Chapter 4 A Clean Break

And so, Cameron was forcibly shoved down into a bow before me.

Kelsey was just about to step in and stop me when he suddenly fell to the floor.

He clutched his hand and curled up in pain. The sight clearly terrified Kelsey out of her wits.

"All I asked you to do was bow." I wondered aloud. "How'd you manage to fall and hurt yourself?"

Oliver was quick to chime in as soon as those words fell from my lips, "My thoughts exactly! Anyone who didn't know better would think we were bullying him."

Kelsey shot me a glare before carefully helping Cameron to his feet. She then called a nurse to help take him away.

"Landon, you did that on purpose! Cameron still needs his hands to play the piano. I swear I'll make you pay if his injury keeps him from performing onstage and ruins his music career!"

She stormed out after delivering her threat.

Oliver threw an arm around my shoulders and patted me with obvious relief. "Good Lord! You're finally not letting love blind you anymore. You're actually fighting back."

Then, he asked, "But seriously, doesn't it hurt to treat her like that? You used to walk on eggshells around Kelsey. You wouldn't even dare say a harsh word to her."

I laughed and playfully smacked his arm away. "I'm not some lovesick puppy. I don't have feelings for her anymore, so why would it hurt?"

Oliver gave me a skeptical look and kept checking whether I'd really forgotten Kelsey.

As it turned out, I truly had forgotten her. Well, not exactly? After his thorough line of questioning, we quickly realized that I couldn't remember anything connected to her, either.

…

Kelsey never showed up in my hospital ward over the next few days.

However, a few random messages would appear on my phone every now and then. I didn't even need to check the sender to know they were from her.

"Landon, I'll forgive you for pretending to have amnesia, but you have to apologize to Cameron. His hand is injured, and it could affect his upcoming performances."

"All you have to do is apologize. He said he won't hold it against you."

"I'll forgive you once he does. And stop this amnesia act. It's not funny."

What a nutcase. She wanted me to apologize, and then she'd forgive me? What was she? The President? As if I needed her forgiveness.

Block. Delete.

Suddenly, the world felt so much more peaceful.

Soon, it was time for me to be discharged.

Oliver had something to take care of, so he couldn't come pick me up.

I was just about to call a cab home when a white car pulled up in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Kelsey behind the wheel and Cameron in the front passenger seat.

"Landon, we're here to take you home from the hospital," Cameron explained with an innocent look on his face. Anyone who didn't know the truth might actually have fallen for his act.

Sadly for him, I could see the smug, taunting look in his eyes from a mile away.

"Oh, you're here to pick me up? Kelsey's my wife, so who exactly are you supposed to be?"

He was left speechless by my question, his embarrassment obvious.

Naturally, Kelsey swooped in like a knight in shining armor, feeling sorry for him. "Landon, can you stop being so unreasonable? Cameron gets carsick, so he's sitting in the front. You can sit in the back."

I arched an eyebrow at them but said nothing more. Then, I opened the door and got into the back seat.

Why should I turn down a free ride when someone was willing to drive me to my destination?

I pulled out my phone and searched for the name Cameron Sheffield.

It turned out he was just a pianist with a small following. There wasn't even much information about him online. Frankly, Kelsey was the only one who treated him like he was some kind of treasure.

Then, an idea suddenly struck me.

"Cameron Sheffield?" I repeated his name slowly.

Kelsey glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "What are you up to?"

"What is it, Landon?" Cameron asked, turning around in his seat with that same innocent expression.

"You've been away from Kelsey for so many years. Why haven't you tried finding someone else?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I haven't been able to fall for anyone else."

Then, his gaze drifted toward her, as if he were desperate to make sure I understood that he still had feelings for her.