Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1) (32 page)

Her giggle turned into full laughter. “Nope. But I can add it to my note.”

“To hell with the note.” Sweeping her up with a killer smile, Jack stepped into the shower. “Weʼve got to start somewhere.”

Chapter 23

I knew it was wrong. Yet the days went by, and I still couldnʼt stop thinking about his rejection. It burned. Hurt like a blade. More than Iʼd thought possible―more than it should. And yes, he was right, ours was supposed to be a temporary arrangement since the beginning. I knew that; I had agreed with it. So why was it so hard for me to accept things the way they were and just make the most of it? Why did I keep seeing a future with him I had no business dreaming about?

How had I gotten in so deep, so quickly?

Saraʼs fingers stopped in mid-motion on the keyboard as the doorbell jerked her to reality, but she made no movement to go answer the door. Jack was out on his daily walk with Lance, but he had his keys.

The bell rang again. This had to be Nicky, she mused with a smile, walking downstairs and yanking the door open. “Iʼm not deaf, Nic―” Her smile faded as her eyes fixed upon the beautiful woman standing in front of her.

Tall and lean, she had the most remarkable indigo eyes Sara had ever seen and short dark hair that softly framed her perfectly heart-shaped face. With the impeccable makeup and the elegant, beige silk outfit she was wearing, she looked as if sheʼd just leaped out of a fashion magazine. “May I help you?”

“I hope so. Iʼm looking for Jack Turner,” the woman said, her voice soft as velvet. “I was told heʼs staying here.”

Saraʼs entire body stiffened in alert. “Heʼs not here at the moment. May I ask whoʼs looking for him?”

“Iʼm sorry, I donʼt know where I left my manners.” She smiled, but her nervous chuckle revealed her uneasiness. “My name is Caroline Ward. I just arrived from Chicago. Iʼm Jackʼs girlfriend.”

Saraʼs jaw dropped. As a deafening silence fell upon the two of them, she thought for sure her heart had stopped.

Jackʼs girlfriend.

The beautiful, perfect creature standing at her door and staring at her as if she were a complete idiot…was
Jackʼs girlfriend?
Sara took a sharp step back, shaking her head in denial. It was impossible. Nicky had assured her that Jack didnʼt have any special relationship in Chicago. Nobody had even reported him missing, for heavenʼs sake!

“Iʼm sorry,” she finally managed to murmur, though she sounded more like a croaking frog than the calm, mature person she was trying to appear. “There must be a mistake. Maybe youʼre looking for a different Jack Turner?”

The other woman took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know I shouldʼve called before coming. I didnʼt mean to catch you by surprise, but I just heard about Jackʼs accident and came here as soon as I could. Please, I need to talk to him.”

Saraʼs heart missed another beat at the sincere concern in her tone. “He really isnʼt here right now. But please, come in. He should be back any minute. In the meantime, maybe you could tell me whatʼs going on,” she suggested, stepping aside to let her in.

“Thank you.”

“My nameʼs Sara, by the way. Sara Milano,” she added shakily, trying to break the ice as the woman followed her to the living room and sat on the couch. “Can I offer you something to drink?”

“No, thanks. I just want to know about Jack. How is he?”

She frowned again. “Ms. Ward―”

“Call me Carrie, please.”

“Okay…Carrie.” Sara drew a deep breath. “Look, I donʼt mean to be rude, but Iʼm afraid youʼre going to have to explain this whole thing to me from the beginning, because right now Iʼm totally confused,” she admitted, sitting in the armchair opposite her. “I was told Jack didnʼt have a girlfriend.”

Carrie shook her head. “It must have been a misunderstanding. Jack and I have been together for over a year.”

Color leached from Saraʼs cheeks. The room started spinning furiously around her, and she gripped the armrests of the chair with both hands to steady herself. Her nails dug deep into the soft fabric as the ground seemed to crumble beneath her.

“If itʼs t-true,” she stuttered, “then why didnʼt you report him missing?”

“Iʼm a journalist,” Carrie explained patiently, as if talking to a little kid. “A foreign correspondent, to be exact. You see, I spent the last three months in the Middle East, and nobody informed me of Jackʼs accident until yesterday, when I got back to the United States. I knew about his trip to Starville; we had talked about it before I left and agreed that it would be easier for us both if we didnʼt bother trying to talk to each other for a few weeks―especially considering how horrible the phone lines are in the Middle East.”

Sara sucked in her breath and held it there, trying to hold on to the last bits of rationality she had left. “But Jack’s business partner doesnʼt know anything about you. He specifically told the authorities that Jack didnʼt have any serious relationship.”

Carrie scoffed a short laugh. “You must not know Jack very well. He never mixes business with his private life. I donʼt personally know Raymond or any other colleagues of his, nor do they know me. Thatʼs how Jack wants it to be, and thatʼs fine with me.”

“I find it hard to believe, honestly.”

“Jack is a complex man, Sara.” Carrie shrugged. “He wants things his own way. Heʼs logical, controlling―and just about as sensitive as those darn computers he loves so much.”

Sara cringed, trying to make sense of those words, but the image Carrie had painted of Jack was diametrically opposed to the one of the sweet, sensitive man with whom sheʼd fallen in love. Suddenly, bits and pieces of the conversation she’d had with Brent a few weeks ago came rushing back, roaring in her ears…
I know Jack much better than you, and believe me, heʼs not the man who ate pizza and played board games with us tonight…
.
The man in your house right now is not the real Jack…
.
I canʼt help but wonder whatʼs going to happen once he gets his memory back, and how heʼs going to reconcile the man heʼs now with the one he used to be…
.
Iʼm afraid that the old Jack will win that battle, Sara, while the one weʼre getting to know now is nothing but a transitional phase...

Sara counted to ten, trying to keep calm even though that entire situation was starting to feel more and more as if sheʼd just leaped into an episode of the
Twilight Zone.
“Look, I donʼt see any nice way to say this, so Iʼll just get it out: Jack and I are―” Once again, she found herself fumbling for the right word. What in the world were she and Jack now? Definitely not simple roommates anymore. Involved? Not when there was no future between them. Lovers? “Together.”

Silence fell over the living room again. Carrie sat there, studying her with utter curiosity, as though she were a strange, curious creature. Finally, her heavy sigh broke the uncomfortable silence. “Iʼm aware that Jack is suffering from a temporary memory loss. I know heʼs confused and doesnʼt remember who he is, and I understand that he might have gotten attached to you, considering the situation. But please, donʼt fool yourself: Jack doesnʼt belong to you.”

The womanʼs composed, conciliatory tone made Sara want to scream at the top of her lungs. Not for the first time, she caught herself trying to fight the urge to kick her out of her house. “Are you saying that he belongs to you?”

Carrieʼs grin couldnʼt have been any more sarcastic. “Iʼm saying that he belongs to
himself
. And if you havenʼt figured that out, dear, youʼre not the right woman for him.”

The precipice beneath Saraʼs feet became deeper and deeper. Was Carrie right? Was she really just fooling herself into thinking that Jack could really love her? That thought was so painful that she crushed it instantly. “Are you aware of his past?”

“If youʼre asking if I know about J.T.’s murder and the years Jack spent in jail for it, the answer is yes,” she answered in a softer tone. “Sara, I know youʼre confused, and Iʼm sorry for throwing all this at you without any warning. Believe me, I donʼt want to hurt you, but you need to understand the reality of the situation: here in Starville, Jack may still be considered a murderer and a reject, but in Chicago, he is a powerful businessman. Heʼs admired and respected and has every right to be. His criminal record was cleared, and nobody outside of this godforsaken place cares about his past. Jack belongs in Chicago, and thatʼs where he needs to be.”

Sara couldnʼt help but nod. How could she disagree with that?

“Yet,” Carrie continued pensively, “for some reason he seems incapable of freeing himself from Starville. Heʼs spent years trying to shed a light on what happened, but those events still torment him deep inside.”

“J.T. was Jackʼs father, the only real affection heʼs ever known as a child. He loved him, and itʼs only obvious that he wants to find out what really happened to him,” Sara commented, slightly irritated by her insensitivity.

Carrie shook her head with a smile. “Iʼm afraid you have quite a naïve view of the situation, dear. Jack doesnʼt love anybody. This is more like an obsession for him.”

The front door opened with a sudden, sharp click. Every muscle in Saraʼs body stiffened.

“Sweetheart, Lance doesnʼt want to come in, so—” Jackʼs words stopped abruptly as he walked in and noticed Carrie sitting on the couch. His quizzical gaze studied her for a moment, then flicked to Sara. “Sorry. I didnʼt know you had company.”

Sara didnʼt answer. She barely heard him, too busy studying Carrieʼs reaction at his sudden entrance. She hated the way the womanʼs adoring eyes were staring at him, as if trying to eat him up!

The precipice under her feet turned into an abyss. “Jack, I would like to introduce you to Carrie Ward,” she said slowly. “She just flew in from Chicago to see you.”

He frowned. “Iʼm sorry, I donʼt remember you.”

“I figured you wouldnʼt. I heard about your amnesia.” Carrie hinted at a weak smile and stood. “Iʼm Carrie, Jack. Your girlfriend.”

Sara just about died of pain. For herself, of course, but also for Jack, whoʼd turned whiter than a bleached sheet and seemed to be gasping for air.

“What in the world are you talking about?
Sara
is my girlfriend.”

As happy as his words made her, she started feeling paradoxically bad for Carrie, too. She cleared her throat. “Why donʼt we all just sit down and talk about this?”

Jack hesitated for a second, then nodded. Without tearing his gaze off of Carrie, he walked to Saraʼs chair and sat on one of the armrests.

“Honey, Carrie flew here all the way from Chicago upon learning about your accident,” she started in a conciliatory tone. “She says you guys have been together for over a year.”

Jack shot the woman a skeptical look. “Itʼs impossible. Nobody reported me missing in Chicago.”

“I’m a journalist. Iʼve been traveling around the Middle East for weeks and had no idea about your accident, but I came here as soon as I heard. Here,” she added, fishing out a small photo album from her purse.

He ignored her outstretched hand, so Sara forced herself to grab the album on his behalf. As she opened it with shaky hands, she was sure that her heart wouldnʼt survive the blow this time. In front of her were dozens of pictures, all of them of Jack and Carrie together. The two of them were always dressed elegantly, though the pictures were taken during several different occasions. Carrie looked stunning in her sophisticated long dresses, and Jack…he was smoking hot in his suit and tie. Yet he was never smiling. In each picture, his beautiful eyes looked detached. Cold.

A shiver ran down her spine before she could help it. No, this wasnʼt
her
Jack!

Jack shot a reluctant glance at the pictures as she skimmed through them, then his gaze flitted back to Carrie. “Fine,” he conceded, “itʼs clear that youʼre telling the truth, and I do appreciate your coming here for me. However, I hope you understand that youʼre nobody to me at the moment.”

“Jack!” Sara winced at his harsh words, but Carrie forced a nod.

“No, heʼs right. Jack, I want you to know that I donʼt expect anything from you right now, but Iʼm planning on staying in town for a few days, and…well, I hope we can meet up sometime.” She rose to her feet and handed him her business card. “You never know, I might help you remember something. Weʼve been working so hard on that file, and if youʼll decide to move back to Chicago, we―”

“What file?” Jack sprang up, all his senses suddenly alerted.

Carrie stared at him, her mouth opening and closing. “Uh… The file on J.T.ʼs death. The one we―wait, you donʼt remember it, do you?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, at least now I have your attention, huh?” she asked with a rueful smile.

Jack didnʼt answer, but his eyes glittered with excitement as he took a step closer to her. “Do you know whatʼs in the file? Have you read it?”

“Not in a while, but I donʼt think thereʼs anything important in it. Although itʼs because of that file that you and I got together.”

“Please, tell us about it,” Sara interjected timidly. She had tried hard to keep quiet, but now she wanted, she
needed
to know. Carrie hesitated, her gaze shifting alternately from her to Jack. Then she sat back down with a nod.

“Jack and I met at one of the many Chicago high-society events we used to attend. I noticed him immediately, because he looked incredibly out of place in that elegant ballroom, surrounded by all those stuck-up, high-class mannequins and sequin-covered dolls,” she remembered with a soft smile that Sara couldnʼt help returning. She could almost see the scene Carrie was describing.

“He came to me and offered me a drink. He introduced himself as the CEO of Global Electronics―which, I knew, is one of the most prominent IT companies in the United States. We talked for a while, drank a few cocktails, then left the party and went to my apartment to…continue the night.”

Sara stiffened as the woman dropped her gaze, but she didnʼt comment. What was she expecting, anyway? Carrie was Jackʼs girlfriend; it was obvious that they had had sex. Still, the thought of them in bed together was unbearable.