Chapter 69: Muscle Memory

Stacy tossed and turned on the bed. The sky outside was dark and moonlight shone through the window. She could feel the night breeze through the small gap of the window. The atmosphere and temperature was perfect and comfortable. However, she felt especially hot and bothered.

The scene of their heated moment lingered in her mind. She covered her face in embarrassment. Did she do this before? She couldn’t remember. If she’s done it before, and now that she doesn’t remember anything, wouldn’t it be going through the process of losing virginity twice? Psychologically, of course.

She was overwhelmed. Everything happened. Yet, nothing happened. She was seething. Who’s that lightbulb behind the door? Such great timing! ‘I hope that you sleep well tonight. I will haunt your dreams.’

Taking a deep breath, she stopped to think. If the interruption didn’t happen, would anything really happen between them? They must have done it already, right?

Right?

She started doubting. ‘Did we fight? That’s why I moved to this room. That’s possible. Or.. we weren’t in that stage of relationship yet. Oh, God!’ She flipped her body so that she was facing downwards. Screaming into her pillow, she hit the mattress a few times to let out her frustration. ‘Why did I do that? Was that our first kiss? I’m such an idiot!’ Her eyes widened. ‘If it’s our first kiss, and I was doing it badly..’ Was it the reason why he was reluctant to continue what they were doing?

She sat up on the bed. ‘I want to dig a hole in the ground and bury myself.’ Looking around, the room was so plain she started to guess that it’s a hospital room. Pushing aside her blanket, she swung her legs to the side. ‘I know Nelly asked to not move around unsupervised, but I need to let out these frustrations.’

Her feet hit the ground. The feeling was great. Grounded.

Slowly, she stood up. “Everything’s alright,” she smiled, “I can walk on my own!” She took a few slow steps around the room. In just a few strides, she was standing at the window. She pushed it open and closed her eyes as she felt the night breeze on her skin. Fresh air! Her whole soul felt refreshed.

The moon looked especially round and bright. Men were hanging out around the building. She watched how they gathered in a circle and drank. Some were posted in specific areas, as if guarding the place.

‘Where’s this place?’ She contemplated the possibilities. It was heavily guarded. Must be an important building. She watched in wonder as the men went on with their mundane daily routine. ‘There are so many of them. Did I know them all?’

As if summoned by her thought, a man looked up from his spot. Their eyes met. Stacy’s eyes widened in shock. She didn’t know why she felt like a child caught roaming out of her room after bedtime. She stared back, not knowing what to do. The man was adamant in continuing their staring contest.

Soon, the others noticed the direction of his focus. More pairs of eyes were casted in her direction. Her mouth opened but she’s really not sure of what to say. There’s no information of the situation she’s in. She’s unsure of the setting, the people and her relationship with them. Finally, she settled with a wave of her hand.

Someone waved back from the crowd. A tall man with perfectly styled hair. He beamed at her as he waved dramatically, probably afraid she couldn’t see him. She smiled as she waved back. Her smile was stiff at first. ‘Who’s he?’ But his enthusiasm made her relax. Her smile was genuine as she watched the big guy acting like a child. His energy was infectious.

The man beside him elbowed his side, seemingly troubled by his exaggerated movement. He looked like a grumpy guy. The combination of the two seemed really interesting. She couldn’t help but chuckle.

Retreating back into the room, she closed the window. ‘These people are interesting.’ She made a mental note to really talk to the waving man when she had the chance. ‘Judging by his reaction, we must be close. Maybe talking to him will help me remember things,’ she thought and hope blossomed in her heart.

As the excitement of seeing the hustle outside her room settled, a thought came to her mind. ‘Where’s Chad? What’s he doing right now?’ She mentally scolded herself, ‘Stop thinking about him all the time! Think of something else. Apples. Vodka. Guns.’

She stopped short. ‘Guns?’ That’s new. And unusual. She looked at her hand, trying to imagine how a gun would look like in her hand.

Without much effort, her hand curved into a grabbing position. Grip. Trigger. Her hand was raised as if she was holding a gun in her hand. It all felt eerily familiar. It’s muscle memory. She closed her eyes. Instead of trying to recall or see any images from the past, she let her intuition guide her.

Slowly, she inched forward. Footsteps. Coming towards the door. She focused on the heightened hearing she developed over the years. ‘Someone’s coming this way.’ Three. Two. One. Her eyes snapped open as she swung the door open and pointed the “gun” at the person behind it.

In front of her stood Chad, eyes wide as he looked at her. His gaze moved from her face to the transparent gun in her hand. He recognized the look. That’s the look of a predatory focus in a fight. He held his breath. Did she..

She dropped her hands and beamed at him. “That’s fun!” He blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her. “Which part of it is fun?”

“Hey, have I used a gun before?” She sounded excited when she asked the question. His brows knitted together. He put a hand on her shoulder as he guided her into the room and closed the door. “Are you remembering anything?”

She shook her head. “My body seems to be familiar with the use of a gun. I think I must have used one before. Have I?”

Chad chuckled. ‘One is an understatement,’ he thought. The image of her firing two guns at once at the dummies in the warehouse came to his mind.

“Why not find out?” His smile softened as he observed her excitement. “Really?” Her eyes lit up. “Tomorrow, after Nelly checked and made sure that you are capable,” he guided her towards the bed. “Now, you need rest.”

She climbed onto the bed and laid down while Chad helped her into the blanket. “Good night,” he said as he straightened.

As he turned around to leave, her hand shot out to hold his, causing him to freeze in his track. Slowly, he turned around. She was watching him with hopeful eyes.

‘Stupid hand. Don’t move on your own!’ She mentally berated herself all over again.

He settled back on the bed, their hands still intertwined.