CH- 19

CH- 19
Nathan’s POV

I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t remember a single thing from the previous night. It was as if my mind had been wiped clean, leaving behind only fragments—flashes of faces, sounds, and feelings that made no sense.

Riding in the car with this man who called himself Lucas felt… familiar, but distant at the same time.

I could almost recall the wind rushing past my face as he drove us somewhere safe.

Lucas glanced at me briefly before sighing deeply. He seemed shaken, like he was struggling to process what was happening just as much as I was.

“How is this even possible?” he muttered under his breath.

“Was there something in those drinks? A drug or…” His voice trailed off, uncertainty lacing every word.

I frowned, trying to piece together anything—anything at all—but nothing came. My head throbbed painfully, making concentration nearly impossible.

“Where are you taking me?” I interrupted, breaking the tense silence between us.

Lucas hesitated, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “You really can’t remember this road?”

I squinted out the window, searching for something recognizable. The scent of flowers wafting through the air struck a chord within me. “The smell… it’s familiar.”

“We’re going to your parents’ house,” he said finally, bracing himself for some kind of reaction. But instead of outrage or confusion, I found myself oddly silent.

“My parents?” The words tasted foreign on my tongue. Did I miss them? Hate them? Love them? I didn’t know anymore. All I felt was an unsettling emptiness.

“You don’t remember them either?” Lucas asked cautiously, his tone softening.

“No,” I admitted, rubbing my palms together nervously—a gesture I didn’t recognize as part of who I used to be. “What are they like?”

Lucas paused, choosing his words carefully. “They’re incredible people. Your mom… she’s beautiful, loving, strong.”

A sudden thought crossed my mind—one so absurd it caught me off guard. “Do you have a crush on her?” I blurted out without thinking.

Lucas swerved sharply, turning to stare at me in shock. Then, seeing the smirk tugging at the corner of my lips, he relaxed. “I was only joking,” I added quickly, chuckling despite the heaviness weighing down on me.

“I can see that now,” Lucas replied, laughing lightly. “You’ll be glad to meet them.”

\----------------

When we arrived, the sight of the massive house stirred something deep inside me. Memories—or maybe emotions—flickered at the edges of my consciousness, but they were fleeting, like shadows dancing just out of reach.

Hurt and anger surged unexpectedly, catching me off guard. Why did this place make me feel so uneasy?

Lucas parked in the garage and turned to me, concern etched across his face. “Nate, are you alright?”

I breathed heavily, trying to steady myself. “I don’t know. I suddenly feel… uncomfortable. Are you sure coming here is a good idea?”

Lucas went quiet, his eyes on the road. “If anywhere's safe, it's here. You saw how fast I floored it—cops'll have found that poor blonde by now. I gotta keep up pretenses, head back to the office soon.”

“Okay,” I mumbled, head spinning from the chaos.

He shot me a pitying glance. “Hang in there, Nate. I'll line up a doctor we can trust—someone discreet. We just gotta think straight.”

He stepped out, nodding toward the house. “Gimme a sec with your folks. Stay put.” He strode off without waiting, leaving me stewing in silence.

Rage boiled up—I couldn't remember jack, but being babied? That burned. I punched the dash, hard. Still, I sat tight, gaze lost in the windshield, until a door banged open.

She stepped out—stunning, glowing, years etched soft on her face. Her eyes locked on me, sparkling, and she flew over, wrapping me in a fierce hug. “My beautiful baby,” she whispered over and over, voice cracking with tears.

I didn’t need anyone to tell me she was my mother. The familiarity of her scent, the warmth of her arms—it all clicked into place instinctively. For the first time since waking up next to that lifeless body, I felt a flicker of comfort. Leaning into her hug, I allowed myself a moment of solace.

We stayed like that for what felt like forever until a cough broke the spell. A tall man wearing glasses approached, hugging me warmly. Behind him, Lucas whispered, “Dad.”

I nodded, absorbing everything. Despite the gaping holes in my memory, I felt… loved.

\-----------------

We huddled around the kitchen table, coffee steaming in chipped mugs, the air thick with worry. Lucas laid out our mess to Mom and Dad, his voice low and urgent.

"This is all so strange," Mom said, pulling her cotton shawl tighter around her shoulders.

"Totally agree," Dad chimed in, fiddling with his glasses. "You boys need to watch your backs—extremely careful."

"Why not the police?" Mom asked Lucas, her eyes pleading.

He shook his head, frustration cracking through. "They'd laugh us out. Nate wakes up to a dead blonde in his bed? A billionaire 'losing' his memory after that? Media frenzy—guilty as hell before trial."

"So, what's the plan?" Dad leaned forward, voice steady.

Lucas ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. It’s all confusing, but I’m certain going to the police is the last thing we should do. We need to figure out who planted that body—it had to be someone from the launch. This was planned meticulously.”

My father placed a reassuring hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “You’re a good friend, Lucas. Whatever you need, just let us know.”

I spoke up suddenly, surprising even myself. “Lucas, earlier you mentioned contacting a doctor to figure out why I can’t remember anything.”

“That’s a great idea,” my mother chimed in. “We just need to find someone we can trust.”

“I know someone,” my father said firmly. “I’ll send him your way. He’s discreet—you have nothing to fear.” Rising from his seat, he went to the fireplace and extracted a key hidden among the wood. “This is a key to an underground basement on my property in Santa Cruz. No one will know you’re there unless you tell them.”

Lucas grabbed the key from Dad's hand, squeezing it like a lifeline. "Thanks. We gotta hit the road—I've got the office waiting. Can't let anyone smell something's off; it'll be business as usual."

I hung back by a faded family photo on the wall, me at six, grinning like an idiot. My eyes stuck on the little girl beaming right next to me, curls wild and eyes sparkling.

"Who's she?" I asked, voice barely there, finger jabbing the glass.

Mom's throat bobbed hard; she shot Dad a quick look that said it all. Then she pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "Your sister, honey. We lost her at four."

A wave of ache hit me square in the chest, no clue why it cut so deep. "She was gorgeous," I whispered.

"You two were thick as thieves. You adored her," Mom added.

Lucas cleared his throat, checking his watch. "Sorry, Mrs. Delanza—we really need to go."

Tears welled in her eyes as she crushed me one more time. "Gonna miss you, my boy. Stay safe out there." Her whisper clung to me like smoke, even after she let go.

\-------------

On the drive to Santa Cruz, I stared absently out the window, lost in thought. Five minutes in, Lucas’s phone rang. He answered immediately, putting it on speaker.

“Lucas, please be careful on the road,” my father’s voice came through urgently.

“An alert just came out. The blonde lady has been found, and Nathan has been declared wanted.”