Broken (Brown Eyed Boy book 2)

Forgotten (Carlos POV)

“What?” I asked, freezing where I was as she stared at me. “You're just messing with me, right?”

            Her smile started to fade as she shook her head and started to sit up. She winced slightly like her head still hurt and noticed my hand around hers before slowly trying to pull away from me. My hand stayed locked on hers as I watched panic slowly move into her face and I knew something was wrong. Jessie looked at me like she was scared and had no idea who I was; she wasn't messing with me at all.

            “Jess, it's me, Carlos,” I said, hoping she would still tell me she was joking. Jessie looked at me like she was trying to recognize me but came up blank. “Your boyfriend?”

            “My what?” she said in surprise.

            “Boyfriend.”

            Jessie just stared at me for a minute before shaking her head and making my heart plummet. “I think you have me confused with someone else,” she said. “I'm not this girlfriend you're looking for.” She tried to pull her hand from mine and this time I let her as my hand loosened from my shock.

            “You really have no idea who I am?” I asked flatly.

            “No.”

            I just sat there and stared her, sure that I was having a nightmare. I wanted it badly to be only that so that I would wake up and have Jessie make fun of me for worrying about something like that. But my chest ached too much and I knew I wasn't dreaming. This was reality and was slamming into me repeatedly, proving to me that I hadn't made it to the roof soon enough. It was my own fault that the girl I loved more than anything didn't remember me.

            “Jessie, you're my girlfriend,” I said slowly, sounding like I was trying to convince us both. “And my best friend. We've been going out for a few months but I've known you for a little over a year. Please, you have to remember.”

            “I don't know you,” she replied. “Can you just leave me alone?”

            “Jessie-”

            “I said leave me alone!” she yelled suddenly. “Get the hell away from you weirdo!” I felt my entire body turn into ice as I watched her freak out trying to move away from me and press the nurse call button. A couple minutes later a nurse came in and rushed to her side as she saw her panicking.

            “What's wrong?” the nurse asked.

            “This guy won't leave,” she told her. “I don't know him and he won't leave. I want him gone!”

            The nurse looked at me and I recognized her as the one I saw on my way to the room last night. “Sweetie, he's on a list,” the nurse said attempting to soothe Jessie. “Your parents left a list of people who were allowed to visit you while you were here and he's on it. They asked him to stay the night with you. You do know him.”

            “What? I don't-” Jessie started, looking at me again in complete confusion.

            “Like I said,” I said as I started. “I'm your boyfriend.” Jessie just shook her head and started crying, making me feel worse.

*          *          *          *          *         

            An hour later I was sitting in the hall with my mom, Cassie and Jessie's parents, waiting for the doctor to come back and tell us what was wrong. Jessie had stayed in tears until our families came into the room and then the only ones she recognized were her parents. It was like she had never met me or my family and it hurt more than I ever would have thought. Cassie started crying instantly for Jessie not remembering her and I could tell Jessie felt bad but as far as she was concerned she didn't understand why the tears existed in the first place. I had picked up Cassie and hugged her while she cried but Jessie not once looked at me again after her parents walked into the room. Everything we ever went through or felt for each other was just gone and it made me feel like I imagined it all.