Chapter 2

From the elevator, Jeremy steps on the 49th floor, which is solely for him as he's the one occupying the biggest and most expensive unit in Tiffany Blue. It's the most famous students' condominium in the area just across from the prestigious and prominent Fermone National University where he, Chris, Ken and Gail attend. 

 At first, Jeremy used to live alone but because Chris and Ken would always hang out and sleep over in his place, he told them to just move out from their own units and live with him. That was what the two guys had really wanted to happen because ever since Jeremy lost his mom, they couldn’t stop worrying about him.

He sighs as he enters the unit. The spacious living room welcomes him with a picturesque overlooking view, but such a majestic and stunning sight fails to calm him. He's been troubled since yesterday.

From the hallway, he drags his heavy feet and reaches the guest room. Another sigh from him, deeper this time. He knocks on the door, and it opens right away. The girl before him can't smile nor say a word, for she's totally nervous and uncomfortable. She leaves the door with haste, then stands at the foot of the bed.

Jeremy reluctantly follows her inside, and as soon as he faces her, he hands her the black dress.

She stares at it.

“That’s what you were wearing that night,” Jeremy says, looking at her intently. “Serin Blyth. That’s the name embroidered on the back collar of your dress. At first, I thought it was a clothing brand but I confirmed it’s not.”

She looks at Jeremy only to stare at the black dress again, for she can't meet his eyes. They are grave and intimidating.

“You do have a name if the basis is your black dress,” he continues. “But the private investigator who had done a background check on you found out that you don’t have a legal identity here.”

Overly shocked, she freezes on her feet.

“With your situation right now, you don’t have a choice but to stay with us.” Jeremy waits for her to voice out her opinion but she looks tense, shocked, confused, troubled and uncomfortable to do it, so he turns around to give her the space that she needs.

“I’m deeply sorry for making you go through a lot since that night,” she finally breaks her long silence. 

 Jeremy turns to her again. 

She lifts her head, meeting his eyes with a bit of boldness to sincerely express her gratitude towards him. “Thank you so much.. I don’t know how I can repay you for everything but I will really work hard while I’m here. If you allow me to, I can do part-time jobs also to compensate you immediately. Staying here longer will keep inconveniencing you and your friends, so I better leave here soon.”

But leaving soon without getting her memory back and answering his piled-up questions about her haunting identity would agitate him more, Jeremy gets frustrated all of a sudden. His grave and cold expression becomes a piercing stare. “Why did you call me Heron that night?”

Though Serin really can’t remember what happened that night and all the events prior to that, she is sure that the person Heron is related to her. It's the name she was crying out in her sleep last night. But she can’t tell Jeremy about it, worried it would distress him more. By the look on his face now, Heron could also be related to him. Or could be someone who has caused him so much pain.

Jeremy stares at her more piercingly. “For your sake and for my peace of mind, squeeze your memory to remember even just a bit.”

She avoids his eyes that are like balls of fires now. “I'm.. so.. sorry.. I really can’t remember anything.”

“I know I should believe Dr. David but what if you’re only pretending to have completely lost your memory??” He stands close to her.

She stiffens close to him, and because there is no more space behind her as she’s already touching the edge of the bed, she just closes her eyes.

“Look at me.” So out of it, Jeremy firmly holds her shoulders. He knows he shouldn’t be treating Serin this way but her haunting identity keeps agitating him. “I said, look at me.”

Serin can’t. Apart from the obvious fact that she feels extremely tense, she is also in so much pain due to the never healing deep cut on her right shoulder. Something Jeremy has already forgotten due to stress and frustration.

“Look at me and tell me boldly that you were just blurting out a random name that night.. That you were not really calling me Heron..” Without noticing it, he tightens his grip on her shoulders.

With such unbearable pain, Serin suddenly lands seated on the edge of the bed, clutching on it to suppress her torment. But Jeremy can’t see her suffering, blinded by his own anguish.

He bends down and leans over her, hands still pressed on her shoulders. It is too much now, the pain is already killing Serin. She cries in silence. This knocks total sense into Jeremy. As he quickly lets go of his strong grip on her shoulders, Serin opens her tearful eyes, making him see a scenario in them. He can't be wrong. It is so clear it's really a scenario.

He is with a girl he can’t recognize, holding her hands. And while the two of them are walking on a beautiful road filled with autumn leaves, the smiles on their faces are never fading. They are dazzling in pure bliss. But then, that scenario changes. He’s now seeing himself alone on a road with traces of heavy rain. He looks devastated while crying on his knees. And what shocks and terrifies him extremely is the sight of blood scattered all over his hands.

He steps back so panickedly he almost loses his balance, but his torment continues when he sees Serin faint on the bed. Her right shoulder is excessively bleeding.

Two weeks later.

Jeremy comes rushing and heads straight to the hallway leading to the guest room when Chris suddenly blocks him midway to stop him from confronting Serin again. He shows Chris his phone right away. On the screen is the email Jeremy just received. It is the result of the forensic examination on the deep cut on Serin’s right shoulder, stating that it is not a gunshot nor a stab wound but from an arrowhead based on its depth and shape.

Chris swallows hard upon reading the email. “Okay bro. I admit it’s really shocking because who uses such a weapon nowadays? But please give yourself and Serin a break. Stop confronting her again and again. Can’t you just wait for her to regain her memory?”

Jeremy knows it. That the sudden changes in his behavior have been deeply troubling his two best friends. He has become short-tempered when in fact, he’s known for being calm and patient. And worse is, he’s always harsh towards Serin, both in his words and actions.

“Jeremy, we do understand where you’re coming from. Anyone in your situation would feel seriously stressed but I’m sure you know that it is not right that you keep forcing Serin to remember even just a little. She really has amnesia, she’s not faking it, bro.” Chris looks at his best friend with eyes begging him to listen to him this time. 

But as expected, unsettling stress defeats Jeremy, especially that Serin’s identity is becoming insanely haunting. “I better feed her head with these things about her. In that way, she might remember just a bit.” He continues walking.

“She’s not in her room though.”

Jeremy turns to Chris. “Where is she??”

“At Campbell Park.”

Wordless, Jeremy leaves the house and races all the way to the park just across the building. As he reaches the rows of benches under the tunnel of big trees, he spots Serin right away. But he steps back all of a sudden. He has just changed his mind, for he can’t dare steal her temporary solitude. However, Serin already sees him from a distance, making her leave the bench in a rush. Uneasy again and without looking at Jeremy, she hurries back to Tiffany Blue.

“Miss, I’m telling you you’re getting lost.” It’s Gail, suddenly blocking Serin in the middle of the hallway while staring at her insultingly. “Don’t you know that this entire floor is for Jeremy Sean only?”

 “I know.” She sidesteps. 

 But Gail stands in her way again. “Then why the hell are you still here? Should I call the guards or I will just drag you–”

 “What took you so long?” Jeremy shows up from the elevator and walks to the two girls in the middle of the hallway. 

 Gail is sure that the question is never for her because she’s here to visit Jeremy without informing him. Meanwhile, Serin is so sure that it is for Gail until Jeremy stands right next to her and looks at her affectionately. 

 “I’d been waiting for you,” he tells her. 

 Serin gulps in surprise, speechless. 

 “I didn’t know you’re friends with..” Someone who is not on their level, Gail almost blurts out an insult to Serin. “Well..” She smiles at Jeremy, flirting in a way. “I thought she was getting lost, that’s why I had to--”

“She's not getting lost,” Jeremy cuts her off coldly. “And it's not her but you are the one who shouldn't be here.”

Gail freezes, not only by the coldness she is taking from her childhood friend but also by what she has just heard from him. “But why?? We are–”

Jeremy cuts her off again with a colder stare. “You must stop coming here from now on. I hate to discomfort my girlfriend.” He turns to Serin and holds her hand lovingly.