Chapter 16: chapter 16

Should I feel relieved or should I feel guilty for being saved by that man over and over again?Rei has fallen on the ground, curl up in a ball after being shot in the arm, pool of blood around him and the smell of it is making me dizzy. I'm still on the bed, trying frantically to remove the blood from my face with my shirt. My head is dizzy, finding it difficult to believe what just happened. Rei, the picture that I've drawn about him in my head is now splattered with a vicious dark colour.All those kind gestures and soft voices of his feel creepy now. Was I even his lover? Tears well up in my eyes again.More men come inside. All under Rodas. They take away Rei's half-conscious body from the room.The pair of green gazes are burning on the side of my face, he is standing by the bed but I haven't looked up at him. The thought of him coming close to me is wrenching my heart. Seconds later, I feel the mattress of the bed sinking beside me.Tears finally ooze out of my eyes, and I sob. Baffle by everything that's happening around me.I sob harder when a warm jacket wraps around me, engulfing me with a musky smell. I'm glad, it's not Rodas. He smells different, so I look up and it's not Z either. The man is dressed colourfully, with long black hair and his smile reaches his eyes. My gaze stumbles on Rodas standing behind the man. I look away as quickly and back at the man. "It's ok, my name is Jeremy and we are getting out of here!" He tells me. I pull the jacket over me, feeling pathetic for not being able to refuse the warmth of it because I'm yearning for any kind of comfort at this moment. I'm not in a state to create a scene again. I'm so tired and helpless that I want to sleep it away.Jeremy lifts me in bridal style and starts walking, and I close my eyes.I want to see my brother, before that I must not let Rodas know that I remembered the cruelty he has done to us.----When I wake up, I'm back in the hell hole and sitting beside me is Rodas with his eyes peering at me.I get up immediately, startling him. He reaches for me but I avoid his touch."You ok?" He asks, hand stuck in the air.As if he is really concerned.I throw a disgusted glare at him."Do I look ok?" I'm not afraid of him.A sigh leaves him."I told you not to act stubborn!" He mumbles and then proceeds to pour water into the glass and offer it to me. My hands slap it away without a second thought. The water splatter on him and the floor, and the glass breaks with a painful sound. Rodas glances at the broken glasses, clenching his jaw. C'mon now, stop pretending and show me your true colour.But the outburst never comes. He gets down on the floor and picks up the broken pieces of glass before throwing them into the dustbin and then comes to sit beside me again. The oddly soft expression on his face never leaves."Do you need something? Something that you want to eat or see?""Liam," I reply. "He is out of town... Won't be back for a month!" My heart shrinks. One month, I've to be with this man?"What happened to Rei?" Rodas pauses as his fingers drum over the wooden table. Tap. Tap. Tap. They don't stop."It doesn't matter anymore!" He finally says after a minute."Why? He was my boyfriend, right? Shouldn't I be concerned about him?" He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "He tried to force himself on you-""What if we were having a good time and you interrupt us?"Rodas's knuckles turn white as soon as I say those words. Eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched. He is irritated now and I don't know the reason for it. I don't know why he is acting like a jealous lover and the fact that I'm enjoying provoking him is like an exotic drug I've never tasted before.I take it a little further to test his patience."I missed him since we haven't had sex-"His fingers come straight around my neck, pinning my back against the headboard. A strange light glimmered in his green gaze. He sneers. Now we are being real."What's your problem?" I smirk. He leans forward, pressing me further and I dare keep looking at him getting even more irritated. "I realise you have come to love running your mouth however you want" I chuckle. "Oh, Yeah!" Rodas let out a bitter laugh and then backs away. He sits on the chair again with his arms crossed.Why isn't he attacking me?"Turns out Rei wasn't your boyfriend. He lied to me and take you away. He made everything look real. Guess, he was already targeting you!" "Why would he target me?" I ask in disbelief. Rodas shrugs his shoulder."That's why I told you to stay here... But you went anyways!" But I'm also your target. Aren't I Rodas?After killing my parents, you've targeted me and Liam. Maybe he is showing concern because he couldn't bear the fact that someone stole his target away. But so many things don't make sense to me.  If he has been using Liam then he would've known that Rei isn't my boyfriend... So why?-Rei's words also can't be trusted. All I can rely on is the fragments of memories I've remembered. If only I could remember those two years.How exactly did I lose my memory? Liam. Please come back quickly. This is too much, this mess is beyond my ability to take. I miss you, Liam. I'm sorry for forgetting you."You're staying here until I find your actual whereabouts!" Rodas says.As if I don't know he is lying.