Chapter 005

Ivy's POV

Today was the day I would be having my first class with Noah Carter. Was I going through an emotional roller coaster? Yes. Did I feel like giving up? Absolutely! Would I? Definitely not.

The past two days had been tough on me. I had quit working at Mac and Beers and gone to the facility immediately after class. I could still hear Anna's warning in my head. The boys might look violent but stay clear of the puck bunnies.

She had been so damn right. Morgan was really not happy to see me. Well, the feeling was mutual. She'd made me fall flat on my face in front of the boys—and Carter. Who once again had looked at me like I only existed in his memory this week.

That was the strange part. I was somehow beginning to think there was something up with him. He was not a big talker, but he couldn't remember when Steve, who was allergic to peaches, got a rash from drinking a peach juice without knowing. He just laughed and said he has a lot on his mind lately. There was no way he could forget that.

I remembered him repeating the story every day when we met secretly and laughing so loud that I got sick of his repetition and asked him why he found it funny that his friend suffered.

How could he not remember that? But that shouldn't be my business. He was just someone I was tutoring, and today I had to make sure I didn't mess up. I was the only one in the room since Anna had gone for her part-time job.

It was almost time, and he was coming very soon. And I was fidgeting badly.

I tried to take a breath, and just then there was a knock on the door. I ran nervous hands through my hair as I went to open it.

And there he stood.

His dark hair falling to his face. His shirt clung to him, revealing the toned muscles of an athlete. His eyes were… I swallowed. Oh god, I can't do this.

"Are you gonna let me in… or?" He asked, and I looked up at him and swallowed.

"Hmm?… oh, oh, come in," I said, moving away from the door, and his big frame entered the room and filled it. His scent hit my nose then… familiar and warm.

"You want anything to drink?" I asked, and he shook his head. He went to help himself to the couch in the sitting room.

"Here's good?" He asked, and I stared. The image I had in mind was one where we were cooped up in my small room sharing the same reading table… how did that damn traitorous thought get into my head?

"Yeah. It's fine," I said, and we brought out our books. I sat on a lower stool in front of him.

"So… what's the basic knowledge you have about chemistry?" I asked him, and he shrugged.

"Like… H2O means water?" He asked, and I frowned.

"And Potassium?" I asked… Was this really the only thing he knew?

"Urrr… p?" He asked, and I let out an empty laugh. He was a lost cause.

"Did I get it right?"

"Hmm… as a matter of fact, you just proved why your coach sent you to me."

He grinned at that, and despite everything, I felt the corner of my mouth twitch. He was infuriating, but there was something almost endearing about the way he looked so proud of himself for guessing a letter.

"Okay, let's start from the beginning. The periodic table," I said, pulling out a fresh sheet of paper. "I want you to write down everything you know. And I mean everything. Even if you think it's stupid."

He took the pen from me, his fingers brushing against mine. I pulled away quickly, pretending I hadn't noticed.

"Everything?" He asked.

"Everything."

He bent over the paper, and I watched as he started writing. His handwriting was surprisingly neat. I leaned forward to see what he was putting down. I dictated a few things for him to write down. He kept asking me to repeat myself and I did but raised a brow when it got too much.

His hand paused, and he stared at the paper like it held all the answers to the universe. His jaw tightened, and he let out a shaky breath.

“Can you repeat that again?”

I frowned. Something was wrong.

"Okay, let's go over what you just wrote," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What's the symbol for Sodium?"

He looked at his paper, then back at me. "Na?"

"Good. And Carbon?"

"C."

"Great. What about Potassium?"

He glanced at his paper again. "K."

"Okay, now let's test you without looking," I said, reaching over and flipping his paper over. "What did we just say Potassium was?"

He blinked. His eyes darted around the room like he was searching for the answer in the air. "I… uh…"

"Na?" I prompted.

"No, that's Sodium."

"So what's Potassium?"

He stared at me, his brow furrowed. "I don't… I just had it. It was right there."

"K. It's K," I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. "We just went over this. Three times."

He ran a hand through his hair, looking genuinely confused. "I know. I'm sorry. I just… it's like it slips away."

I stared at him. This wasn't just stupidity. This was something else.

"Do you remember when I told you about my grandmother?" I asked softly, trying to break the tension. "That's the main reason I'm doing this."

He looked up at me, his eyes searching. "Your grandmother?" He asked, and I raised my brow. He said it like he was hearing it for the first time.

"Nan. I've told you about her before. Multiple times."

He blinked. "Right. Nan. I remember."

But the way he said it told me he didn't. I thought for a moment that he was just dumb, but that wasn't the Carter I knew.

The Carter I knew had listened to every word I said. He had asked about Nan's health, remembered her favorite flowers, even sent her a card once.

This version of him was different. Something was off.

I shook my head. "

"And what did I just tell you about covalent bonds?"

"Uh… they share electrons?"

"Good. Now what is the symbol for Potassium again?"

He stared at me. His mouth opened, then closed. His eyes searched my face desperately. "K?" He guessed, but even he didn't sound sure.

"Yes, K. We just talked about it."

"I know, I know. It's just… I don't…" He trailed off, rubbing his temples.

The class felt strained, suffocating. It was obvious something was wrong with him. Despite everything, despite how much I wanted to hate him, I found myself asking.

"Noah, is everything okay?"

He looked at me closely, his green eyes searching my face. Then he let out a laugh, but it was hollow and forced.

"Oh, everything is fine," he said, but his voice cracked on the last word.

I frowned, my heart hammering. Something wasn't right at all.

"Why don't you remember me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Your girlfriend? Or are you just messing with me?”

The paper slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. His face went pale, and for a moment, he looked like he had seen a ghost.