The Unseen

Chapter 10

The strange mixture of pain, worry, and tenderness pervaded my heart as I watched my grandmother deftly disinfect and stitch up Andromalius's wounds. Since our first meeting on the bus, he was the sternest man I had ever seen. Yet, I could see right through him, through the cold exterior he used to protect himself from the world, which took advantage of any vulnerability to bring someone down.

However, there was much more to it than I expected to feel toward a stranger. There was also this deep-seated need to protect him, to wipe away the pain that distorted his features as Grandma carefully treated his wounds. Clearly, I had forgotten something that I shouldn't have ever forgotten.

I hated myself for it.

"Alright, I did everything in my power. The rest is up to Andromalius," Grandma said, gathering her things, ready to leave the room.

"Are you just going to leave him like that?" I said sharply, the words feeling much crueler than they should have been.

It was as if I was rebuking myself for something I couldn't remember and not her.

"There is nothing more I can do," Grandma said gently. "Besides, it's not every day I have creatures from Hell invading my kitchen. I am rather exhausted."

I shifted my eyes from the pale-looking Andromalius to her, noticing for the first time how worn out and old she looked. She was always the strongest person in the room, but it made sense that the day's stress would make her much more tired than me.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to be harsh," I said, gently kissing Grandma's cheek. "Thank you for all the help, saving my life, taking care of him..."

"You're most welcome," Grandma said, smiling warmly. "Even if you don't really remember how much he meant...still means to you, I do, and I am not about to let my granddaughter have her heart broken again."

I was surprised by what I heard as I assumed she didn't know much about our relationship. But then again, I used to tell her everything.

"Just check his temperature occasionally. His body should do the rest," Grandma said while getting up.

"What do I do if he has a fever?" I asked as I gently crossed his fixed wing (stabbed by an arrow meant for me) with the healthy one over his chest.

"Come get me, and we will deal with it together, like we always do," Grandma said, patting my hand gently.

"Grandma!" I called out the moment she stepped through the bedroom door.

"Yes?" she asked, patiently postponing her rest for my mental well-being.

"Did he break my heart?" I whispered, knowing that it didn't even matter.

I would stay by his side even if he caused me pain in the past. Not only because he was hurt but because it was painful to see him so lifeless, so quiet. I even wished for him to say something mysterious and annoying. At least, that would mean that he was okay.

"No," Grandma said, her lips pursed in a stern line, an expression I couldn't fully understand. "You broke your own heart. And his..."

It took me a long time to process those words. So, when I finally lifted my head to ask more questions, Grandma was already gone.

I decided to wait. After all, I was mentally and physically exhausted, and new information about the past only seemed to make things so much harder for me.

I really despised the past me.

For what? I wasn't sure. Probably for everything. For forcing me to face things that she cowardly escaped; for wounding the one person I was sure she cared about more than others, and for causing even Grandma heartbreak by hurting herself.

"What exactly are you to me?" I whispered as I brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, overwhelmed by gentle feelings I didn't understand.

A yawn followed my words, making me realize how wiped out I was. My body wasn't used to so much excitement, and my eyes started closing without my conscious control.

Boyfriend.

Lovey-dovey.

My head fell, and soon enough, I was on that blurry line between sleep and waking hour, unable to enter deeper sleep but incapable of staying awake. I was too worried about Andromalius's health to fully let go. Still, I was aware I was sitting uncomfortably on the floor with my head on the bed next to him, inhaling the deep scent of wind and ocean that emanated from him.

"Angela, don't go! Don't leave me! I need you," Andromalius mumbled in his sleep.

Upon hearing the pain and suffering in his voice, I snapped my eyes open, fully awake once again, ready to do whatever was in my power to make him feel better. I didn't know much. I didn't remember anything, but somehow, I knew that whatever suffering he was going through, he didn't deserve it.

After all, I knew how it was to be different and judged by people for it. Sometimes, I let it get to me, but being different is a gift, not a curse. I was ready to do everything to help him see things in that light.

Without thinking about it, I took his hand gently into my own, relieved to see that he seemed less distressed upon sensing my presence, even though he continued to mumble in his sleep.

"Please, stay," he said, desperation lacing his words.

When I first saw him, I knew there was more to him than his stony exterior, so much more, but I never guessed that it hid so much vulnerability and pain. Pain that I had caused him as well. I was pretty sure I was a part of the reason for his suffering.

"I am here. I am not going anywhere," I kept repeating until Andromalius calmed down and drifted into a more peaceful slumber.

For a while, everything was quiet. I started hoping I had managed to chase away Andromalius's nightmares. As someone often plagued by them, I should have known better. They returned with a vengeance, only temporarily scared by the light my presence provided.

Before I could register what was happening, he lurched up from the bed exclaiming in pain as the sudden motion jostled his wound, hugging me as if he was afraid that I would disappear if he didn't hug me as tightly as possible. For a moment, I was frozen, confused by the familiarity of it all and the strangeness of someone holding me so close.

However, before I consciously decided, I hugged him back, tracing soothing circles on his back. While his hands were embracing me, his wings enveloped me into a warm cocoon, causing me to lean into him much more than was appropriate but still cautious enough not to touch his wounds.

"It's okay. I am here. Rest," I whispered in Andromalius's ear gently. "Everything will be okay."

His erratic breathing started evening out, and I managed to lay him down again. Soon, he fell asleep while I gently stroked his cheek, a gesture that felt so comfortable, so familiar. Everything about him felt that way.

As I lowered my gaze, looking at his lips, I saw something I didn't expect. An event ran through my mind, like a quick slideshow of those same gentle lips.

The sweetness of them.

The texture.

The passion.

And even though some of the images were missing from my memory, I remembered enough to know how wonderful it felt to have those lips locked with mine. The absolute certainty of my love for him crushed into my very soul, piercing through my heart and reinforcing the permanent mark there, a mark that didn't care what I remembered or didn't, a feeling that didn't take into account that my brain saw him as a stranger, a feeling that he was the one person that I couldn't live without.

It was the strangest thing ever to have one's heart and mind in such war with each other. Yet, I already knew who I wanted to win. No matter the price I had to pay, I wanted my heart to achieve victory. I needed to remember.

Why did the past me choose to forget him when she loved him so much that she was on the verge of pain?