"Jen?" asked Natalie, "You're Cristian's girlfriend aren't you?"
"Ex-girlfriend," Cristian said softly from behind her.
"Come on Natalie," said Cristian handing her her drink, "Let's go sit back
down."
"Okay," said Natalie as she followed Cristian back to their seat. As she sat
down she looked back at Jen, she sure was beautiful.
"Well, that was awkward," she said looking back at Cristian.
"Yeah, don't let Jen get to you though, she means well."
Natalie watched as Cristian glanced over at Jen and she was surprised to realize
she was a little jealous.
"So, Cristian, tell me more about yourself," she said trying to put Jen out of
her mind.
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything, it's just you seem to know so much about me and I hardly know
anything about you, except you're probably one of the nicest guys I've ever met,
or can remember meeting anyway, and you are really cute." Natalie couldn't
believe she had really said that, she was actually flirting!
"Thanks, you're not bad looking yourself," he said with a smile, he wanted to
tell her how absolutely beautiful she was, but he didn't.
Natalie could feel color sleeping into her cheeks, why couldn't Cristian feel
for her what he felt for Jen?
After Cristian dropped her off, Natalie went into the living room and
stopped, standing there kissing Jessica was a guy she had seen before, he had
dark hair and dark eyes and it hit her all at once who he was.
"Seth? Seth Anderson?" she asked hesitantly as he saw her and pulled away from
Jessica.
"Natalie," he said her name with something akin to annoyance.
"This is awkward," said Natalie fidgeting, "I was wondering if I could talk to
you and ask you a few questions?" so this was the famed Seth Anderson, her first
real boyfriend, her first love. A part of her wondered if talking to him would
bring back her feelings for him, it was obvious he had moved on with Jessica and
she didn't resent that, she also wondered if meeting him was the jolt her memory
needed.
"Jess, will you give me and Natalie some time to talk?" asked Seth and as he looked
at Natalie she had a feeling this wasn't going to go how she expected it.
"Of course," Jessica said as she kissed Seth and left, closing the door behind her.
"Well," said Natalie uncomfortably, "it's nice to meet you again." She walked
over to the bar and poured herself a glass of water, the way he was looking at
her was resentful, even angry and she occupied herself by watching the ice float
around in her glass. After a moment she looked up at him and he was frowning.
"Natalie, don't play this game with me, whatever angle you're trying to play
it's not going to work."
"Angle? I have no idea what you're talking about." In truth she did know what he
was talking about, he thought she was a liar and that this was just another lie,
she was disappointed, and a little angry, she wasn't that person she had been
and she at least deserved the benefit of the doubt.
"You're faking, this whole amnesia thing is nothing but a ploy to make
everyone feel sorry for you."
"How dare you tell me I'm faking? I can't remember years of my life and
I've been through hell these last few weeks and you have the gall to stand there
and accuse me of lying, of pretending that I don't know who I really am? You
have no idea how it feels to wake up one day and find out horrible things you
have done and have no recollection of doing, of having people hate you and not
remembering why! I hate it and you accuse me of lying?" This obviously wasn't
going to turn into a nice little chat where he told her about her past.
"I know how you are; you use every situation to your advantage no matter who it
hurts or how much you have to lie."
"Maybe a few weeks ago you would have been right but that is not who I am anymore. I've spent the last few days apologizing and feeling guilty for things I can't even remember doing, things that I can't even see myself doing. I'm tired of being that person who lied so I've decided not to be," she sat the glass down; "I'm leaving now." She turned around and went upstairs to her bedroom. She had just met the man she had supposedly been in love with and she
didn't even like him. She didn't know why she was upset, but all of her life she
had imagined her first love, someone who would take her away from Roxy, someone
who would love her despite all the baggage she came with. It was disappointing
that that person had been Seth, if all the memories she had lost were of him she
wasn't sure she wanted them back.
That night she sat in bed reading a book and telling herself that as soon as she
was done with the chapter she would go to bed, that had been four chapters ago.
She'd always enjoyed reading but Roxy had teased her for it so she'd stopped
reading for pleasure. Just as she had regretfully closed the book the phone
rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Cristian."
"Hi Cris," said Natalie smiling, she loved his voice.
"I was thinking about you and I just thought I'd call and say goodnight."
Natalie's heart sped up, he had been thinking about her.
"I was hoping maybe you'd like to hang out again soon, that is if you don't have
anything better to do," she said nervously.
"There's nothing I'd rather do than spend time with you Natalie."
Now her heart was pounding loudly. "It's…uh…getting late so I better let you
go," she said reluctantly.
"Goodnight and sweet dreams."
"Good night Cristian," she said softly and she hung up the phone and with a
happy sigh she fell back on her bed.
Cristian was such a wonderful person, he was sweet and kind and it seemed like
he understood just what she was feeling and she didn't even have to tell him,
she couldn't imagine that it had ever been that way with Seth. That night she
fell asleep wishing Cristian's arms were around her.
As he sat looking out his window into the darkness of Llanview he thought about
her. She was beautiful and funny and full of a fiery spirit. He smiled to
himself; he had always heard women with red hair were spirited, now he believed
it. He wanted so badly to tell her that he loved her, to kiss her and hold her,
but she was so fragile right now and the last thing he wanted to do was upset
her or give her something else to stress about, and he knew how stressful
relationships could be. He couldn't wait to see her tomorrow, one day she would
know how he felt, and if he was lucky she would feel the same way. Little did he
know how soon that day would come.