The It’s Kind of Personal Series
ANNA BROOKS
Table of Contents
Title Page
About the Book
Make Me Forget
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Show Me How
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Acknowledgements
Prove Me Right
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Acknowledgments
Tell Me When
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Acknowledgements
Remember Me Now
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
One month later.
Acknowledgments
Give Me This
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
A letter from the author
Excerpt from Fixing Fate
Acknowledgments
More Books by Anna
About the Author
MAKE ME FORGET
Travis: It only took one summer with her to know she was it for me. But just when I thought I finally had something real, she shattered everything I believed and left without looking back.
Charlotte: I knew I’d see him when I went home. I was planning on it. But years ago, I told a lie, and I’m afraid some mistakes can’t be forgiven. Now I’m back, but I’m not the same girl he used to know.
SHOW ME HOW
Brandon: When I made a stop at a shady motel, I never expected to find the girl who got away. She was my best friend and the woman who was supposed to be mine. Now that I have her back, I’ll find out the truth and remind her where she belongs.
Mary: When I ran away at eighteen, I had a good reason. The people I loved were in danger, and I had to stay away to keep them safe. I’ve lived with the guilt and accepted my fate. But he finally found me, and now he’s asking questions I don’t want to answer.
PROVE ME RIGHT
Liam: All I want… the only thing I have ever wanted is to get home to her. I just have to finish my tour with the band before we can start our life together. But when the darkness I’ve been hiding from her comes to light, I have no choice but to let her go.
Meara: We were friends before we could walk, in love since we could drive, and planning our future since high school. I would wait for him forever because I know he’ll always be mine. But when the life I’ve waited for is finally in my grasp, I discover something that will destroy my fairy-tale ending.
TELL ME WHEN
Pierce: I went to Vegas to clear my head, but I ended up finding something I didn’t even know I was missing. I found her. Then she vanishes without an explanation, and I’m forced to return home where I live with the memory of a woman I’ll never forget.
Ruby: Being the daughter of one of the most influential men in Las Vegas comes with a price. I thought I was almost free only to find out my personal hell is far from over. When it’s finally safe, I risk it all to find him, but discover our lives are entwined more than I could have ever imagined.
REMEMBER ME NOW
Nik: I’ve played my part well and kept the truth hidden. But when the beautiful new bartender figures out who I really am, I refuse to back down from something I know we both want.
Lisa: He has the power to destroy me, so I tell him I don’t remember what we had. But the chemistry between us is undeniable, no matter how much I try to forget it.
GIVE ME THIS
Declan: After years of risking my life to save others, I’ve moved back home to rai
se my daughter around family. I tried to prepare myself for how I would react when I saw the woman I left behind, but I never anticipated how hard it would be to remain unaffected.
Amie: I didn’t want him to give up his dreams because of me, so I did what I had to do to make him leave. I already ruined him once, so when I discover he’s back in town, I try to keep my distance and hide the bruises. I should have known better, because the boy I fell in love with is now a man, and he’s back with a vengeance.
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One lie can destroy everything…
After enduring years of manipulation and an immeasurable amount of loss, Charlotte Kelly makes one last ditch effort to change her life and try to find happiness again. She knows she’ll see him when she moves back to Wisconsin. She’s planning on it, the connection she still feels to him after all these years is undeniable. But one lie tore them apart years ago, and she’s afraid some mistakes can’t be forgiven.
Travis Parker doesn’t like liars. When he was younger, lies burned him in a bad way. It only took one summer with Charlotte’s innocence to know that she was it for him. When he thought he finally had something to look forward to, one misguided lie shattered everything he believed. Now, Char’s back, but she’s not the same girl he once knew.
Make Me Forget
Copyright © 2014 Anna Brooks
Published by: Anna Brooks
Cover design by Cover to Cover Designs
Photography by MHPhotography
Editing by Editing4Indies
Formatting by Champagne Formats
Proofreading by Vivid Words Editing
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.
Dedication
To my husband.
For giving me the happily ever after.
Prologue
Six months ago.
EVEN THOUGH I’M BLINDFOLDED, I squeeze my eyes shut, willing my body to cooperate, while my mind screams at me in protest. Todd grunts as he picks up his pace, effectively slamming my head into the wall. I’m grateful for the pain, as it distracts me from what I’ve allowed myself to become.
“I’m coming!” He never talks when he fucks me, except to tell me that he’s coming.
I can’t say anything, can’t move, can’t see. I can do nothing but wait. He collapses on top of me for a few minutes before pulling out and sitting up. Then he unties my ankles and wrists. Next, he removes the blindfold, followed by the gag. I rub my wrists and take a deep breath.
“Be right back.”
He disappears out of my bedroom, returning a moment later with a wet cloth to clean between my legs. What I thought at one point was a sweet gesture turns into another moment I have to endure his touch.
“That was amazing.” He runs a hand through his curly blond hair and smiles at me.
Even with the gag removed, I still can’t speak to him right now. I fake a smile and crawl under the covers.
“I have to go to that conference in Boston this weekend. Be a good girl when I’m gone?”
I’m not sure if he’s asking or telling; either way, I nod and shut my eyes. If he thinks I’m tired, he’ll leave sooner. He’s never stayed the night, not once in three years. He always says he has to go back to work. He doesn’t know that I know the real reason.
“Good girl.” He kisses my forehead and shuts off the light.
I watch his tall, lean figure exit my bedroom and wait until his car pulls away before I hop out of bed. I run to the bathroom and barely make it to the toilet in time. Once I'm done losing the contents of my stomach, I quickly brush my teeth, but avoid looking in the mirror, because I know what will be looking back at me: sad blue eyes that used to be bright with excitement and hope, framed by blond hair that is dull and too long.
I grab the packed bags I have hidden in my closet and set them by the front door. I can’t be here anymore. Not in this house, not in this city, and definitely not in the same state as him. I know his routine, and he won’t know I’m gone until next week. I have time, but I’m still paranoid. Running back upstairs, I grab anything and everything that is of value to me. Not that there’s much; my mom’s jewelry, some photo albums, paperwork, things like that. I shut all the lights off upstairs, do the same in the kitchen, and make my way out the front door. I have to make a couple trips to my car, but once I have everything packed, I drive away without looking back.
Chapter 1
Charlotte
Four years earlier…
“CHARLOTTE, GET BACK HERE!”
“No! I told Meara I would go. I’m seventeen years old, Dad.”
“You’re still my daughter, and when I tell you no, you listen to me.”
I halt my steps in the driveway and turn to look at my dad on the porch. My friends call him the ‘sexy professor’, and it grosses me out every time. He’s average in height with wavy black hair and wears those thick framed glasses. Attractive, sure. Sexy… ew.
“I’m not her, Dad.”
“I know that, but Caroline didn’t even make it to seventeen. What kind of father would I be if I didn’t worry?” He looks into the sky before blowing out a deep breath. “I’m sorry, okay. Go to the party. Be back by ten.”
“Seriously?”
“Fine, eleven, but not a minute later. You call me when you get there, and you call me when you’re leaving. That’s the only way you get to go.”
“Thanks, Dad! Love you!” I run and give him a big hug before getting into the car and driving to the lake.
My dad doesn't want me to go to the party. He doesn’t want me to do anything anymore. Since my sister passed away four years ago, my parents treat me like I’m breakable, and it drives me crazy. Hell, everyone treats me like I’m breakable. I want to be a normal teenager and have fun. Maybe do something daring and exciting.
We moved from our home in Wisconsin to Texas four years ago when my dad got a job offer he couldn’t refuse. He had been waiting years to get a position as the Dean of Students. Every summer since we have moved, we come back to Wisconsin and my parents rent a house on Lake Michigan for us to stay in. We got in last night, and I haven’t seen any of my other family yet. My cousin, Meara, is having a high school graduation party with some friends down by the lake. She’s really more like a sister… at least she has been since Caroline died.
I park and run my hands down the front of my jeans before pocketing the key. I call my dad to tell him that I’m here, and walk toward the party.
There’s a bonfire, music playing, people throwing a football, and some are even in the water. I spot my cousin right away, jumping around, and I walk a little faster. She’s always been loud and outgoing — the opposite of my shy, quiet personality.
“Ahh!” she yells when she sees me. “Char, you made it! I can’t believe Uncle Sean let you come.”
I nod in agreement. “I’m so happy to see you again! It’s been way too freaking long.” We hug each other, and I look around for my other cousins, Meara’s brothers. “Where are Pierce and Declan?”
“Oh, Pierce is around here somewhere, and Dec couldn’t get leave. Come on.” She yanks my hand and pulls me through a crowd of people.
I recognize most of them immediately. Meara and I had a lot of the same friends before I moved, so I’m not surprised to
see them here. Everyone looks so different, so grown-up —including myself. A lot can change in a year, especially when growing out of the awkward teenage stage of zits and braces.
I spend the next hour catching up with old friends and telling stories about living in Texas. Of course, the girls ask if everything is bigger there. I laugh along with them but really don’t know. I’ve kissed a couple of boys but have been too scared to go any further. After a while, I decide to take a break and go for a walk to my favorite place in the world.
“I’m gonna go for a walk. I’ll be back in a bit,” I tell Meara. She nods and falls into her boyfriend Liam’s lap in front of the fire.
I loved growing up by the lake. The sound of the waves crashing and the steady rhythm of the water always relaxed me and made me feel at peace. Aside from my family, it’s what I miss most about home.
I find my usual place faraway, hop up, and sit down on the large flat rock that I’ve claimed as ‘my spot’. It’s where I’ve always been able to go and clear my head. It also makes me feel close to my sister because we came here a lot together as kids. I lean back on my hands and close my eyes, enjoying the smell of the water. A thud and swearing interrupt the quiet.
I look over and see a guy stumbling back and forth. He finally plops down on the sand a few feet from me right before he lies down and throws his arm over his eyes. Tattoos peek out from the sleeve of his t-shirt on his right arm down to his wrist. Since the only light is from the full moon, I can't see the design clearly.
“Umm, are you okay?” I ask as I sit up on the hard stone.
He removes his arm and rolls his head to look at me. “Shit. Yeah. Didn’t see you sitting here, sorry.” He tries to get up, but after several failed attempts he lies back down in defeat, cursing under his breath.
“It’s okay. Stay there. Can I go get someone or something? Do you need help?”
He laughs. “Sweetheart, I’m beyond help.”
“Well, you can’t even stand. Are you sure you don’t want me to—”
“No, I don’t want you to do anything. I’m fine, alright?” he snaps and turns his head to signify the end of the conversation.
I don't say anything else or get up to leave. I can’t, in good conscience, leave this guy alone. The slight frown on his lips is so… sad. Besides, he can’t even stand, so there’s no way he could physically hurt me. I move closer to him, and we sit in silence for a while before he starts talking.