Chapter 19 19
Caesar's POV:
At the moment I saw Jenna on the floor, my senses snapped back like a switch had been flipped. Adrenaline surged, and before I even realized it, I shoved Mira away, my hands gripping her wrists with a strength I didn’t fully control.
Then I ran to Jenna, crouching down beside her. “Jenna, I'm so sorry. I don’t know what got into me.” My hands hovered over her, trembling slightly as I helped her up.
She shook her head, looking dazed, her eyes wide as she muttered, “I’m fine… I’m fine.” She blinked at me like she was trying to process the storm of anger she’d just witnessed. Then, in that distracted way that always made my heart ache a little, she added, “Let’s skip the next class… okay? Let’s go back home. I don’t feel like attending classes today.” She started moving down the hallway, but then paused abruptly. “Wait… where’s my bag?”
I realized then that when Mira had dragged her earlier, I must have dropped it. So I jogged back, picked it up, and caught up to her, handing it over silently. She gave me a small nod of thanks, her hands brushing mine briefly, and then we walked together to the car.
During the drive, I couldn’t stop glancing at her. She was quiet, staring out the window, lost in thought. My chest ached at the sight because I had no idea where to begin apologizing. I didn’t even fully understand what had come over me. I wanted to explain, to justify, but the words felt useless. I was overwhelmed with anger I didn’t recognize in myself, and I had let it out blindly.
By the time we arrived at the Packhouse, she was still silent, lost in her thoughts. As I parked, I gently tapped her shoulder. “We’re here.”
“Oh… sorry.” She murmured, turning to me with a soft smile. “I was lost in thought.” She stepped out, and I followed quietly, keeping pace with her as we made our way upstairs to her room.
Once inside, she paused, then said. “I’ll use the bathroom first.” I nodded and waited, leaning against the wall, but after what felt like eight minutes, concern gnawed at me. I stepped toward the bathroom, but suddenly a wave of dizziness struck as muffled voices and blurry images flashed in my head.
I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself, but the flashes hit again. The images weren’t sharp; they were smudges of color, and silhouettes of movement, with voices overlapping like echoes in a cavern. But even blurred, I felt the intimacy of moments I couldn’t fully remember.
In one of them, I saw a girl laughing. Her face was just shadows, but the warmth radiating from her was unmistakable. I could hear her voice, soft, coaxing, playful. “I really, really love you, Caesar. I’m so happy that you’re mine…” My chest tightened. I wanted to reach for her, to pull her close, but my hands only found empty air.
Suddenly, we were sitting in a room I couldn’t place but it felt familiar as our hands touched briefly; my fingers brushed hers, and spark rab through me. I felt her warmth, her presence, even though I couldn’t see her features clearly, I repeated words I barely remembered but knew were mine: “I will always protect you.”
There was laughter echoing around me and I could feel the fabric of her dress, hear the faint sound of her breathing, and I could smell the faint scent of her perfume, as I tried to focus on her face, to make the blurry features sharpen, but my mind wouldn’t let me.
“Please don’t leave me…” The sound of her please filled my head.
“I’ll never let you go… I’m yours… I belong to you.” I heard myself respond and the images shifted.
Suddenly, we were in another room, seated on the floor this time. She was laughing again, tossing her head back, hair falling around her shoulders in soft waves. “I will love you always. Forever.”
“Arghh!” I growled, staggering toward the nightstand, my hand knocking the lamp over in a crash and pain flared in my skull as I groaned, gripping my head.
The bathroom door flung open, and Jenna rushed in, panic written across her face as she steadied me gently. “Caesar… are you okay?”
“I… I don’t know.” I groaned. “My head… I hear voices… see… images… I don’t.” My words trailed off as pain ripped through me.
She helped me sit down, her hands warm and steady. “Okay… okay… let’s not alert your parents or anyone else. Nathan said we shouldn’t, so I’ll just call him.” She rummaged through her bag, muttering to herself.
Finally, she found her phone and called Nathan. When she ended the call, she faced me, determination shining in her eyes. “He’s not nearby, so we’ll go to the same hospital he took you to and he'll meet us there.”
“Can you… just… walk normally, for a few seconds until we get to the car?” She asked softly. “So that no one notices.”
I nodded weakly, gripping her hand as she held me against her, guiding me through the hallway. Around the corner, we stumbled upon Luna Elsa.
Her sharp eyes immediately caught mine. “Caesar… are you okay?” She asked, concern clear in her voice.
Jenna quickly spoke up, smiling. “Oh, we had an argument, now he’s trying to act like he’s sick so I can pity him. Don’t mind him.”
Elsa laughed, calling us cute, then waved us off. “Where are you two going?”
“I… forgot something at school.” Jenna said, glancing at me. “I’m going back for it but Caesar insisted on coming.”
Elsa chuckled. “Come back on time for dinner, okay?”
We nodded, stepped out and stepped into the car as Jenna drove while I stayed quiet, still reeling from the lingering headaches and visions. The world seemed distorted, but her presence anchored me. At the hospital, Jenna helped me out and led me inside.
She declined extra help, explaining we were there to see Dr. Andall. Following a nurse's directions, we reached his office, and she knocked before entering. Nathan was already there with the doctor, ready to help me balance in a chair.
Once seated, the doctor asked for an account of what had happened. Jenna spoke first, then I took deep breaths before describing everything from the dizziness, to the muffled voices, the blurry images of a girl professing love, and the pain that split my head.
Dr. Andall nodded thoughtfully. “It seems your memories are returning in flashes.” He said.
I swallowed hard, turning to Jenna. “If those flashes are my old memories, does that mean that the girl that I was professing to was you, right?” I asked, voice trembling. “Then why did you go from straight blonde to curly brown?”