Free Stolen Memories: A Novella by Alyson Reynolds Page A

needed to be together.”
    “Yeah, I did. It was obvious to everyone but you that he was completely in love with you. I didn’t think he would ever admit it, even though he wanted to kill any guy you ever went out with. He even threatened a few of them. I’m so happy he finally told you how he feels!”
    The woman was giddy. She bounced back and forth on her heels as she spoke.
    “Oh.”
    Dumbfounded. I was completely dumbfounded.
    “You two were so fucking dense. It was right there and neither of you would just go for it. You kept dating the worst assholes you could find and Hunt went through girls like they were water. It drove us all crazy.”
    To my horror, I started crying in the middle of the coffee shop. Not just tears streaming down my cheeks, but big gasping sobs that took away my breath and made me feel like my whole world was falling apart. Samantha took my arm and led me out the door. She leaned me against the brick outside the building and patted my back soothingly.
    “Breath, Meg. Honey, you have to calm down.”
    I nodded and tried to catch my breath. Having a panic attack was not how I wanted to start my morning. When I finally caught my breath, I looked at Samantha wearily.
    “I bet you want the story behind that, don’t you?”
    “In the end, it doesn’t matter,” she said, waving it off. “Do you love him?”
    I hung my head in defeat.
    “Yes, more than I should and it scares the hell out of me. Things aren’t exactly simple when it comes to my relationship with Hunter.”
    “Trust him then. He’ll figure it out. That man is gaga over you. I’m surprised he didn’t interfere with your relationship with Michael.”
    “He was out of town for most of it. He spent two weeks in China, then New York. Everything did happen rather suddenly.”
    She rubbed her hand on my arm comfortingly. “It’s all going to be okay, honey. He loves you.”
    “I’m not so sure he’s the one that needs to figure it out,” I said softly.
    She gave me a long look like she wanted to say more, but instead she grabbed my hand and tugged me back towards the door.
    “Come on, let’s go get you a coffee and I’ll tell you all about my fucked up love life. It all comes together with a misguided, drunken swipe and horrible date that I regret with every fiber of my being. Never Tinder and drink; it’s a bad combo.”
    I barked out a laugh and followed my friend back into the coffee shop to get my coffee. When I emerged an hour later I felt a little better. Being around my friend had helped raise my spirits. Samantha had also unknowingly given me information that might just save my marriage, and I would owe her forever if it actually worked.
     

     
    Running was the therapy I planned for today. I needed to figure out what was real and compare it to what I thought might have happened, but wasn’t sure. If I had all of my memories back it might help me make the decisions I was putting off, but I didn’t want to ask Hunter for his help. He wasn’t the only one that could be stubborn.
    A few miles would probably help me clear my head. So I shoved my earbuds in and took off. My body was still sore, but it was time for me to start getting back to normal. Running was part of my normal. Thirty minutes later, I felt so much better; my mind was clear and I felt focused for the first time in almost two weeks.
    I climbed the stairs to my apartment with a renewed confidence. I had a plan and it was ready to be set into action. First things first, I needed a shower. As I turned the corner to my door, I did a double take. Hunter leaned against the door to my apartment.
    “What are you doing here?”
    “I came to see my wife. I also didn’t want to scare the hell out of you, so I decided to wait out here.”
    I brushed past him to open the door. He followed me as I walked into the kitchen to drop my keys and phone onto the counter.
    “Okay, you came to see me. What do you need? I told you I needed time.” I crossed my arms