"Don't go."

Alice stared dumbly at the dark, strong fingers that encircled her pale wrist. Her eyes travelled up in bewilderment until she met his turbulent gaze. His dark eyes glistened with an emotion she could not identify, his jaw corded and strained.

Alice finally came to her senses and wrenched her wrist away. He did not attempt to stop her, his hand falling limply to his side. Alice began haltingly, "I know I'm not the best company but I am trying my best. If Nathaniel put you up to this, don't worry. I'll explain to him that things didn't - "

"I wanted to see you," Uncas cut in brusquely. When Alice didn't answer, he repeated lowly, "I wanted to see you." Alice's heart skipped a beat at his words. She remained silent for a couple of seconds before replying quietly, "Do you really?" Uncas stepped in closer to her, his shoulders blocking out the sunlight, "Let's start over." He rested his hand lightly on her arm tentatively. "Please," he added solemnly.

He meant it. Grave sincerity was etched in his features. The warmth from his fingers seeped through her shirt and heated her skin. So warm. Alice sighed in acquiescence as she flicked him a tiny smile, "All right." His grip tightened reflexively on her arm and he nodded in noticeable relief, "Let's go." He did not let go of her arm even as he nudged her forward gently. More of his warmth started to diffuse through her.

Warm. He was so warm.

"I didn't think the beach would be so pretty," Alice remarked with a wide smile as they strolled along the boardwalk along the shore. The sun was shining brilliantly overhead, and Alice shaded her head with her hand. She could feel her scalp burning up. She still was not used to the heat and humidity in this side of the world. Uncas squinted, and pointed ahead at a small shop selling knick-knacks, "Wait here. I'll grab a couple of bottles of water." He walked away and she turned her attention back to the beach. It would be lovely in the evenings. Kicking off her shoes and rolling up the hem of her jeans, she stepped into warm sand and made a beeline for the water. She sighed in relief as the ice-cold water washed over her ankles, taking away some of the heat.

Alice felt something press down gently on her head. It was a wide-brimmed straw hat. She spun around and nearly fell into Uncas who was standing just inches away from her. He steadied her smoothly with one hand, while passing her an opened bottle of water with the other. "You're gonna burn if you don't cover yourself," he warned lightly as he sipped from his own bottle of water. Alice grinned back gratefully as he reached across to tug the hat more firmly on her head. He smiled back, his eyes steady and calm. Strange. Her throat started to constrict and her heart gave a painful kick.

Why does it hurt… She was transfixed by his smile.

Why does it hurt so much when he smiles...

Nine years ago

Alice spotted an empty deck chair beside the pool and promptly flopped onto it. She was at a house party on a Saturday afternoon and she was rapidly regretting her decision to attend. She could not bear to stay another second in the house because there was just too many people. Her classmate, Shelly, must have invited half the university to her house. Alice figured she needed a breather and had escaped to the poolside. Not that it was much better since the weather was scorching and sweat was starting to collect all over her body.

"It's too hot to be sitting out here," a low, male voice drawled teasingly. Alice jerked her head up sharply as a tanned man dropped on the deck chair next to hers. Alice stifled an appreciative sigh as he angled to face her. He was handsome, very handsome. Under his baseball cap which he wore backwards, sable hair fell ruler-straight to his shoulders. His face was all planes and angles, with a strong, aquiline nose, flared dark brows and the most exotic almond-shaped coffee –coloured eyes. His jaw was square and stubborn, his lips wide and full. He wore a simple white T-shirt and cut-offs, but Alice could tell he was completely ripped under his clothes. She struggled not to drool. He was beautiful.

"I was getting claustrophobic inside," Alice replied stiffly, trying to show how affected she was by the stranger's presence. He answered easily, "Yeah, me too. Not my ideal way of spending a Saturday afternoon." Alice studied him curiously. He was obviously a few years older than her and she haven't seen him in any of her classes.

Why was he here, she wondered. Reading her mind, he supplied, "I don't exactly know the party host but I attend the same college. Her father is one of my professors. I have been here since morning to discuss a project with him." He flicked an enigmatic smile at her, "And you? What brings you here?"

"Shelly is my classmate. We are Lit majors," Alice replied politely. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably as the man perused her with frank interest, his eyes bold yet warm. He looked as if he was going to say something when a voice rang out, "Uncas! There you are!" A grey-haired man stood at the glass doors leading to the house. He must be Shelly's father, Alice surmised.

Uncas. What an unusual name. Alice liked it. The man called Uncas stood up, "Just getting some air, Prof Bailey." "Well, if you have gotten enough air, we should be getting back to our discussion, "the older man grunted impatiently. "Sure, I'll see you inside in a bit," Uncas responded and Prof Bailey disappeared back into the crowded house.

"Well, I gotta go. It was nice meeting you, "Uncas turned around to face Alice again, "What's your name?" "Alice," Alice squeaked, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously. "I'm Uncas. See you around, Alice," he flashed a crooked smile at her. She nodded stiltedly and watched as he sauntered towards the glass doors. He was about to open the doors when he abruptly jogged back to her. Swiping his cap off his head, he slapped it on her head jauntily. "Don't stay out too long. You're gonna burn if you don't cover yourself," he winked and ran back to the house. Alice pinned her gaze on the broad, strong back as her hand went up to touch the cap. Too late. She was already burning up… and it was not because of the sun…

Present

Alice choked on her water as her heart slammed against her ribs, almost like a physical blow. She started coughing and Uncas pounded her back soundly, "Are you all right?" Embarrassed, Alice nodded sheepishly and wiped her mouth with a piece of tissue. He watched her, his brows knitted in a worried frown. "Sorry, I was just thinking of…" Alice began to explain but discovered she had no idea what she had been thinking of. She had not been thinking of anything in particular. She had simply bizarrely reacted to the man beside her.

"Nothing. It's nothing. I just hate these moments," she muttered, stabbing her toes viciously into sand. There was a pause before he cajoled gently, "What moments?" Moments when my mind draws a complete blank even though my heart is screaming out in pain and confusion, Alice wanted to say. "Moments where my heart feels something… but my brain doesn't know what it is," she blurted out instead.

Uncas froze. What did Alice mean? She looked overwhelmed, her eyes were filled with frustration. "And why would you have such moments?" he prodded carefully. He was treading on dangerous ground here. Alice hesitated, trying to come up with a non-shocking way to inform she had once lost her memory… and there were still parts of it lost.

Alice's head drooped and she shifted her gaze away from him. "I suffered temporary memory loss a few years ago. Though I have regained most of my memory, there are still some parts I can't recall." Uncas swallowed painfully before urging her on, "And?" Alice responded dully, "And nothing. I still cannot remember what was erased. But… I sense it is important. No, I know it is important. I know I forgot something important. I know…" "What else do you know?" Uncas bit out through gritted teeth, as his fists clenched behind his back. She continued jerkily, "I know I forgot someone important. And I wonder all the time whether that person is waiting for me somewhere… just waiting for me to show up," Uncas felt his throat getting clogged and his eyes started to burn. Me. I've been waiting for you to show up for the past nine years. He wanted to scream out those words but he could not. Thus, they could only stare at the sea together in thoughtful silence.

They spent the rest of the day exploring the bay and decided to head back to the city to have dinner and drinks at one of Uncas' favourite hangouts. It was close to 11p.m when Uncas dropped Alice off at her apartment by taxi. He walked her to the lobby and waited with her for the elevator. "Do you drive?" Alice queried, casting Uncas a curious glance. "Yeah. I do have a car but in Hong Kong, it is sometimes easier to take the bus or subway to go to places, "he quipped, "Do you drive?" She did. She had her own car when she was studying at the university.

Alice cleared her throat uncomfortably, "I used to, but I don't anymore." Uncas frowned, baffled, "Why?" The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. Alice stepped in," I just don't. Good night. I had a lovely time today. Thank you." "Shall we do this again?" Uncas murmured, gazing at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. There was a pregnant pause before Alice spoke, "Yes, we shall." He nodded politely, "I'll call you. Goodnight." The doors slid close and Uncas stared unseeingly at them for a long time without moving.

Alice dried her damp hair with a towel as she padded to the living room from the bathroom. She pulled open the drawer of the TV console and extracted a thin notebook. Her journal of her missing memories. There was not much to begin with, anyway. She flipped through the pages methodically… and felt the same helpless desperation overcome her. She came to the page where she had jotted down one phrase. I like waiting for you. She read it aloud and her heart squeezed with pain. It was the same reflex each time she read the sentence. Alice knew with all her heart she had been in love with someone before her accident and he was not Ashleigh. But was Ashleigh really her first lover? Alice was not certain as time went by. While Ashleigh was a good lover, Alice always felt an intense stab of yearning and intense desire for… something else. Someone else, she wildly guessed. Ashleigh may fulfil her physical needs adequately, but Alice occasionally felt lost and hollow even after a passionate session. If Ashleigh was aware he was not her first lover, he did not show it.

Who was he? How was her relationship like with the mystery man? She was half sure she had slept with him, but what were they to each other? Why had she married Ashleigh in the end? Why did she let herself get engaged if she loved someone else? She had her engagement photo in the papers to prove that she did get engaged quite willingly. Did she break up with the man before that? Was that why he never contacted her over the years? Or had they been just enjoying a fling?

I like waiting for you. Alice traced each word listlessly as she fought back tears.

Who are you? Where have you been for the last nine years?

Nine years earlier

"What are you up to, sweetheart?" Alice felt her insides turned to a puddle of goo as Uncas' honeyed, velvety voice husked through her mobile phone. "Shopping. My nephew's birthday is next week. What about you? I thought you were going to drive up north to water ski this weekend, "Alice answered cheerfully as she browsed the toy section at the department store. It had been two weeks since she left New York for London. She and Uncas either called or Skyped each other every day.

"Nah. Decided to stay in town. I'm shopping, too," Uncas said and Alice belatedly noticed the background buzz of conversation and activity on the other end of the line. "You, shopping? That's new!" Alice teased as she surveyed a shelf of remote control cars. Uncas cleared his throat, "There is something important I need to buy." Alice's curiosity was piqued, "Really? What is it?" Uncas returned softly, "Something that would change my life for the better." "Hmmmm…" Alice murmured distractedly as she checked the price of one of the cars.

"I miss you. Can't you come back earlier?" Uncas implored, his tone warm and sexy. Alice smiled regretfully into her mobile phone, "I miss you, too. As much as I would love to, my parents already have everything planned for the next couple of months. We are going to Italy for a couple of weeks and there's this whole roster of house parties that I have to attend. It's a Munro summer tradition to be involved in every tea party and soiree there is in London during the season. "

When Uncas did not answer immediately, Alice beseeched, "I'm sorry you have to wait another few months. I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back to New York." He laughed good-naturedly, "There is nothing to make up for, sweetheart. Take all the time you need. I'll wait." Alice pouted, "I hate making you wait. I hate the idea of you having to wait for me even though I can't help that you have to."

"I like waiting for you," Uncas issued seriously and Alice felt her heart squeeze at the stark sincerity in his voice. "Do you?" she whispered back, suddenly wishing she could fly back to his side.

"Always, sweetheart. I think a part of me will always be waiting for you."

Present

Uncas met Nathaniel for a game of golf the next day. When they were taking a water break, he remarked easily, "I hung out with Alice yesterday." Nathaniel's face brightened, "Did you? Had fun?" Uncas nodded then broached cautiously, "She told she once suffered from amnesia." The pleased grin on Nathaniel's face disappeared immediately. He stared hard at Uncas before clipping curtly, "I see." Uncas ignored his friend's wariness and resumed doggedly, "How did she lose her memory?" There was a long silence as the air between them crackled with tension. Finally, Nathaniel released a long, troubled sigh, "I'm not supposed to talk about it. In fact, the Munros' hate talking about it, even Cora. I'm surprised Alice told you about it."

Uncas shrugged, "Maybe she just needed to get it off her chest." Nathaniel plucked a blade of grass and started to fiddle with it absently, "To be honest, I'm not sure what happened either. Whatever Cora told me, I'm sure it is a scrubbed version. It's an incident their family would like to forget, if possible." "What do you know?" Uncas pressed on. "She was involved in a traffic accident and had to undergo emergency brain surgery. She suffered temporary amnesia after but gradually regained most of her memory. According to Cora, Alice still can't recall certain events."

Uncas' heart literally stopped beating. Traffic accident. Emergency brain surgery. Alice had been seriously injured. His hands shook at the thought of her lying helplessly on the operating table as doctors worked hard to save her life. He locked his fingers together forcefully and croaked, "When and where did the accident happen?" Nathaniel's scrunched up his face thoughtfully," It was a couple of years after Cora and I got married…" Then he snapped his fingers, "Ah! Nine years ago during the summer. In London. Alice was back in London for the summer. "

Uncas opened his third can of beer as he sat stonily at the balcony of his apartment. It was past midnight but he could not sleep. He had returned straight home after the golf game with Nathaniel, his mind whirling with what he had learnt. Alice had gotten into the accident during the time they were separated, but he did not know exactly when. He decided not to dig further until he settled his own thoughts. Plus, Nathaniel did not appear as if he wanted to divulge more. All these years… he had been waiting for Alice to show up. Granted, he could have put in more effort to find her but he had not. Pride and hurt prevented him from doing so. He had wanted her to come to him, not the other way around.

Uncas tossed his head back and stared at the star-less sky, his mind and heart turbulent. Even if he made no attempt to contact or find her, he had been waiting for her. Like a besotted fool. Even when she had happily dumped him and married another man. He was a fool. Yet here he was, still waiting.

"There will always be a part of me waiting for you."