CH 5

BRYAN’S POV

I woke up the next morning with a banging head, I walked into my bathroom, took my bath and brought out the pain relief from my drawer. I remembered I was drunk, but I didn’t remember what happened or how I got home, which is still bothering me.

I got to my office as usual with greetings left and right, which I only nodded to. Few minutes after I settled into my office, Laura walked into my office with a cup of coffee in her hand.

“Good morning sir, this is your coffee, just the way you like it,” she said with a smile on her face, as she dropped the coffee on my desk.

“Thanks,” I muttered under my breath. I picked up the cup of coffee and I inhaled the sweet smell of the coffee, which helped in calming down my nerves.

I looked up to see Laura still standing before me, I couldn't help but feel a little bit curious and concerned about what might be on her mind because she looked lost staring at me.

“Laura, is everything ok?” I asked, with concern laced in my voice as I looked into her eyes searching for an answer.

She gave me a small smile, and said, “I should be the one asking you that, Mr Bryan.” I gave her a confused look, not understanding what she meant.

“Don’t you remember what happened last night? Or are you just acting clueless?” she asked, as she furrowed her brows.

“Clueless about what? What happened last night? I remembered drinking at a bar, the next morning I found myself on my bed. I tried to remember what happened, but all I meet is a dead end” I answered, hoping she had an idea on what happened.

“So you don’t remember calling me Mia? You don’t remember all of what you said?” she asked, and I furrowed my brows and said, “Don’t mention Mia. Mia is a forbidden name for you,”

Laura's eyes widened at my sudden outburst.. She took a step back, she looked so confused.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to upset you," she muttered softly, her voice trembling slightly.

I rubbed my temples, trying to gather together what actually happened last night. The name "Mia" stirred something deep within me, a painful memory that I try to suppress every day. It is a wound that hadn't healed, a part of my past that I had buried deep inside of me .

"Just... forget it," I muttered, waving my hand dismissing her. "Forget everything I said last night." I muttered under my breath.

Laura nodded, but I could see the curiosity and concern in her eyes. She is genuinely concerned, and it made me feel even worse. I didn't want to drag her into my mess, but it seemed like I already had.

"Is there anything else you need, sir?" she asked, trying to maintain her professional behaviour.

"No, that's all for now," I replied, not meeting her curious gaze.

She turned to leave, and as the door closed behind her, I let out a heavy sigh. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I said something forbidden last night, something I am missing. I needed to get to the bottom of it, but my mind is filled with blurry memories. As I tried to force myself to remember, I started to have a severe headache.

The rest of the day was filled with meetings, phone calls, and endless paperwork, none of it could distract me from the persistent feeling that something is terribly wrong. As the clock ticked closer to the end of the day, I made a decision. I needed answers, and there is only one place I could get it from.

After closing from the office, I found myself standing outside the bar where I had drowned my sorrows last night. The neon sign flickered in the dim light, I took a deep breath and pushed the door open and stepped inside the bar.

The bar is dimly lit, the air is heavy with the scent of alcohol and scent of cigarettes. I approached the bartender, a young man with a stubble on his chin.

"Hey, do you remember me from last night?" I asked, my voice barely audible because of the loud music

He squinted his eyes at me for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, yes, I remember you. You were pretty out of it yesterday."

"Do you remember who I was with? Or if I said anything... strange?" I asked, hoping for some clarity.

He scratched his head, thinking. "You were with a woman. Dark hair, green eyes, about 5’9ft tall. She seemed really worried about you."

My heart skipped a beat. Mia. It had to be her. But on another thought, Laura looks like Mia, she has the most beautiful features Mia has.

"Did she say anything? Did I say anything to her?" I asked, my voice growing more desperate.

The bartender shrugged. "You were mumbling a lot. Something about 'not letting go' ‘her coming back for you’ and 'it's all my fault.' She took you home, made sure you were ok."

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Laura isn’t supposed to hear all that, why is my secret always unfolding before Laura? I thought, as I ruffed my hair in frustration.

But as I turned to leave, the bartender called after me.

"Hey, buddy, hold on. After you left, a lady left you a note.  She aid it was important."

He handed me a crumpled piece of paper. With trembling hands, I unfolded it and read the message:

"I miss you, and I've been stalking you for years." The handwriting doesn’t look like that of Mia because, I recognize Mia’s handwriting. Who’s handwriting can it be, I thought.

My heart pounded in my chest as I pocketed the note, different emotions ran through my mind. As I was about to step into my car, I saw someone that looked exactly like Mia in the shadows, my breath caught in my throat and as I walked towards where she stood, I couldn’t find her.

"Mia?" I called, in the midst of the large crowd..

‘I'm hallucinating?’ I thought, as I walked back into my car and drove back home.