Blank: Alpha Billionaire Romance Read Free Page A

you were. Luckily, you were wearing a necklace with the name Preslee on it. A girl named Ava McCall reported you missing. Do you remember Ava?”
    I wracked my brain, but it was like there was nothing inside except blank, white space.
    “She told the police that she’d been on the phone with you earlier that evening, but that you hung up prior to the crash. When she couldn’t reach you the following day or the next, she reported you missing. The police contacted the major hospitals in the area and, with the help of your necklace, located you here. Ava identified you as Preslee Keats. She said the two of you have been friends since childhood.”
    My head was spinning. Ava? I was at a loss for words. How could I confirm or deny anything when I had no memory of my life before the last half an hour or so? Ava. Ava. Ava. I repeated the name, hoping it would inspire something, a flash, a memory, her hair color, anything that could give me insight into our friendship.
    The only thing that surfaced was a dense blanket of fog where my memories should have been. Dr. Edwards’ cornflower blue eyes crinkled with worry and something that bordered on sympathy. “When the EMTs brought you in, we weren’t sure you’d make it. Half of the ribs on your left side, and your left femur were broken. You had a punctured lung, numerous abrasions and contusions. Those have since healed. Your head injury was the most troubling.”
    The way he said it made me cringe, picturing my brain rattling back and forth in my skull. “How bad was it?”
    Dr. Edwards ran a steady hand through his styled salt and pepper hair. “We placed you in a medically-induced coma to wait for the swelling to go down, but even after we lifted the medication, you remained comatose. We’ve been waiting a long time for you to wake up.”
    A long time? I suddenly remembered what he’d said. That my other injuries had healed. Broken bones and a punctured lung. I took a shuddering breath, anticipating pain, but there wasn’t any.
    “How – how long?” I could barely ask the question.
    “Preslee, today is March sixth.”
    March? No. I shook my head. That didn’t sound right.
    “You’ve been in a coma for four months.”
    Four months? No. That wasn’t possible.
    Dr. Edwards frowned, then seemed to think better of himself and lightly placed a hand on my shoulder, lowering his voice, almost as if he was talking to a small child. “Preslee, I know you’re shocked and confused. We had no idea how the injury to your brain would manifest when you woke up. It’s clear now that you’ve suffered severe memory loss. Do you remember your last name?”
    “Keats,” I whispered.
    He nodded, lips pulling into a satisfied smile. “Short-term still seems to be all right.”
    “What about the rest?” My stomach was churning.
    The doctor’s expression sobered. “We don’t know. It could be temporary, a result of the injury and then the trauma of having been in a coma for an extended period of time.” He glanced toward the door. “The nurse is calling your friend. Hopefully, seeing a familiar face will jog something, but if not, you’ll at least have someone around who knows your past.”
    “Please, not today,” I said. “I can’t handle anything else today.”
    “I understand,” he said. “This is a lot to take in. We’ll call to let her know you’re awake, but that you can’t have visitors just yet. Will that be okay?”
    I nodded. A headache blossomed, sending pulsing pain to my temple and behind my eyes.
    “We’ll bring the occupational therapist in later today to meet with you and make sure you’re able to perform all the basics. We’ll try to get you up and walking around as soon as possible. Sound good?”
    I nodded again. I was too overwhelmed to do anything but mindlessly agree.
    “As for the memories, don’t try to force them. If they’re going to come back, they’ll come on their own.”
    When he left the room, I sank back into the hard