Chapter 6

Lisa

"I understand this is your house, but please learn to knock." I gave a whining nasal voice as I pushed my legs off the bed to stand.

     

"Good afternoon to you too." He teased, then his eyes shifted to what I was holding. "What are you hiding?"

     

"I am not hiding." I held up the notebook. "It is for you, by the way." I opened the first page then chortled.

     

"For me? Okay, let me have it."

     

"Hold on, Jeez! Being yours doesn't mean I am giving it without instructions." I shoved my tongue out to the left, signaling him to sit. "It won't take long."

     

"Right. Now, get into it, curiosity is killing me." He sat a few inches away from me then gazed at me.

      

"Alright, Mr impatient man. But before everything, I want you to know I've made my decision, and I am not going to change my mind." I announced, making him frown.

      

"Melody, if it's about you leaving, I'm sorry, but I won't let that happen. I've found a job for you. Those days you have been here, I noticed the boredom of staying indoors all day night and that--"

      

"Look, Ares, I appreciate your efforts. I am not taking the job...yet...and I am not leaving, so calm down and listen." I gave him a tight smile. He breathed heavily, then nodded. "It's about your father's offer; I am ready to take it." I held the book to my chest then shrugged after I saw his eyes wide open.

      

"Melody, just yesterday, you were worried you might lose your memory. If you are not ready, don't. Please."

 

      

"That is why I wrote this." I moved closer to show him the book. "This is your task, in case I lose my memories, then remind me who I am when I come back."

      

He snatched the book and started flipping through the pages. He gave a quick look then turned to me. "You want to remember only this?"

      

"Yes. The others aren't important much." I bite my tongue.

      

"You still want to remember about Raelyn?" He inquired, and I just nodded. "Wait...what about me?"

      

I first raised my brow, then a peal of laughter escaped my lips. "Well, as you tell me about Raelyn and me, you can include you are her boyfriend, tha--"

     

"Ex-boyfriend." He flatly uttered, turning his face to the book.

     

"Um...okay, it will be your choice to tell me what you want me to know about you. But for Rae, I want to remember all the memories we made. Good things we did together."

     

"Why? She hurt you, Melody. You--"

     

"Because I adored everything we did together. It doesn't matter if she adored them or not." I explained, stopping him from talking.

         

He looked down at the book again. Silently exploring everything I had written to him. Something had changed after I mentioned Rae, which made him look so bothered.

    

"Mike and Joe?" He articulated. "You want me to remind you about the dreams you have been having about Mike and Joe?" He asked with his forehead wrinkled. "Who are they?"

    

"Just dreams that felt real. I felt like I was connected to them." I looked away, feeling stupid. I mean, one can have dreams about anyone. But I didn't know why I was making a big deal about Mike and Joe.

    

"Rae's uncle Davies... The Hum building? But fine, I will. So should I keep it?" He stood abruptly, and I realized he was not okay, and he wanted to leave.

     

"Ares, if it is about Rae, I know she is your Ex, and she hurt me and also hurt you, but...at least when she was nice to me before, she made me feel like somebody. She made me feel like I fitted in, even though I never did. She--" he cut me off.

     

"And I never did?" He asked quietly, but he gritted. "I never made you feel you like you mattered?" He faced down at me.

     

"You did. You have been nice to me as well. That is why I am trusting you with the book. Because I believe you will remind me of everything." I explained then opted to stand.

     

"Yes. But you wrote nothing of me that you needed reminding. Nothing about Ares Malcolm is written here."

     

"That is why you will be the one telling me. You will remind me everything about you." I explained with a smile on my lips.

     

"Oh...and guess what, you will believe what is in this book because it's you who has written it, but you won't believe if I tell you, I used to break your eyeglasses and tell my father to replace them. That you nearly died of laughter when you saw me wearing a gown. That I nearly killed a waiter who had served you a meal with spices you were allergic to...that we planned a surprise for Rae, which backfired. Are you sure you will believe that?"

      

I deeply inhaled as I tried to understand what was the big deal in deciding not to write about him in the book... "It's because I am sure I'll believe you-"

      

"Will you answer when I call you Melody?" He sounded fine, but his eyes could tell the effort he was putting in that made me see he somehow had a valid point.

      

"Here..." I twirled around and picked a pen from the bed "...let us write everything together." I held his hand, but he hesitated. "We can write memories together. What we ever did, don't be mad at me." I calmly said to him.

      

"Just forget it. It's not like we are very sure you will lose your memory." He touched my shoulder. "Be strong, Lisa. It might be painful, but you can do it. Don't worry; I'll remind you all these if anything happens." He retrieved the book from my hands then started walking out.

     

I was figuring out the solution to the awkward moment I had just put us in. I kept trying to understand him, and I was looking for a way to keep him in the room. Maybe he knew someone who had lost their memory, and he understood their behavior.

     

"Ares come on." I stepped in front of him. "Forgive me. Trust me. I hadn't considered that I would not believe you. Don't leave like this. Let me write..."

    

"It's okay, Melody. I just overreacted...you know, it's not a must I remind you of the past, it meant nothing anyway. Let us wait for the future-" he smiled, but it never reached his eyes.

     

"Then, I am not doing it. Forget it." I grabbed the book, ready to tear it up, but he stopped me.

     

"What does your heart want, Melody?" He asked, still holding my hand. "If you had made up your mind, then go for it."

         

"Will you remind me about you then? Everything?" I asked as I looked up at him, then I noticed the only distance between us was the book he was holding. His eyes were shining down at me as if trying to examine something.

    

He pocketed the book then removed my eyeglasses slowly as I blinked. The eye which had got hurt from a glass when I was fighting with Rae had not recovered fully, and it felt sick.

    

"Be sure to remind me that you always removed my eyeglasses when you want to say something important."

    

He chuckled. "No. This time I want to look at your face." He whispered as he runs his fingers on my cheeks, an action that made my body frisson.

    

"So unfair. You know I won't be seeing yours, huh?" I blinked again, trying to see him since it was apparent, I saw a blur, but it was all futile.

         

He closed the distance between us, then leaned down that I felt his warm breath on my face. "Focus... Look inside my eyes." He uttered, and I'm sure I rolled my eyes.

     

"Silly. Anyway, can I sleep since tomor--" I had started walking away when he held my waist pulling me back. In the process, I found my hands on his stomach, my mind preoccupied with what I was touching. It was hard, it felt like it had rocks arranged in order. And immediately, I was wondering whether Ares had a six-pack like those models from magazines.

      

"Stay still and focus" I only saw his lips moving and his voice so mellow that it sent shivers all over my body. What is happening to me?

      

"What are you doing, Mr. Malcolm?" I asked since what I felt was new and different. And I wondered if he was feeling the same.

      

"It feels special when you call me Malcolm." He whispered. "Because how you say it is unique."

     

I was speechless, and to say I wasn't feeling anything, would be a lie. I mean, the way Ares was holding me felt so comfortable. No man had ever tempted to hold me that close. And with that, it caught me staring at his lips.

     

The silence didn't bother me like seeing him that close. I imagined Ares Malcolm with his cuteness, holding me that sweetly and it drove me insane.

     

I had never given it a thought to know how it could feel if I let a man kiss my lips, touch me, or even hug me, but Ares' hands were pulling me into temptation.

  

    

As he said, I focused, and what I saw in his face killed me.

     

His eyes were pulling me in, his lips menacing to spoil every inch of my skin. I felt my body in fire, a fire that started in a rush inside me that I couldn't restrain.

     

I wanted to step away and control myself, but he leaned closer, closer that our noses touched. "Do you see me, Melody?" He asked with the movement of his lips being felt on mine. I wanted to tell him I did, but I just swallowed nothing.

     

"Your eyes always deny you to see this side of me." He whispered and trust me; I couldn't understand what he meant. "And your eyeglasses always lie to you. You were wrong, I only remove them to let you see me well, but you never do."

     

"W-what?" I asked, and for sure, my voice was disappearing.

      

He never bothered to answer since when I tried to talk, my lips moved too. The closeness meant he felt them move, and one way or another, it indicated something to him.

     

He made me feel like I was dreaming when he started kissing me slowly. I was sure I was not kissing back, but I felt the warmth of his lips. Then I just found shutting my eyes. As if I was being controlled, I started moving my lips and kissing him back.

    

Kissing Ares Malcolm.

    

It heated up that I lifted my hand and placed it behind his neck, pulling him closer, but suddenly, he pulled away, stopping the kiss.

   

I knew it was my hands, which were rough. I quickly removed them and stepped away. "I'm s-sorry." I shakily whispered, looking away, but he held my chin, forcing me to look at him.

    

"Do you remember when I told you...that I could touch you like the most beautiful thing if you removed your clothes?" He asked, and I nodded. "Then, I want to feel your skin." 

    

"I...I am not like...um...other beautiful girls. My skin will irritate y-"

    

"Then try me, Melody." He slammed his lips backs on mine, and this time, he was kissing me with hunger. Like he was to lose me. "Damn! I knew you tasted good!"

     

His fingertips traced my skin, evoking new sensations in my body. Then like a fire burning in us, I let him kiss every inch of the body, touch my burns, and destroy every part of me.

 

  

How I let him in, I couldn't tell. All I knew was we went so insane that we found ourselves cloth less and sweaty on the bed. Knowing I let my ex-friend's ex-boyfriend make love with me.

    

Even though my body begged him not to let go, to hold me tight until the sun comes out. Or until forever, but he didn't.

    

"I-I should go." Were his last words before he left the room. Leaving me confused and regretting everything that happened, for to him, it was as though he did not enjoy it, but for me, I had loved it.

   

Then I remembered, even though we did it, he could never be with me, he could never stand in public with me because I was unlikable.

   

No man had eyes for me unless using me.

   

But what we did that night would forever remain to be what I always craved. 

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