Chapter 8: chapter 8

"That day, you went grocery shopping. I started to get worried when you didn't return home even after three hours and you didn't pick up your phone. So, I went to check and the supermarket was in a mess. Things were scattered everywhere, there were police and ambulances. They told that some underworld gangs were fighting there. I was so scared, I checked the hospital where injured people were admitted but you were not there..." Rei pauses and rubs his nose. His eyes are moist. I move close to him and pull him in my arms."I look for you everywhere but with no result, then after a week, I received a call telling me an address and asking me to go there the next morning if I still want you... That was a weird question, why wouldn't I want you? I couldn't sleep and the next day, I immediately went there and brought you with me!" He pulls away from the hug and puts his hands behind my chin, cradling my face. "Those people who kidnapped you must have seen you with Rodas. They must have thought you were close to him.""But how did Rodas know that I was being kidnapped?" I ask, confused."As I said, he has men in every corner of the world. Please, Elie... Don't go out for a while, I don't want you to experience something like that again... Please. I will stay with you at home if you need-"I chuckle."It's ok... Sweet boyfriend, you can go to your work. I'm fine. I will keep myself busy reading books!" Rei smiles and kisses my forehead. I will go prepare breakfast for us. I nod and watch him walk out of the room. I take in a deep breath and get off the bed. I stand before the mirror. Thank God, I've decided to stay home, there's no way the scar around my mouth would heal anytime soon. I touch the corner of my mouth with my fingertips."Tsk!" It burns.Then I rub my lips. The feeling of Rodas's rough lips still lingers there. Like it happened in real life and not in dreams. Then a sudden flash of memory catches me off guard and I stumble back. It was a blurry image of steps and halls but it faded away just quickly as it came leaving me feeling disoriented and confused.I sigh and lean closer to the mirror, trying to focus on any details that might trigger my memories but the more I focus the more I can't shake off the feeling that I'm incomplete, like a puzzle with a missing piece. No matter, how much I accept my present and try to be happy, I'm going to feel it every time somewhere deep inside me.I'm always going to feel lost and alone.A drop of tears slips down my cheeks and I immediately wipe it away.I must not lose hope.I comb my hair and tie it in a bun before walking into the bathroom. I avoid looking in the mirror and brush my teeth. But just when I was washing my feet, I notices something. I sit on the toilet seat cover and carefully look at it. It's a freaking tattoo. A tattoo which seems like two 'C' in a circle form but with a gap between them, like a bracket or is it a bracket? I don't remember and the fact that I've only noticed it today makes me angry. I get up, ready to leave the bathroom but when I reach the door, a sharp pain hit my head as if a needle has been pierced.I drop to the floor, covering my head. Then I begin hearing voices. "I want to feel connected to you!"Someone giggles."That's lame!!" "You won't say it if I die tomorrow..."What is it? Whose voices are these?"You dare say that again....."The pain gets worse, tears prick out of my eyes. I scream, hoping the voices would go away. But my head fills with laughter. I scream again and again until I feel a pair of arms wrapping around me. The voices are gone. I bury my face into Rei's chest and he whispers soft things to my ear. "It's ok... It's alright. I'm here!" He tells me softly. I cannot be more grateful for having Rei right now. He has been very patient and helpful. I cannot imagine how I would have been if there was no Rei to support me during this time.  He let me stay like that until I calm down completely. "Let's go... I've prepared breakfast for us!" He says.-----I watch Rei give me two slices of French toast and a strawberry Milkshake. He takes his share and sits down opposite me. "Are you ok?" He asks again for the third time after we came to the kitchen.I nod. He smiles and sips his drink. And then I don't know what took over me, I say something that made Rei choke on his drink."Can we kiss?" Maybe it's because I'm not in my right mind at this moment, but I want to find everything that might trigger something in me and bring my memories back. Rei hasn't tried to kiss me on the lips though he kisses my forehead and cheeks. I know he is respecting my state. Such a considerate man he is."W-What?" He questions me as if he has heard my words wrong. "Kiss... Can we kiss?" I repeat myself. He looks so awkward as if we haven't kissed before. Ok. We must have, right? We are lovers. "Well, that..." He stumbles on his words. I laugh off the awkwardness. "Never mind... I was just asking," I say and shove the toast into my mouth. "No! No..." He gets up quickly and comes to my side. "It's just I was a little taken aback," he says softly and holds the back of my neck. I stare into his almond eyes. I can feel those eyes yearning for me. "I've been holding back to kiss you all this time" he whispers, leaning in closer.I shift in my seat. I don't know why but his words seem unsettling to me. Our lips become closer and closer. My heart starts thumping loudly not because I'm excited but because I'm scared. I'm scared to kiss him all of a sudden, though I was the one who asked for it.I try to stay still until I couldn't handle it anymore. Just when I'm about to avoid his lips, his phone rings. He hesitates. The phone doesn't stop ringing. He gives me an apologetic smile before going to pick up his phone which is on the kitchen island. He walks out of the room.I let out a sigh of relief and quickly finish eating my breakfast and then rushes to wash the dishes. I need to create a different atmosphere before he returns."Elie..." He calls my name from the living room.When I go there, he is getting ready to go out. Wearing black jeans and a leather jacket."Where are you going?" I ask him."Something came up in the work!" He says, wearing his shoes."Don't you have a day off today?" He kisses me on the forehead. "There's some problem, I need to fix. The boss wants me there," he says quickly running to the garage. I watch him drive away. Oh!I forgot to ask him about the tattoo.