I actually had no intention to get out of the house the next day. I wanted to stay inside, out of the public eye. And I had developed something like a lazy bone in me from the time I spent all cooped up at home.

But after my mother had that sudden freak-out yesterday, it kind of made me worried and anxious to let her be out on her own. So, being ever so dutiful to her, I decided to return to work.

"Are you sure, Spring?" she asked me at the breakfast table, where I was sipping a hot cup of tea with milk and was now all dressed up and ready for work. "You don't have to come back to work if you're still feeling a bit ill."

I shook my head determinedly, saying, "It's alright, Mom. I'm perfectly fine now."

Of course, that part was definitely not a lie. I had been fine from the very beginning.

And then I added, "Besides, being stuck in the house for a week gets kind of boring, you know?"

That was definitely not a lie either.

She nodded her head in agreement, and she didn't protest me coming along anymore. In fact, she seemed glad. So after we had finished up breakfast, we made our way to the flower shop.

To be honest, it felt weird to be outside again. The noises sounded strange to my ears. The smell of the air too different for my nose. I guess I must have been away from sunlight for a pretty long time too, because the shine on my face blinded me for a few seconds.

But slowly, with each step closer to the flower shop, I began to readjust. I started to enjoy being outside again, and I began to realize how much I missed the feel.

Business was normal, if I do say so myself. I tended to the plants while Mom took care of the customers. I handled the thorny flowers with extra care, after remembering that incident yesterday.

That still confused me until now. I really swore that I was sure that prick to my finger was deep. I felt it too clearly. I even felt something that was warm and wet and felt like blood pooling from the would-be cut. So how was it possible that my finger managed to remain unscratched? It couldn't have possibly healed itself.

Could it?

"Spring?"

I turned around to look at my mother, who sat at the counter, looking back at me in confusion.

"Yes?"

"Why are you staring at your finger?" she asked me.

It was only then I realized that I had my index finger in question brought to my face. I probably looked weird just doing that, judging by the way Mom looked at me.

"Oh… It's nothing. It's just that-"

I was immediately cut off when I heard a familiar ringing tone playing from the back room; my cell phone. I didn't finish what I was saying, immediately moving off to the back room to answer the phone.

Grabbing it off the table in the room, I looked at the caller ID. It was Henrietta.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Spring! You're alive!" she chirped on the other line. "I thought you were dead or something! I haven't seen you in like forever!"

I rolled my eyes in amusement. "Well I've been sick, okay? Anyway, what is it that you want, Henri?"

"Hey! You know I hate that name!" she whined. "So anyway, I just wanted to call to ask you if you'd like to come to the cafe and have lunch with me. I'm bored out of my mind and I really need a friend to talk to!"

I thought about her invite. I wasn't really sure if I really wanted to see anyone at the moment. But on the other hand, the only company I got during the days I was 'sick' was Mom. And I did miss talking to my chatterbox friend, just a little bit.

"Please, Spring?" she pleaded on the other end, and I could just imagine her making puppy eyes.

"Sure. Why not?" I replied. "I'll drop by in fifteen minutes."

Henrietta squealed a squeal so high I thought I could go deaf by it. What's with her and her trigger-happiness?

"Thanks! I'll treat you to something! I promise! See you later!"

With a smile, I said, "Yeah, okay. Bye."

And as I put down the phone, I walked out of the back room to the counter.

"Mom? Is it alright if I go meet up with a friend for a while?" I asked her.

She looked at me questionably. "Are you sure it's not going to take two hours like last time?" she asked.

I snorted. "Yes. I'm sure. Maybe an hour or so."

She chuckled and gestured to the door. "Alright, alright. Go ahead. But is it alright with you if you could get me a cup of hot green tea? I feel like I'm in the mood for one right now."

I nodded once and returned briefly to the back room to get my purse. After telling her that I would definitely be back in an hour, or around an hour, I ventured alone into the outside.

There were quite a lot of people on the sidewalks, considering it was just a few minutes pass one in the afternoon. I blended myself as part of the crowd and walked briskly to The Vintage Cuppa.

I looked around my surroundings, taking in images of some people chatting with others at the side of the pavement, some busy eating lunch, some buying things from shops and many other things.

But as my eyes skimmed through my surroundings, I caught sight of one thing across the street that immediately made my heart stop and my stomach drop.

A man with a head of pitch black hair and a pair of fathomless black eyes, which were boring deeply into mine.

I was stunned for a short while, but I regained my composure and started to walk away quickly. But as I carefully but quickly took one step at a time, I knew instantly that he had just crossed the street and was now following me.

"Spring! Wait! Please!" he called out from behind me. I pretended as though I didn't hear him and started to walk at a slightly faster pace.

Just then, ahead of me, I saw the 'green man' flashing, indicating just a few seconds left to cross the street. I panicked and quickly made a run for it, praying with all my heart that it would stay like that until I finally got to the other side and well away from him.

Unfortunately, luck was not on my side. Because the very second I was about to cross, it immediate changed to the 'red man'.

I muttered a curse under my breath as I angrily clamped my jaw and clenched my hands into fists. I felt my anger flare instantly, growing stronger when I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"Spring…"

I shrugged his hand off me and crossed my arms as I begrudgingly turned to face him. I glared at him, while he calmly looked back at me.

"What do you want, Aiden?" I snapped impatiently, wanting so bad for him to leave me alone.

His gaze remained stony, but then he broke away to look around at the people around us. Some were looking at us curiously, while others were just minding their own business.

"Can we talk somewhere more private?" he asked, his tone holding a tiny hint of nervousness.

I groaned on the inside. If there was one thing I did not want, it was to be alone with Aiden. I thought about telling – no, demanding – him to leave me alone. But I had a feeling that he'll keep this up, following me and begging me to talk to him if I just keep on pushing him away. Maybe I should just scream out loud that he was harassing me, but I didn't want to be that bad. And I definitely did not want to cause a scene in public.

Seeing that I had no other option, I grumbled, "Fine."

He reached out to take one of my hands, but I crossed my arms to show him that I wouldn't let him. He looked kind of upset for a while, but he shrugged it off and waited until I walked away first to follow beside me.

I kept my eyes away from him, looking at the shops across the street. I could feel his gaze on me, but I remained ignorant of it.

When we were quite far from the street and the part of town we were in now had not so many people, I stopped and waited for him to start the conversation first, glaring at him impatiently with my arms still crossed.

"Spring," he murmured. "I know you're still angry at me-"

"You don't say?" I said abruptly and very harshly.

Aiden winced at my piercing words, but he took a deep breath and continued. "But if you let me explain, I'd be ever so thankful… Please, Spring… Just let me explain."

I sighed irately, and said, "Get on with it."

Another deep breath, and he started to explain.

"When I said I was here for a lost love, I wasn't joking. And I was telling the truth that she doesn't remember me. But-"

"But what, Aiden?" I said rudely. "What do you want to say now? That you're only hanging out with me until your girlfriend gets her memory back? And then what will you do to me? Huh? Leave me alone and forget that I had ever existed? Was that your plan?"

"Will you please let me finish?" he said roughly and angrily, making me jump a bit. I have never seen him so impatient and frustrated before. But of course, I didn't know a lot of things about him. Only the fact the he was a sly and slippery snake who had played with my heart.

He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, trying very hard to calm down. I released my crossed arms because it was exhausting to hold them up, and I kept them at my sides.

When Aiden opened his eyes, his black orbs looked weary and tired for some reason.

"What I'm trying to say is…" he said slowly, "that… you're my lost love."

"What?" I said bluntly and disbelievingly.

He didn't say anything else. Only nodding.

I shake my head as I chuckled to myself. He looked at me in confusion, wondering why I was like that.

In between chuckles, I said, "You're crazy. I never even met you before."

Aiden immediately began to look hurt, and whispered, "But it's true. And I also want to say that… you're not really who you are."

His arms reached out for me, but I took a step and held up both my hands to indicate to him to not touch me. And then, I questioned, "What are you trying to say? Are you trying to say that I'm your 'lost love' and that I'm not really Spring Korey? I met you just two weeks ago, Aiden. You don't know anything about me."

And then with another fit of laughter, I said, "You know what? I think you really are crazy. Totally bonkers, if I might add."

"Spring," he said in a frustrated tone. "I am telling the truth. And I can prove it to you."

And just then, without warning, his hands clamped themselves on my shoulders and he immediately hauled himself closer to me.

So instinctively, I slapped him.

Extremely hard and perfectly on the right side of his face.

What else was I supposed to do?

Aiden yelled out in pain and immediately recoiled himself from me, clutching the part of his face where I had strike him. I, on the other hand, took more steps away from him and glared at him in pure hatred.

"You idiot!" I seethed. "How dare you do that to me! How dare you!"

He turned to look back at me, and I could see his eyes were watering. From sadness or from the sting of my slap, I don't know.

"Spring…" he pleaded in a whisper. "Please…"

I shook my head in anger. "No! I don't want to hear any more of this! You're mad! You're crazy! Just leave me alone, Aiden Cole! Leave me alone!"

I couldn't stand to be near him for another second, so I immediately made a dash in the direction where we had come from. I was well aware now that a lot of people who were around were now staring at me with wide eyes.

But I didn't care. All I knew now is that I never, ever wanted to see that lunatic.

Ever again.