Remember Me

XXXII

Takashi figured just to ease their minds he would show his face this time, just to show them he was a normal man in hopes of them leaving him alone. He walked over to the door and pulled the latch off, opening the door. He saw Toryn and instead of his eyebrows raising, they pushed together. He was surprised, but his face only showed limited expressions these days.

He looked behind her and saw a big, burly Asian security guard. Probably skeptical that she knew the person up here. Takashi just stepped to the side and opened the door wider for her to step in. He closed the door behind him and turned to face her. She was soaked from head to toe, showing that nature had won against her battle to stay dry. Toryn was livid, the weather was so bad outside the water had started building up in certain areas. Some asshole taxi driver had sped past and drenched her in nasty flood water.

She said nothing to him as she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind herself. Takashi soon heard the shower come on and he sat on the bed, putting his hands over his face. He had no clue how she found him, but he wasn't ready to deal with anyone yet. He just wanted to be left alone. What was so hard about that? He would only have needed a month or two the most. It sounded long but it really wasn't.

Toryn scrubbed her hair inside the shower, cursing loudly as she only had a tiny sample bottle of soap and shampoo. She used up both bottles, determined to scrub her body clean. She knew room service had hundreds of these things for their guests so Takashi could get plenty. She wasn't worried about using all of it. She wouldn't take the chance of getting any ring worms or infections from the puddle water outside. After hand washing her undergarments she hung them up, hoping to ask the hotel to wash her clothes.

Toryn stepped out and wrapped a white towel from the built in rack on the wall around herself. She was shivering and cold. She walked into the bedroom and spotted Takashi's duffle bag sitting on the floor near the closet. He noticed her going through his things but he said nothing. There was nothing anyone could do or say that would warrant a reaction from him.

He saw Toryn grab one of his plain white t-shirts and a pair of boxers before she disappeared behind him. Probably to get dressed. He was right when in less than a minute she appeared in front of him, with folded arms. He stared at her bubble gum painted toe nails first before his eyes slowly came upward. One of her long legs crossed over the other. His plaid boxers covered her and his plain white tee came down a little past her thighs. It had almost three weeks since they were face to face.

He was looking good still, but clearly stressed. His eyes were no longer the same and neither was his smile. He didn't look like a broken man, but Toryn knew him. If she didn't have her memory he may have been able to fool her, but she was her old self again. She knew him better than he knew himself. He was hurting. Toryn stood in front of him, her brown eyes stinging with salt water.

Takashi's eyes met her's and a dark silence fell over the room. "Why are you here?" He whispered. It was the first words he'd spoken to her in two weeks.

He knew maybe she was here because she was probably wondering about her living arrangements. Now that Laura was dead the house had to go on sale. He didn't think his mom had finished paying the house down so it wasn't written in a will for him. Because of that, Takashi would have to find somewhere for her to stay. The house she was in for now would probably be where he would keep her.

Toryn stared at him, ignoring his question as she tapped her foot repeatedly, arms folded and seeming upset. Takashi was confused. He wondered if he had done something to her. Then he realized. Maybe there was no food in the house. How had she been eating for the past few weeks? Was the heat in the house not working? Did she have any money on her?

Toryn watched her best friend, his brown skin not really seeming to glow anymore. The moon wasn't out so that could have had something to do with it, but she seriously doubted it. She hated to see him like this.