Old? Somewhere in between?” I ask nonchalantly.
    “Close to your age, I guess. Frankly, she looks like you,” Erika says.
    “Like me?”
    “Enough that I thought it was you at first. Until she got closer.”
    I vaguely remember seeing a woman with blond hair walking toward Daniel’s room as I was walking away from it. Why didn’t I pay more attention? “I think I might have passed her in the hall.”
    “You probably did. I just sent her down to Daniel’s room.”
    Well, this is all very interesting.
    She must be a casual friend; otherwise, she would have come before now.
    And it’s really none of my business.
    I decide to run a few errands because the last thing I want is to pop back into Daniel’s room while Claire is there.
    It might be awkward for them.
    It might be awkward for me.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    DANIEL
    I open my eyes when the door creaks open, thinking Jessie forgot something.
    But it’s not Jessie, it’s Claire.
    Claire is here .
    And I remember her. One day not long ago, a few memories of Claire clicked into place in my head like the tumblers of a lock. There’s a lot I still can’t remember about her, but I smile because there’s something about her that fills me with happiness.
    Her visit feels significant, but the reason for that feeling remains just out of reach.
    Tears fill her eyes.
    “I’m okay. Don’t cry,” I say when she reaches my bedside.
    “I’m not.” She sits down in the chair next to the bed and takes my hand in hers. “I’m so happy to see you.”
    I give her hand a squeeze. “I’m happy to see you too.”
    “I was going to text you, but it seemed so impersonal. I didn’t know if you were taking phone calls. I’ve been so worried.”
    “I know.” The words are a lie. I have no idea why she would be worried, outside of the general concern most people have shown when they hear about my injury. Should I have asked someone to call her? “But I was very lucky.”
    “How long will you be here?”
    “About three more weeks. Then I’ll have outpatient therapy every day. I need help relearning some of my motor skills, and I have quite a bit of weakness on my left side. Recovery is going to be slow.”
    “Are you in pain?”
    “A little. Some days hurt more than others.”
    “I’m so sorry about the reserve officer.”
    I nod. “I am too.”
    “Who’s taking care of you?”
    “My parents are here every day. Dylan has even stopped by.”
    A flicker of something I can’t identify passes over her face when I mention Dylan. “Oh, that’s good.”
    “Jessie’s here too. I still had her listed as my emergency contact, and they called her when I was brought in. She was the first person I saw when I finally woke up.”
    “That’s wonderful,” she says. She squeezes my hand hard and starts to cry.
    I missed something there, but damn if I know what it is.
    Did I tell her about Jessie?
    “She’ll be back soon,” I say. The thought of