Page 22 of Bean
“Cut the act, Bean. You’re freaking me out.”
Cut the act? What was he…? It clicked. “You’re my mystery bear.”
“Come again?”
I slapped my forehead as heat flooded my cheeks. “We hooked up two weeks ago.”
“Yeah, we did. And considering you told me it was your first time with a guy, I would’ve thought it was a little more memorable, or was that an act too? Just like you pretended not to know me just now?” He rose from his seat, but I grabbed his hand.
“Let me explain. Please.”
“There’s an explanation? ’Cause for a moment, I thought you maybe had an identical twin or something, but then you said your name, and I sure as fuck remember that.”
“No identical twin. I do have brain damage, however. A traumatic brain injury, which has impacted my short-term memory. I don’t…” I swallowed. “I don’t remember you. Not your face, I mean. Or your name, though in all fairness, I forgot that two seconds after you told me. I remember what we did and how you made me feel, but I’m not good with faces.”
His face softened. “A brain injury? For real?”
I nodded. “Did I tell you I was in the Army?”
“You did. Ordnance specialist.”
He’d paid attention then. Which made me feel even worse that I hadn’t recognized him. “Right. Well, there was an accident, and some ordnance exploded, injuring two of my friends and me. I was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.”
His face showed shock. “How awful. It sounds like you should count yourself lucky you survived.”
I did, but on my bad days, I couldn’t help but wonder sometimes if it was worth it. Wasn’t living like this like living half a life? I’d never be like everyone else. But on my good days, I realized that, of course, it was. A half-life was still a life, and I was blessed with amazing brothers who had my back through it all. “I was extremely lucky, thanks to a buddy who dove on top of me. But that’s why I don’t remember you… I’m sorry. I really am. I know it sounds like a bad soap series, or so I’m told, since I never watched those. But Tameron, my friend, mentioned that a few times. That it’s like a bad, melodramatic amnesia storyline in a soap series. Except it’s real. Unfortunately. Trust me, I wish it wasn’t.”
He studied me, those blue eyes scrutinizing my expression. Finally, he let out a deep sigh and extended his hand. “I’m Jarek.”
Jarek. I shook his hand, then immediately reached for my black book. “Let me write that down this time.”
“That’s the black book you were asking for?”
I blinked at him. “Sorry?”
“After we hooked up, you asked me to get this, but it wasn’t in your pocket.”
“Oh, right. I’d left it here, but someone found it and gave it to Zayd.”
“You’re a regular here? ’Cause I came back a few times but didn’t see you. Maybe my timing was off?”
He’d come back to see me? Or was I reading too much into that? “I work here. So I have been here a lot but in the kitchen.”
“Ah, okay.”
He leaned in as I scribbled his name in my book. Jarek. It was a beautiful name. I addedmystery bear hookupand wrote down his address.
“Mystery bear?”
I chuckled self-consciously. “That’s what I’ve called you in my head because I couldn’t remember your name. I did recall your body, hence the name.”
He snorted. “Not sure if I should be offended or flattered that you remembered my body but not my face.”
“I wouldn’t blame you for either, and I truly am sorry. Anything I don’t write down disappears from my brain.”
“I thought I was going mad when you acted like we’d never met before.” He laughed, scratching his chin. “Not gonna lie, for a moment, I thought it had been so forgettable that you’d completely deleted me from your memory.”
“Well, I had, but not on purpose. Look at it this way: I said yes to hooking up with you again, so technically, I chose you twice. That’s a compliment, right?”