Chapter 67: Who Am I?

Stacy was on the bed, flipping through a book Nelly left. She wasn’t really interested in it but being in bed, there was not much she could do. In the hope of regaining her memories, she was willing to go through things while hoping that a feeling of familiarity would surface.

The book felt foreign in her hands. The more she flipped, the heavier her eyes got. She almost dozed off when a knock sounded at the door.

Straightening her body, she eyed the door like it’s the answer to everything. “Are you asleep?” A muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door. “I’m not,” she answered and Chad took that as a green light to enter.

Stacy felt oddly comforted when she saw the familiar face. If it was a new person, she’d need to try remembering who they were all over again. Each time she failed to recall, a heavy feeling of defeat settled over her. ‘It’s so unfair. All of them know me, but I can’t remember any of them.’

Chad held a tray in his hand. Stacy eyed the contents on it. There was a bowl of steaming soup, a plate of spaghetti, a plate of vegetables, a plate of various kinds of meat, and an apple. He placed it on the small table beside her bed. “Dinner,” he said when he saw her looking at it.

“Thanks!” She sat up excitedly. The sight of food reminded her that she was actually hungry. Her eyes darted around the tray. “There’s only a pair of cutlery,” she noted. “Do you need anything?” Chad was already turning to the door. “I mean.. where’s yours? Aren’t you eating?”

“I’ve eaten. It’s all yours,” Chad gestured at the tray. “All mine? That’s enough food to feed the whole family,” her eyes widened dramatically. “I believe that it’s too little for a family. You are recovering. Eat up and don’t worry about finishing them,” Chad urged her on.

While she was eating, Chad noticed the book on the bed. “What are you reading?” He asked out of curiosity. Stacy shrugged. “I have no idea. Nelly left the book with me before she left. I think it’s a book about psychology.”

Chad shook his head at her response. “That’s so Nelly. She’s a book billionaire, never short on books.” He wanted to ask her why she’d choose a psychology book, but figured out that it was probably Nelly’s idea, thinking that Stacy should read more psychological theories in order to prevent her from going back into the depressed stage if she regained her memories.

“I’m simply trying everything out. Might find some level of familiarity,” Stacy said in between bites. “How’s reading growing on you?” Chad asked, although the answer was clear to him. “I don’t think of myself as a reader. I never read, do I?”

Chad chuckled in response. “Never seen you with a book before. It must look like a foreign object.” Stacy’s lips curved up. “And the contents are like texts from heaven. I believe the words were reading me for the past hour while my eyes simply drifted through them.”

That said, she lifted her eyes to him. “Talking about reading, I have a weird question for you.” Chad raised one brow. “Let’s hear how weird it is.”

“How would you describe me? Like.. What kind of person am I? What do I always do? What are the things I like?” The words tumbled out of her mouth like the bullets of a rifle. “I was trying to find out about my life before I lost my memories but there seems to be less evidence to refer to. This isn’t my bedroom, is it?”

“It’s your bedroom,” he paused to think before continuing, “you are a meticulous person. Always attentive to details, noticing everything around you, even the small details. I think that you are full of surprises.”

Stacy nodded as she listened. “Sounds like me, alright. I’ll agree that I’m full of surprises. Who else would suddenly hit her head and dive into a week’s worth of sleep? And to wake up with blackout symptoms, minus the hangover.”

Chad burst out in laughter. “I see that your preference for alcohol is still intact through the sleeping beauty episode.”

Her eyes lit up at the information. “Should we drink?” She didn’t bother to hide the excitement in her tone. Her whole demeanor reminded Chad of an excited child. He chucked at the thought. Maybe it’s her true self, without the protection of the walls she built around her in her survival years of growing up. One way or another, he liked the change. There’s a sense of freshness and lightness in it.

“No. You are still recovering,” he watched as her excitement turned into a pout. Yes, definitely a child deep under the unapproachable cover. “We can drink once you are fully recovered,” he added. “Alright! That’s a deal, then,” she accepted the suggestion graciously as she happily chewed on her food.

“When can I get out of bed? I think I’m physically capable of moving around. There’s nothing in this room. It feels suffocating here,” she took the chance to complain. “And if this is really my room, where are my belongings? It’s hard to think that someone who doesn’t have anything with them at all is normal.”

Chad almost started thinking of an appropriate answer. Almost. But he got another idea. He leaned forward with a crooked smile. “They are in our room.” The implication was loud and clear. A deep shade of pink colored Stacy’s face. “Oh. So we really have that type of relationship.”

The smile on Chad’s face widened. “What type of relationship?” He raised an eyebrow teasingly. Stacy’s flush deepened.

“We just got together, didn’t we?” She hypothesised. “What makes you think so?”

“Cause..” she fidgeted a little before continuing, “my heart still leaps in the way a young teenager feels when talking about their crush when I’m with you.”