Chapter 64: Acknowledgement

A finger twitched. Chad’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked at the hand he was holding. Did she just move or was he hallucinating?

He kept his eyes peeled for any other movements or signs that she might wake up soon. None. She was as still as she was when he first walked into the room.

A twinge of disappointment settled in his heart but he dismissed it quickly. “I know you’re trying hard. And I know it’s selfish of me to hope that I can see you up and about again,” he chuckled self-deprecatingly, “but I really do miss you. I didn’t realize that I'd gotten used to having you around until you were gone.”

It was the first time he admitted it out loud. He felt a weight lifted from his chest. Finally acknowledging the fact was hard. He wondered if he would be able to say it to her if she was awake. Her eyes remained closed and the lines on her face softened in a relaxed demeanor.

Chad took a deep breath as he stood, releasing her hand and placing it back to her side. As he was about to let go of her, he felt the hand tightened around his. His heart skipped a beat. She’s awake! He wasn’t imagining it. She’s really awake.

“Sammy.. Sammy? Can you hear me?” He called out, returning the squeeze of her hand. “Can you open your eyes?”

Slowly, her eyes opened. Chad couldn’t suppress the smile that lightened up his face. “Welcome back!”

She tried to make sense of what was happening around her. Her eyes darted around the room until they finally settled on his face.

Without warning, Chad pulled her into an embrace. “Thank you for waking up,” he whispered as he held her. She stayed in that position, not moving at all.

After a moment, he released her. “How are you feeling?” She didn’t answer. Instead, she continued staring at him. “Are you alright? Should I call Nelly?”

Her eyes darted to the door momentarily before settling back on him.

“Who are you?”

The question caught him by surprise. “Do you not remember me? It’s Chad. Your.. partner.” He felt like slapping himself at the last word. Partner? What was that supposed to mean? Not partner, partner. But he wasn’t wrong. They were indeed in collaboration before she left. In that term, they were partners.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Like.. we are in a relationship?” His eyes widened as his mind worked overtime to figure out the right thing to say. She seemed genuinely surprised and lost.

While he was contemplating on his answer, she continued looking around. “Where am I? What happened?”

Chad held both her shoulders, gently directing her attention back to him. “Look at me.” And she did. “Do you really don’t remember who I am?” She shook her head. “Do you remember who you are?”

“I’m..” Her brows furrowed in concentration. "What's your name?”

“I’m Stacy.” He noted that she used her former name, the one that she didn’t mention to them on her short stay in the clubhouse. “Where are you from?”

The crease between her brows deepened. “Where am I from?” She closed her eyes and repeated the question as though she was looking for the answer in the search engine of her mind. She seemed to be really struggling. Her hands reached up to massage her temples before clutching her head. “Where?” She hit her head twice before Chad grabbed her wrists to stop her action.

“Don’t worry about it. Take it easy. You don’t have to come up with the answer right away. You just woke up after all.” She opened her eyes and those pupils stared right at him, confused and lost. “My head hurts. Why can’t I remember?” Her voice was laced with worry and helplessness. It called out to him, wrapped around his heart like a piece of satin, soft yet suffocating.

“Maybe because you’ve slept for a long time. The memories will be back. Take it easy,” he soothed. She stayed that way but he could see her features softened gradually. He let go of her slowly as she relaxed. “Are you hungry?”

“Maybe.. a little.” He went to open the door and signalled for one of the men to come over. “Go get something for her to eat. While you’re at it, call Nelly over.” He lowered his voice as he knew Stacy was watching from the bed.

Closing the door, he moved back to the bed. “Lunch will be here soon. How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?”

She shook her head. “What kind of relationship do we have?” Her curious eyes focused back on him. Chad cleared his throat. How could she not let go of the topic..

“What do you feel when you see me?” He threw the question back at her.

Her eyes scanned him, making him feel uneasy under her intense stare. Suddenly, she leaned forward, placing her face inches from his. He froze entirely. His heartbeat sped up as his throat went dry. Her eyes laser focused, zooming in on his. His eyes searched hers, locking them both in an intense stare.

Lost in the moment, Chad leaned forward slowly. Stacy gravitated towards him as well. Their lips were almost touching when Stacy pulled back. “Um.. you’re an attractive stranger,” she blurted out.

Chad was taken aback but recovered immediately. He cleared his throat and straightened. Stacy looked flustered, her cheeks a light shade of pink. Looking at her, Chad smirked. “Since when have you become so shy?”

“What? I.. I’m not!” She stuttered, looking at everything except him. A knock at the door saved her from immense embarrassment. Chad gave her a knowing look before leaving to open the door. Stacy took the moment to plunge herself headfirst into her pillow. ‘That’s so embarrassing! Bury me right now.’

“Why are you here?” Chad’s hushed voice sounded from the door, causing her curiosity to pique. She sat up on her bed while trying to see who was at the door.