Page 52 of Unapologetic Obsession
“Right. It’s not about the culprit but about Ms. Ambani herself. The police report said she saw the perp but couldn’t remember anything about him. Ms. Ambani was diagnosed with PTSD-related amnesia. She’s known to dissociate from traumatic memories and has trouble recounting events around the time. There are reports of many distorted memories between the ages of eleven and twelve.”
Everything about Rose finally clicked into place.
PTSD-related amnesia was quite common in patients with trauma. The brain blocked out painful memories to protect itself. The person may seem emotionally numb, often experiencing incomplete and altered memories. Triggers could bring back intrusive memories, but they could also cause avoidance behavior. Perhaps it was for the best if she detached from recalling the past.
Given her history, it made sense that she was easily spooked by men. We had spent numerous hours together at the lab. I knew everything about her, yet she kept me at arm’s length. It was fucking infuriating. She had sealed off a part of herself that I couldn’t break through. If I wanted her to come out of her shell, I needed to change her perception of me as her professor, and that could only happen in a social setting with a lot of alcohol.
Except Rose was nowhere to be found.
My fingers gripped the crystal glass tighter than necessary. I wanted to burn everything to the ground. The past several weeks had been hell, being near her, always wanting to touch her while acutely aware of her invisible walls. The only thing that kept me sane was this upcoming student-faculty affair. I needed to create a carefree setting on a yacht that remindedher of the good times from her childhood. I even had the boat painted in beige and soft colors to put her mind at ease.
I would have never volunteered to host this insufferable party if I knew Rose would bail.
I set the glass on the bar counter louder than intended. “We’ll leave when I’m ready.”
My twin had an infuriatingly accurate understanding of me. His head reeled back. “Holy shit! There is a girl. I was just fucking with you before.” He tilted his head, reading me like an open book. “And you’re nervous about seeing her. People lose their shit at the thought of talking to you, but a girl’s got your panties in a bunch. Where did you even meet her? You haven’t been anywhere except for your lab in weeks. Is she a professor at the university?”
I couldn’t tell Damon about Rose. Her family was having him investigated for her cousin Rayyan’s murder. The claims were bogus and wouldn’t amount to much. Still, there was a point for contention.
My fixation with Rose would complicate things for him as he already had an unhealthy obsession with another Ambani—Poppy. It was unlikely for their family to approve one Ambani-Maxwell match, let alone two. Damon would discourage me from pursuing Rose, using the trump card that she was my student, which could jeopardize everything I had achieved in my career.
It didn’t help that Rose was fragile, physically scarred from her past, and mentally wounded by her parents’ rejection. Taking advantage of her vulnerability, especially while I was her professor and soon-to-be employer, was wrong on many levels. But the more I had tried shoving these feelings down, the more they had intensified. The more I tried to be appropriate, the more uncontrollably I reacted to her.
There was no way I could change my mind about her. The moment I saw her scars, it had awakened fierce, primal instincts I hadn’t known existed in me. I knew she was vital to my existence. Her presence anchored me. Everyone around me noticed the changes in my attitude, especially my staff. They were overjoyed that I no longer felt the need to work myself—or them—to death. What sane man would give all that up?
“Drop it, Damon.”
“We both know that I won’t. How long have you guys been going out, and why didn’t I know about it?”
I didn’t respond.
Damon whistled. “You’re not going out with her.”
I gave him a scathing look.
“Did she turn you down because of your delightful personality? Or is it the way you charmingly boss people around?”
“I don’t boss people around.”
Damon roared with laughter. He brushed a lock of hair away from his eyes with a flick of his fingers. “Never thought I would live long enough to see my baby brother pine over a woman.”
“I’m not pining.”
“Defensive!”
“I’m not defensive.”
“Thatwas defensive. And I don’t get it. You’re the one who files sexual harassment lawsuitsagainstwomen, not the other way around. How come you haven’t made progress?”
Because despite the time we had spent together, Rose could barely make eye contact with me.
“Does the great Caden, the most brilliant man on earth, need girl advice? I thought you knew everything about everything.”
“I do.”
“Except when it comes to one simple girl. Need my help?”
I scoffed. “In your dreams.”
