When Rivals Lose (Bayshore Rivals 2)

“Thank you.” I smile back at her, it slips a little when she grabs my hand and pulls me toward the dining room.

“Matt’s father, Richard, is a close friend of the family. You and Matt basically grew up together. He is only two years older than you. We used to spend the summers together in the Hamptons.” I can hear the sadness overtaking her voice as she speaks. “Anyway, Matt will be the perfect gentleman, and he knows that you’re still working through your memories, so he promised to give you space and lots of patience.”

I almost snort, he promised to give me space and patience? She talks as if he’s my owner, as if what he says goes? We’re not married, and in my eyes, we aren’t even engaged until I remember the engagement. I cannot be with a man that I don’t even know or remember. He needs to wait until I do, or he has to make me fall in love with him again.

Three deep voices filter through the walls, they’re chatting over a football game or some type of sport, I don’t really care. It ceases as soon as we enter the room. Like a trained dog, Matt gets up and walks over to me, and for the first time, I look up into a pair of deep brown eyes that belong to the man I’m supposed to be madly in love with. So, why don’t I feel anything? I felt a connection to Sullivan, and we’re supposed to hate each other.

“Hi, Harlow. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to see you in the hospital, and when you returned home,” he smiles, and though he has a sweet smile with perfectly straight white teeth peeking out past his pink parted lips, nothing about him seems friendly, or kind. Yes, he’s handsome with an angular jaw, and perfectly sculpted cheeks, and he’s tall with hair you could run your fingers through, but nothing about him appeals to me.

It feels like I’m looking at the off-brand version of what I would really like.

“Hi, Matt. I’m sorry I don’t remember you, or our engagement,” I give him a half-hearted smile because honestly, I am sorry. I want to remember probably as much as everyone in this room wants me to.

“It’s okay, we can always make new memories. Our relationship was mainly long distance. We had agreed to get married when I returned home, but I suppose that’s not happening now.” He leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek, startling me.

For a moment, I forgot that we weren’t alone in the room, until he moves away, pulling out my seat for me. I take the spot directly beside my mother, and let Matt scoot my chair in.

Dinner passes at a snail’s pace, and while the food is delicious, my appetite is non-existent. When Richard and my father move to his office to discuss business, I plan to part ways and go upstairs to drown myself in a book. Whoever I was before this, at least had excellent taste in books.

Pushing from the table, I move to get up when my mother places a hand against my arm, her eyes bleeding into mine.

“Why don’t you and Matt take a little walk around the mansion?”

“Uhh…” I flounder, my eyes darting to Matt who seems to perk up at the suggestion. “Sure, though I have no idea where anything is… I’ll probably just get us lost.”

“I’ve been here enough times for both of us,” Matt says, moving toward me. My mother smiles obviously pleased with herself. So much for escaping this dress and shoes for my PJs, bed, and a good book. Looks like I’m taking a walk around the house that I don’t remember with a man that I don’t know. Sounds like the start of a serial killer movie.

Matt takes my clammy hand into his and guides us out of the dining room, tugging me toward a pair of French doors off the kitchen, which lead outside. Nibbling on my bottom lip, I wonder apprehensively if I should allow him to hold my hand or if I should pull away. I certainly don’t feel like holding his hand.

Before I realize it, we’ve reached the garden, a massive water fountain is in the center, and for a moment, I’m mesmerized, caught in a trance over the profound beauty before me.

Matt releases my hand, the loss of contact startling me.

“I was hoping by showing up here tonight I would get laid.”

Holy shit, this guy didn’t just say that? I must have misheard him, right? My mouth pops open, and I cross my arms over my chest, flames of angry fire flickering in my belly. I want to slap him, kick him in the balls, and shout at him, but I don’t.

“Okay, I take it that’s a no,” he says, chuckling and for the first time, I see him smile, really smile. He sighs and sinks down onto one of the marble benches that overlooks the garden. I watch as he taps on the bench beside him, obviously signaling for me to come sit with him, but the last thing I want to do is sit next to him now.