I Forgot Him, Not My Type

I lost my memory after three years with my boyfriend.

Hudson Corbin moved out that same night, got his friends over to celebrate, and said it like it was already settled: "I've spent all this time circling her.

Now it's her turn to chase me." To prove how irresistible he was, he even dyed his hair back to black. He had dyed it white to please me. But I forgot my boyfriend.

I didn't forget my type. The day I got discharged, I bumped into a guy with white hair. Face burning, I went up and hit on him. "Hi.

Can I get to know you?" Chapter 1 The man in front of me had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and the tight black shirt he wore made every line of muscle obvious.

He had earbuds in. He didn't even look at me, like getting hit on was nothing new. "Could you move, please. Thanks." The whitehaired guy was gorgeous but completely blankfaced.

This was that stonefacedandadorable thing everyone talks about! It hit my type dead center. His answer left me a little deflated. He probably hadn't even caught what I said.

But I'm not one to keep pushing, so I turned to go. And there was Hudson, jogging toward me, that short black hair impossible to miss.

He didn't stop until he was right in front of me, breathing hard, looking put out, like I'd handed him a huge problem. "Why didn't you wait for me to check out today?

What if something happens to you again?" I looked to either side of me, then pointed at myself, lost. "Me? I barely know you. Why would I wait for you?" That stopped him.

He started to argue, then remembered the bet he'd made with his friends. As far as anyone could see, he wasn't my boyfriend anymore.

Watching him stammer without getting anything out, I decided to help. "Sorry — I lost three years of memory in the accident. The last thing I remember is the start of freshman year.

Did something happen between us in those three years?" I did have a strange feeling about Hudson. Like the two of us had once been as close as two people could get.

But in the memories I still had, my impression of him wasn't good. At the freshman welcome party, everybody played Truth or Dare.

When it was his turn, someone asked what kind of girl he liked. A lot of eyes landed on me.

But earlier that night I'd spilled orange juice on his leg, and we'd gotten into a fight over it. He thought I'd done it on purpose to get his attention.

In front of everyone, he lifted his eyes to me. "Whatever my type is, it's not her." It was only later, because of student government business, that we exchanged numbers.

Every time he saw me after that, his face went cold. That's where my memory stops. Everything after it is gone. Was he actually my boyfriend before?

But I had definitely sworn I'd only ever go for a guy with white hair. His face was goodlooking, sure, but it didn't meet my requirements.

And things between us had gotten that ugly. Us ending up together would be way too weird. Hudson pressed his lips together, conflicted.

After a moment he looked away. "We've been on pretty good terms these three years. You were in an accident. Of course I'd come check on you." "Come on.

Let me take you home." He'd denied it, so I let it go and nodded. "Thanks." Chapter 2 He took the bag out of my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world and walked beside me.

The whole way to my door I was still thinking about the whitehaired guy, only half there. Such a shame. If only I could run into him again.

Hudson looked like his hands didn't know what to do with themselves.

When his hand came toward me, I startled and dodged out of the way. "What are you doing?" His hand froze in midair, then pulled back, awkward, and he rubbed his nose. "I was going for the keys.

You gave me your spare a while back." That confused me even more. When had I gotten so bad at boundaries that I handed out my house key to just anyone?

What had actually happened between me and Hudson? How had we suddenly gotten this close? Was there really nothing else going on between us?

To find out, I made myself ask. "You're sure the two of us are just good friends, right?" "Nothing else?

Like, dating or something?" Hudson startled, his face doing something theatrical, and denied it fast. "Are you kidding? Like I'd ever be into you." I let out a breath. There it was.

That familiar feeling, right on cue. "I thought maybe you were pulling that whole thing where the girlfriend loses her memory and the guy tricks her into thinking they were never together.

Good thing you're not." Good thing it wasn't what I'd thought, or I'd have had to worry about how to act around him.

Hudson coughed, unnatural about it, and started into the apartment with my luggage. "All right, get inside." My hand went up to stop him before I thought about it. "Um, sorry.

I know you say we're close, but I don't have those memories right now, and I'm pretty big on personal space. Could you give me some time?

Let us build something back up." For some reason his face filled with anger. And then, under my eyes, he forced it back down.

Hudson took two steps back and set the luggage by the door. "Whatever you want, Princess. That good enough?" When I made no move to stop him, he huffed and turned to leave.

And I stopped him again. "I knew you'd —" "The key… could I have it back?" I felt a little guilty. As far as Hudson knew, we were good friends.

And from what I knew of him, he wouldn't be acting like this if we weren't. But nobody gets how bizarre it feels to wake up and find out your worst enemy is now your good friend.

And I really wasn't comfortable with anyone outside a boyfriend or family having a key to my place. This time Hudson didn't answer right away.

He looked me up and down like he couldn't believe it, then turned his back to me. After a moment he smiled through gritted teeth and put the key in my hand. "Fine. Here.

Anything else?" I shook my head. "No." He didn't say anything else, just turned and left, his steps landing hard the whole way down the hall.

Once Hudson was gone, I started unpacking. When I started college, my mom and dad didn't want me suffering through dorm life, so they bought me a place near campus. Two bedrooms.

I'd basically never had anyone stay there. Setting my luggage down, I looked around and caught something off. If I'd been living alone, I would have put everything in the middle.

Right now the pillow on the bed, the clothes in the closet, even the toothbrush cup on the bathroom counter — all of it was pushed to one side. How weird was that?

Chapter 3 That got me reaching for the phone I hadn't touched once the whole time I was in the hospital. I wanted to see whether anything else was off.

Whatever was on my phone wouldn't lie to me. I tapped at it and found it had crashed. I sighed.

Then I went through every drawer in the place until I turned up a backup phone, kind of old, barely usable.

Good thing I keep cash on me, or I wouldn't have been able to leave the apartment at all. I took the phone and headed out to get it fixed.

Waiting for the elevator, I was still looking down, thinking, not watching where I was going. And I walked straight into someone again. Whoa, solid muscle.

I bounced right off and nearly went down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to — wait, you again?" I looked up, delighted. It was the whitehaired guy from earlier.

Which meant this was fate handing him to me, and I was not letting it slip a second time!

The man looked down at me, annoyed in spite of himself. "Do you not watch where you're going?" And then, the instant he saw me, he stopped. I followed his eyes down.

White dress today, and slides. I'm lazy by habit, and I'd just been discharged, so I hadn't put on any makeup. And of course this was when I ran into my crush.

I curled my toes back, mortified. "I'm really sorry for bumping into you. I ran into you outside the hospital earlier too.

What are the odds." His expression changed at light speed, and he covered his mouth and coughed twice. "It's fine, it's fine, you didn't do it on purpose.

So that was you outside the hospital. I thought — what floor do you need? I'll get it for you." "Lobby. My phone's broken, I'm taking it in.

You?" "Parking garage." After that the elevator went quiet for a while. I twisted the hem of my dress. Come on, stupid brain, think!

By the time we hit the lobby I still didn't have anything. He'd already shot me down once when I asked for his number, so I didn't dare open my mouth again.

Was I just going to have to give up? But the doors were open, so all I could do was walk out with my head down. The next second someone came up beside me.

A little stunned, I raised my head and found him standing in front of me. "I heard you were in a car accident a while back. You're all right now?

Your boyfriend… why isn't he with you?" My crush lived in my building! But boyfriend? Who? Hudson? I waved both hands. "No, no, no, he's a friend. I'm single.

The accident didn't really affect me much, I just lost the last three years of memory." The second the words were out, something odd moved across his face. "I'm Ambrose Sheridan.

I'm your neighbor. That's a relief, then.

A friend of mine runs a phone repair shop — let me take you over, it's on my way." I didn't want to put anyone out, but the no turned around on its way to my mouth.

This was an opportunity. "Then I'd really appreciate it." Ambrose smiled a little. "Anytime." The whole drive he kept the conversation going himself, so warm about it that I hardly knew what to do with myself.

I'd already forgotten how he'd looked turning me down. Ambrose handled every part of it and wouldn't let me pay at the end. The way he told it, I'd done him a big favor once.

No matter how hard I dug, I couldn't remember what it was. "Don't force yourself to remember.

What's meant to come back will come back on its own." By then, the distance between Ambrose and me had already closed. His long fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel.

He was clearly in a good mood. Chapter 4 Every so often he'd smile at me, the outer corners of his eyes tilting up, a little like a cat. Exactly like that anime character I love.

In the elevator he hit sixteen without thinking about it. Then hit fifteen for me. I'd assumed he was on my floor.

Seeing my confusion, Ambrose smiled. "I wasn't living here for a while, so I sold the place.

Later I realized how nice the area is, so I bought it back." The world of rich people is beyond me. Still, one floor apart counted as very close.

The thought of being that close to my crush from now on had me smiling before I could stop it. Whatever suspicions I'd had about Hudson were long gone. "How about I buy you dinner?

Or if you don't mind, I could cook for you myself." I said it quietly. Ambrose blinked, then smiled. "Why wouldn't I want that? I'd love to." The elevator doors opened.

I stepped out and froze where I stood. There was a whole group of people in front of me, Hudson at the head of them.

I didn't know the rest of them, though it was possible I'd just forgotten them. Hudson's eyes had been smiling. The second he saw me and Ambrose, they went dark.

When I stayed where I was, he crossed to me in long strides. And clamped a hand around my wrist. His voice was ice. "Wilhelmina, who is he?" He was gripping hard