The man cocked his head to the side and eyed curiously at me, letting his gaze wander from the head to my feet.
"Who's Fredricks?" He asked while he descended the stairs, reaching the ground floor as he made his way to me. "The name's Felton."
By now, he was standing so close to me that I had to crane my neck to look at him, his gaze not leaving mine. In fact, there was something peculiar in those eyes of his as they seem to hold a deep emotion.
"Ava Winters. Pardon me if this is too forward." He spoke softly, as his long and slender fingers stroked my cheek. "But have we met before?"
His question took me aback, prompting his brows to furrow as he studied me inquisitively; as if I was a rare specimen.
What am I to say to him?
Oh yes!
We were in fact best buddies in the Victorian Era before you decided to trample on my trust.
I sighed mentally. That is not going to work. For now, the past is the past; and the future is the present. It is best that things are left the way they should be.
"I don't think so," sounding confident in my response.
"Then why do I feel sad when I see you?" He breathed, as sorrow laced his demeanor; his gaze significantly softened. "Why is my heart aching so much?"
I missed Fredricks. Back then when I had looked up on his name, there were close to no details on him nor the Ainsworth family, except that he remained unmarried until his death. Funnily enough, there was no hatred for me towards him; only disappointment. But that disappeared as soon as a year had passed.
I wondered if he missed me just as much as I missed him. My friend and my comforter during the tough times that I had to endure, I wondered what happened to him when I was gone. I wondered if he blamed himself for the things that happened.
"I forgive you..." I whispered. For many nights, I longed to tell him that everything is okay now. And that I too, forgive him.
Drawing him into a hug, I felt that I have met the closure I needed with Fredricks. And soon, he too, had his arms surrounding my back as I heard a few sniffles come from him.
"Why do I feel like I have done something terrible to you?" His whimpers led tears to instantly fall free from my eyes; and his, to wet the fabric on my back as he clutched me tighter. Stretching upwards, I softly pat his head and hushed his wails.
"It's okay now...it's okay..." I repeatedly uttered those words.
You must have been hurting so badly while I was gone.
I'm sorry, Fredricks...
I'm sorry for putting you through this pain despite you being there for me for more times than I can count.
I'm so sorry...
"Uh...Is this the new trend of how youngsters greet each other these days?"
Fredricks, or should I say Felton and I pulled apart and wiped the emotions from our expressions. Hugo, who was now carrying 3 different-sized boxes, peered over to the two of us while executing the most dumbfounded expression.
"Do you guys know each other?" He questioned, settling the boxes on the table.
"No." I quickly replied.
"But it feels as if we've known each other for a long time." Felton added, breaking into a huge smile, which only caused more question marks to appear before Hugo.
"Okay..." Hugo dragged, feeling a little awkward at the bizarre conversation. "Anyway, this is my nephew, Felton Abner. Don't be fooled by his appearance. He may look twenty-four but he's actually a four."
"Hugo!" Felton huffed and rolled his eyes at his comment. I, on the other hand, giggled in delight upon seeing their morning banter.
"And it's uncle to you, little brat!" Hugo retorted as he proceeded to ruffle Felton's bed hair. "Anyway, here's the items."
Receiving the boxes, I proceeded to open each of them, seeing the polished gem shine and sparkle brightly. Every detail from the sketch was carefully crafted and wielded into a masterpiece.
"You've outdone yourself, Hugo."
"I have always had a knack for that."
"I have an idea!" Felton blurted, prompting Hugo and I to tear our attention away from each other and towards him. "Ava should join us for today!"
I could not help but giggle at his kid-like enthusiasm. This was truly how Fredricks has always been.
"No can do, young man. Unlike you, she's got work. So, you'll have me for the entire day." I giggled even harder when Felton pouted his lips with a frown over his eyes.
"Fine," Felton relented, with an unsatisfying sigh. "Just give me a sec-" In a matter of seconds, Felton came sprinting up and down the stairs with the loud thudding of his footsteps, holding a piece of paper in my hands before stuffing it into my bag. "I'll be waiting for your call."
I gave a small smile before stepping out the door. "Goodbye!" Just before the doors shut, I could hear Hugo tease Felton, one that made me miss how it was between Fredricks and I.
"Sorry to break it to you bud, but she's attached."
"What?! Why does this always happen to me?"
His grumbles made me chortle softly as soon as the voices died down from the shut of the door. There were hardly any cars in this wealthy district, only the sound of the windy breeze howling against my ears. It was peaceful to amble along the stone pavements and soak in the rare atmosphere like this.
Huh?
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck my head, my hair dampening quicker than the speed of it being caught in the rain. I found my knees hitting the ground, collapsing face-flat on the cobbled stones; feeling all consciousness start to slip away from me.
As I felt my eyes blink slower, I attempted to fight through the drowsiness which was soon to overtake me. All I could remember were these words before I drifted off into the darkness.
"It's done."
***
Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...
The faint sounds of wailing and sobs sharpened. The sensation of a hand envelope over mine prompted me to gather every ounce of strength to move; but all I could do was allow a small fidget of my finger.
"Ava?" I heard a gasp escape from a voice that resembled a woman.
Mom?
Not backing down, I put every energy I had left to channel it to my eyelids; only this time, I succeeded. Letting the light surround my pupils, I blinked a few times before I could finally adjust to the brightness.
"Oh, honey!" I felt myself being pushed deeper into the mattress as I received a crushing hug.
"Mom?" I finally said, the blurred vision starting to clear considerably. I clutched my head before wincing in pain, only to feel a rough texture surrounding the circumference of my head. I struggled to sit up, feeling an arm support my back as I shifted uncomfortably.
"Dad?" my voice croaked.
"I'm here, sweetpea."
"What happened?" My senses were blurred and dulled. Everything in me right now was in pain, with my head feeling like it had been smashed to pieces.
"You were attacked, and you were out cold for two days. If it were not for the blood packets, you would have been dead." My dad informed, while I heard my mom sobbing hard. I breathed out, shaking my head from the throbbing pain as this was a lot to take in.
"Then, who attacked me?"
"We don't know." The other person in the room said, "but I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
I looked over to the man, neatly clad in a suit with deep dark circles under his eyes, appearing incredibly exhausted and distraught.
"Uhmm, who are you?" I asked, "are you the officer in charge of my case?"
The room was overtaken by a pregnant silence as the man stared back in shock; on the verge of a breakdown.
"Honey, don't you know him?" Mom added with a little frown on her face as she looked at dad and I, then back to the man. I shook my head in response.
"He's Nathan, remember? He's your boyfriend." I rubbed my knuckles against my forehead, fighting through the pain to search for the lost memories. But the more I fought for the past, the more the pain intensified.
I was afraid that you would abandon me when you knew my background and the dangers it came with it.
But I promise that I'll definitely do better. So, I beg of you, please don't leave me.
What is all this?
"Ahhh!!! AHHH!!!!" I screamed, seeing the murky and clouded images emerge while I felt an excruciating sting tear through me, a pain that threatened to crush my skull.
"Mom! It hurts! Please, make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"
I pounded my fists against the sides of my head before the piercing shrieks sent nurses pouring into the room as they pushed my parents and the man out the way; the shouts from the three of them were drowned out by the nurses.
"She needs Pethidine." The nurse called out to another, sending the other on a sprint before returning back with a vial.
"Okay, Ava. I'm going going to inject you and it'll make you feel better, alright?" The nurse proceeded to draw the solution in a syringe. "Just take a deep breath in and out."
I did as she told me, inhaling, and exhaling in shaky breaths.
"That's a good girl..."
The needle pushed through my skin, setting me off into a drowsy state.
Slowly, I began spiraling lower and deeper to the point where tranquillity was finally at its best.
Nathan's POV
The day back from the hospital left me dead on the inside, like an empty carcass, spent from any strength I had left.
The moment I witnessed her unconscious self, the fear of losing her overwhelmed me. Her screams shattered me; it broke me to see her in pain. But more so than ever, the daggers that pierced and twisted through my being felt worse when it daunted that she had forgotten who I was; her memories wiped a clean slate.
I dropped to the floor with my back pressed against the door, hunched over while I fisted my hair in anger. I was angry not at the situation. but myself. I was angry that I could not protect her, to prevent the preventable. I am, indeed, a useless prick.
I gave a pathetic laugh before I was cut away from my thoughts as the phone rang through the silence.
"Victor." I spat, knowing who the main culprit behind this deplorable event was. Yet, there was no evidence at the scene, it was as if she fell on the curb and hit her head.
"I warned you."
"You twisted bast-"
"Do as I say, and nothing will happen to the girl." The cold and cruel voice resonated through me. "Do it, if you value her life."
The line went dead.
For the first time in my life, I feared that I would lose her, to lose the chance of calling her mine. I loathed the helplessness and vulnerability that surged through me. But what terrified me most was her death. Never again will I see her die because of my undoing.
I'm sorry, Ava.
Please forgive me.
The words repeated and grew louder in my head, knowing that at the end of it all, I would have to make a choice; a choice that I knew would kill me and drown me in profound despair.
Dialing the numbers, I pushed the phone to my ear, hearing the line get through to the other side.
"Harrison, it's me. We have to talk."