- C H A P T E R T H R E E -
"Can I ask you something?" Eric asked as we were walking back to the house.
"Sure," I said.
"Where's your mum?"
Just then my walking pace slowed down and I stopped. My eyes met with Eric and then moved away, afraid that the tears were going to invade any second longer. It’s been almost three years but I had never forgotten about her death. It’s a small town around here; everyone knows the story so they don’t speak about it at all. Mum was mentioned but no one really asked me what happened to her. Thinking back to that day gave me shivers and brought tears to my eyes.
"Rose-Mary," he called, quietly. He placed both his hand on each of my shoulders and then with one hand lifted my chin up. “You okay?”
"Sorry," I apologised, quietly, wiping the single tear that was rolling down my cheek. “Mums…”
"I'm so sorry..."
“Don’t say sorry please,” I asked, “I hate it.”
"Do you think about her much?" He asked me.
"Always," I answered, "She was the kind, caring, and understanding. She’s a mum anyone would die for. I wish she was here."
“Do you…want to talk about it?”
I shook my head.
"Here," he said, handing me a piece of tissue that he pulled out from his pockets. "I thought it might come in handy."
"Thanks," I whispered, clearing up my tears again.
"Come on. Let’s go," he said, smiling. "It's funny how you don't have a job."
"How do you know that?"
"Harry told me."
"How much did he tell you?"
"He told me you used to work in the bakery and he set the place on fire," he said, "I didn't believe him at first but then I thought about it and it was possible for a person like you to do that."
"What?" What was that supposed to mean? "It was only a little accident."
He laughed. "So you did?"
I nodded.
"How?"
"I...was writing down what people wanted and the stove was on so I left it next the stove and the next thing you know...there was a fire and it caught onto things nearby," I explained, "yeah, then I got fired which was totally unfair...”
"Rose-Mary Bloomwood set a bakery on fire," he said like the people on the news channels. "Then expected her boss not to fire her."
"Shut up." I punched him jokingly and he punched me back.
"What about Harry? Has he got a job?"
"Yeah," I answered. "He works in this fish shop and it reeks in there. Right now, he is taking some time off work."
"He would," he laughed.
On the rest of the way to the house, Eric tried to make me laugh by telling me these awful jokes. Secretly, I was laughing at him, not with him but he didn’t need to know that.
Just before we entered the house, I stopped him. He was not coming inside until he threw the disgusting shoes in the bin. I struggled to make him take it off. He kept complaining about how this was his only shoes and he didn’t want to walk around with only socks on his feet.
"It's your fault for putting your foot in it," I told him.
"Horses have to stop pooing," he said sounding like my six year old cousin.
"You are ridiculous," I said, slapping his back once. "You need to have a shower."
"Fine," he sighed. “What about breakfast?”
Damn it! I forgot again. “After you have a shower and besides, it’s almost time for lunch,” I smiled, “dad must be almost home so I’ll leave your clothes in the bedroom.”
He nodded and entered the bathroom. I turned around to go to the kitchen to have my late breakfast or in other words lunch. Then I noticed his towel on the radiator. I pulled it off the radiator and quickly returned to the bathroom to give it to him. Just then, the door opened and Eric came out wearing nothing but his trousers. I looked down at his chest for about two seconds then back at his face, feeling my face go a little pink.
“Um...here.” I quickly chucked it at him and walked away, blushing. I didn't know why I felt to embarrased. I've seen tons of guys that were shirtless. Eric couldn't be anymore different to them.
***
Early next morning, doctor Hartley called for another check up on Eric. He said he needed to check if Eric was getting his memory back and how long it would take for his memory to return. I just said yes and okay throughout the whole phone call. I wasn't really bothered to talk to him. He didn't seem like a proper doctor anyway.
"Eric, docs coming," I told him as I sat down on the table to have my breakfast.
I was trying to act like nothing every happened yesterday. But nothing really did happen. Eric was also acting completely normal but his acting was way better than mine because I start to stutter when he talks to me but I’m getting better at it. I wasn’t sure whether it was more embarrassing for me than him. I mean looking at him, he still acted the same.
"Oh...okay," he hesitated and then smiled.
"Is everything…alright?" I asked him.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"
"No reason," I shrugged and carried on munching on my cereal.
It took me less than five minutes to finish my breakfast. I was a quick eater. Eric finished minutes after me and we both drank one glass of water, having a contest to see who drank all the water first and of course, I won. Just as we finished drinking the water, there was a soft knock on the door. I went to see who it was. It was Dr. Hartley, just as I guessed. I smiled at him kindly and he did the same to me.
"Good morning," I said to him.
"Good morning," he said, nodding once.
"Well, come inside," I said and made way for him to go through the door.
I showed him to the living room, where Eric was sitting. Eric stood up and shook hands with the doctor and they both greeted each other. Dr. Hartley turned to me again and opened his mouth to say something.
"Is it alright it you evacuate the room?" He asked me.
"Sure," I shrugged my shoulders and left the room.
I wonder why he never lets me have a look at the check up. It's not like Eric's going to be naked or anything. What goes on in there when I leave? Dr. Hartley had me suspicious and really curious. I’ll have to ask him to let me stay in the room the next time he comes over for the ‘check-up’.
Maybe I could just eavesdrop this one time just to have a little idea of what he does. I looked around to see if anyone was watching me and then placed my ear on the door. All I could here was muffling voices and a lot of ‘okay’. I tried to listen to more but it suddenly went quiet.
The door swung open and I fell forward onto the floor, my face facing the carpeted floor. I glanced up to see two legs dressed with grey trousers and some smart shoes. It was defiantly not Eric.
“What are you doing?” Dr. Hartley asked me, looking down at me.
I let out a nervous giggle. “Nothing.”
“This is a private check-up Miss Bloomwood,” he explained, “it is really rude to try and eavesdrop.”
“I’m…I’m really sorry,” I said, getting up. “I’m just going to go now.”
Giving Eric, who stood there trying not to start laughing, a quick glance, I stepped out of the room and my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I scratched my head and walked away from the room. I am never doing that again.
***
Eric's check up had finished so dad had made him help him in the farm. Whilst he was doing that, I slouched back on the couch with my right leg up on the table and glued my eyes to the TV. I don’t usually watch Judge Judy but today I was in the mood for it. I munched on my red apple as the man in the TV began to argue with his girlfriend, who looks about twenty years older than him.
“Oh come on,” I complained as the advert came on.
Just I took another bite from my apple; Harry appeared in front of me like some magician. I rolled my eyes and tried to watch TV as the advert was now finished but Harry was blocking it.
"Move," I cried, "the advert is over now and I’m missing the good bit."
"We need to talk," he said seriously.
The TV switched off and he sat next me. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Have you forgotten that Jay is coming today," he told me, "and I’m pretty sure he's still crushing on you which is disgu-"
"He's coming here?" I interrupted. "Damn, I forgot! I was so busy with Eric that I had forgotten he was coming back from his holiday."
"You would," he said.
"For how long?"
"As long as he wants."
"You mean he's going to be staying over again?"
I gulped. Jay Turner was Harry's high school best friend. The last time I saw him was a month ago at a festival and that was when he asked me out. It broke his heart when I replied with a harsh no. I wasn't meant to be mean, the words just popped out of my mouth. I felt bad ever since. But what's the point of going out with him if I won’t love him? Love. It makes me laugh by just thinking about it.
"No he's not."
"Thank God," I sighed with relief.
"Try not to break his heart."
"That was an accident last time." I smiled cheekily, "when's he coming?"
The doorbell rang and Harry shrugged his shoulder. "Now I guess."
"Why didn't you tell me before so I could go out of this house before he came?"
"That's why," he said. "I saw him pull up by the driveway so I decided to remind you now."
With that he jumped off the couch and left me alone in living room. Idiot. If he thought I was going to meet Jay. Well he was wrong. I am going to climb out window and get in the car, hit the gas and get out of here. I opened the window wide enough for me to fit through and began to climb out but I stopped at the sound of someone’s voice from behind me.
"Don't bother," said a voice, which was probably Harrys'.
"Huh?" I suddenly lost my balance and fell out of the window. Luckily it wasn't that high otherwise I would have broken something.
I heard footsteps run towards the window and a three heads stared at me, laughing. I scowled at them and brushed the dirt of me.
"Are you okay?" Eric asked from the window with a smirk on his face.
"I'm fine," I muttered.
"Let me help you," said the new voice from behind me. It was Jay.
He looked different than last time. His brown hair was shorter and the colour seemed lighter. His height seemed to have increased and his fashion had changed a lot. He was wearing jeans, a white shirt and a blazer on top. Before, he always used to wear jogging bottoms and a baggy top. It’s nice to see that he has matured. He looked a lot smarter. His eyes were the dark brown and they sparkled every time the sunlight hit them.
"I don't need any help."
He reached out his hand not caring about what I had said. "Your stubbornness is always there."
"I am not stubborn!" I retorted, getting up on my own.
"It's nice to see you again, Rose," Jay said. That was a little late.
"Yeah, you too," I muttered. "I'm going inside now."
"By the door?"
"No, by digging an underground tunnel," I replied sarcastically.
He laughed. "Let's go."
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A/N: So I added a new character and I really have a lot of plans with this! I'm so excited to write this. I hope you enjoyed this and please support it.
Awesome cover by iawesomer (its im the name ahaha)=====>>
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