Chapter 10

I ran straight to my room. Humph, how could the guy call me a rat? Do I even look like a rat? He even called me Jace’s Tail. He sure is a narcissist. I don’t remember how I used to behave, but somehow I’m not feeling well. I feel empty. "Ayla, you inside?" Jace asked while staying outside my room. I didn’t answer but went to my study table. I could hear the door opening, and he slowly approached me. "Whoa, I never knew you were so obedient." That voice startled me. "You..." "Or what? Are you expecting Jace? Sorry to ruin your excitement", he ruffled my hair, making me more annoyed, but if I look at him closely, he sure looks handsome. I came to my senses and shook my head. What are you thinking, Ayla? Are you a sucker for a handsome face? Don’t go after his face; he sure is a narcissist. I kept trying to ignore his existence, but when I opened my eyes, I saw his face up close, making my heart beat faster than usual. "Did we ever talk this close?" I asked suddenly. I do not know how I ended up asking the question, as it was never inside of my head, but I felt as if he saw a few glimpses of both of us so near, but there was a sheer curtain between us. "Why? You remember something?" he asked. "No, but I felt like hadve gone through this. Sorry, I know I sound as if I’m out of my mind." I laughed with an awkward face. This sure is hell awkward. "So, shall we study now?" he asked while I nodded. "Let’s start with math", he said, picking the math book from the top of my bookshelf. "Did you have to choose this?" I made a bitter face. "So you don’t like math?" he chuckled. "No, I love math. Don’t underestimate Ayla White". I act all proud, but from inside, I’m on the verge of dying. I don’t like math at all. I don’t even remember how my teacher used to teach me how to add X and Y to solve and bring the answer. It all looks like a puzzle to me. "Hey, come out of your dream world and focus here", he said and started teaching me simple equations. The first one looked so easy, as if I wasn’t getting the right guidance for math. He told me that if I add the number given for X and put it in the place of X, then I will get the answer instantly. It was hell easy, which made me jump. "So someone felt like winning a lottery", he asked while looking straight into my eyes. What’s with these feelings? It’s a good feeling, but as well as some sad feelings pouring deep inside me, making me feel stuffy. I couldn’t describe the feeling very well, but the more I think, the more I feel my head is about to burst. "Ahhh", I screamed, holding my head while he supported me tenderly. "Ayla, stop stressing yourself out. It will all be solved in an instant. So it’s better if you only focus on the The past doesn’t hold anything." "Calm down." "Take a deep breath." He kept saying while supporting me in his arms, while I did as he said. I took a deep breath in a second’s gap, but I felt something strange again. My palm started clenching my fingers as we pumped a stress ball, as I once used to do, and now my body knows it well. "You can sleep, today’s class is over", he said and patted my back. Check, I closed my eyes. I don’t know what happened afterward, but for some minutes I felt relieved. I felt relaxed. I felt free from everything. Author’s POV James made her sleep in the bed when Jace entered the room. "What happened?" he was about to raise his voice as James brought him outside the room. "Didn’t you see she was sleeping? You almost woke her up", James said. "Oh, I’m sorry,y I didn’t know", he looked down again. "There is nothing to worry about from now on, but I would like to talk with others too", he said and walked downstairs, where Mr. White and Mrs. White were already present. "Dad, Mom, he has something to say", Jace told them and started discussing. "I don’t know if you all know about this or not, but I think she will remember everything in no time", James said, making them worried. "What do you mean?" "When I was teaching her, er she asked me about the moment I met her for the first time as if it was so vivid in her memory,y but she had no idea if iwasis something she imagined or if it happened in reality", he stated. "She even felt an ache in her forehead when she put too much stress, so I made her sleep and came here to discuss with you. Please look up to it. I’m not sure if she will recover everything that will happen." "The way I heard from Jace, it sounds serious, so I’m too worried now." Everyone was silent as if a bomb was about to blast on their head. Knock knock "Who could it be?" Jace wondered. "Maybe I know who it is,’’ Mr White said and went to look. He opened the door when he found someone facing back, holding a white lily bouquet. "Didn’t I tell you not to come here?" he said without even looking at his face. He turned toward him. He was none other than the class president, Aaron. "It’s already been over ten times I told you not to come here, but you ignored me each time and ended up here with flowers on doorsteps." "What the hell do you want me to do?" "You want me to let you inside and let you meet my daughter?" "But- He was about to say something, but Mr. Hite cut him off again. "Look, I don’t want to lose my Ayla again. The time I saw her blood all over my body, I had had enough of that. I still couldn’t shake the scared feelings from my heart, so don’t ever come here. This time I will not accept this flower, so please don’t come here. His throat trembled just at the thought of what happened. "I, too, beg you, please let me see her once. I won’t do anything. I will just see her sleeping face and go home. Just this once, I won’t come here again", hehe requested the moment he heard her voice. "Dad, what are you doing?" Ayla called out to him. "Ay- Aaron again stopped. "Dad, who is it?" He was stunned at the place. He did not know she had recovered from her coma. He did not know how she could walk on her own,wnnlike before lying on the bed. He did not know she had no memory, but the moment she made a face, he never showed; he clenched his fist to hide his expression. "Ayla, go inside. I’m coming", he said, patting her head, but she kept looking at his face. "Now you saw her, right? Now, go home. I kept your promise. So you won’t come here anymore from now on", he said and closed the door in his face. He kept standing there for a long time when the rain started pouring, making him completely drenched. "All I wanted to say is sorry." "All I wanted to ask for forgiveness, even if I won’t get the chance, but now it’s all over." "I couldn’t hold the ache I’m feeling inside as if I’m breaking." "It is giving me pain as if I’m in hell." He kept mumbling when James came from inside. "Oh, it’s you?" he said as if he knew. "What are you doing there?" Aaron asked. "Why do you ask?" he questioned him instead. "Tell me clearly when I’m asking normally", the situation kept becoming intense. "Don’t need to get tense. I’m here for my tutor’s job", he said, scratching his head. "Tutor? For whom?" he asked. "Jace’s little sister", he answered. Aaron stayed silent. "Did you want that place?" he asked. Aaron again stayed silent. "You would have to get this place if you were honest about your age, so now don’t blame me. It’s not like I snatched this opportunity from you", he walked away. "And yeah, if you want to make it up, then get admission at S high school. I’m giving you the opportunity again, so it depends on you if you want to make use of it or not. I hope you will sacrifice your anger this time and make use of it." Those were their last conversation and meeting. Soon, time passed and Ayla completed the entire year’s study in a few months and was admitted to S high school.