- Why do you care so much about me Alexa...
Eames, who had already been asked this question several times by Goren, still didn't know how to tell her, to explain to her, the reasons.
And each time, she always answered the same thing.
- You'd have done the same for me, Bobby.
Done the same for Alexa...
It was quite possible.
But why did she always say the same thing.
It was as if she was dodging the question.
As if she had something to hide.
Could it be that he had no family left.
No one to take care of him.
And that Alexa was the only person he could count on in this world.
Goren was seriously beginning to wonder about his family.
Especially since Alexa never talked to him about them.
Except when he looked at the photo album, but even then, she was vague.
Why.
- I really don't have a family to take care of me.
At her words, Eames dropped the glass of water she was holding and had just filled for Goren, which fell to the floor, spilling and breaking into a thousand pieces.
My God...
No family to look after him...
Eames had so wanted to avoid this question about his family.
But how to tell Goren the truth.
Would he be able to accept it.
Wasn't he too fragile to hear it.
To hear that his mother was in a psychiatric hospital because of her illness, and that there was no way she could look after him.
But worst of all, how could he tell her that his elder brother was nothing but a junky.
So neither of them would be able to look after him.
So he was on his own.
But not so alone, for Eames was there, and would always be there for Goren, just as he would always be there for her.
Besides, why was Goren asking her this.
Did he want to leave her?
Eames' heart sank at the thought.
- I'll pick it up.
At Goren's voice and stride as he made his way to her side, crouched down and brought his hands to the shards of glass, Eames snapped out of her thoughts.
No.
Goren didn't need to come and help her pick up.
She could do it herself.
Besides, if she let him, he'd cut himself.
He had no protection.
And he was going to cut himself.
Eames stooped down to his level, and quickly removed his hands from the shards of glass, scanning them, checking that he had no cuts.
To his relief, there was nothing.
- You mustn't pick up broken glass with your hands.
My God...
Alexa was so sweet to care about him.
Gently, Goren brought his hand to Eames' cheek, brushed it.
- You're cute.
At his words, spoken with extreme gentleness, his brown hair staring intently at her, Eames blushed violently, her heart drumming in her chest, breaking.
Goren thought she was cute.
Couldn't he see when saying things like that to her upset her to the core.
And the softness of his fingers on her skin.
Good God...
Eames had better get his act together, and right now.
Goren moved his face toward Eames', and gently placed his lips on her forehead, brushing against it.
- Thank you for looking after me.
Looking after him...
No.
Goren had to stop thanking her.
And stop talking so sweetly to her, or she wouldn't respond to anything.
Goren had found the key to her heart, which she had double-locked, and he had managed to open it, with his gentleness, and his kindness.
Eames was seriously beginning to doubt she could close that door again.
But did she even want to.
Eames had grown very fond of Goren.
And she often thought, she hoped, that perhaps it would be better for him not to regain his memory.
He would stay close to her, and she could take care of him as much as she wanted.
But that wouldn't be fair to Goren.
And Eames blamed herself for being so selfish.
But strangely enough, she had no qualms about being so.
- Little angel... What's wrong.
And there it was.
Goren had guessed that something was bothering her.
And above all, he still used that diminutive name, which never ceased to touch her in the depths of her heart.
Eames felt so fragile, so helpless.
Gently, Goren took Eames' hands in his, and helped her to her feet.
- Alexa... He plunged his brown eyes into her big hazel ones, preciously clasping their entwined hands. Would you like a kiss... Goren's cheeks flushed red. To ease your worries.
What.
Goren wanted to give her a kiss...
Eames turned scarlet at the thought.
To soothe her worries...
Was this lie really true.
Wasn't Goren taking too much advantage of the situation, offering to kiss her so often.
And it was always to make him forget his worries, his biggest excuse.
Admittedly, when they were in the evening, and in the bedroom, she didn't mind.
But in broad daylight, it must have been very distracting.
Not that she didn't like his kisses.
On the contrary, she loved his kisses.
But it wasn't right.
She couldn't say yes to him all the time.
No matter how much she wanted to.
Goren could read all kinds of emotion on Eames' face, contradictory emotions.
And the silence she imposed didn't answer him.
Maybe she didn't want him to kiss her.
But the color of her rosy cheeks told him otherwise.
What's more, at night when they were both in the bedroom, Eames never refused one of his kisses.
On the contrary, she responded with such fervor.
And thanks to her kisses, Goren hardly ever had nightmares anymore.
It helped him, and made him feel good.
But Goren couldn't hide from Alexa any longer that he wanted much more than kisses at night.
He wanted to kiss her anytime, and also, he'd like to touch her somewhere else.
But would she want him to.
So he wouldn't rush.
And give her time.
But today, he'd tried to get a little more.
A kiss during the day.
But Eames wouldn't say anything.
No yes, no no.
Why not.
Didn't she want to.
Was it because it was daytime, and she didn't dare accept.
- You don't want...
Don't want...
So it wasn't just to ease her worries if he insisted so much.
But how to put it...
It wasn't that she didn't want to.
But in broad daylight, it was so embarrassing.
- I've got to get something to pick up the shards of glass. She hurriedly removed her hands from Goren's, and stepped back, red-faced, not daring to look at him. You'd better go and look through your photo album.
Name of God...
It was either him, or Eames was running away.
But why.
Had he said something wrong.
Had he done something wrong.
Had Eames misinterpreted things.
Had she understood that he wanted much more than kisses now between them.
- You've done nothing wrong.
At her words, and Eames returning with a broom in hand, a shovel, and a tea towel, Goren snapped out of his thoughts, his face red with shame.
He'd done nothing wrong.
If Alexa knew what was on his mind, she certainly wouldn't say that.
- Bobby... Eames crouched down and picked up the shards of glass with the broom, the dustpan and the tea towel. You've got to work on your memory.
Work on your memory.
It was true.
Alexa used to tell him that.
And this family album, the only one he had, was a good exercise according to Alexa.
So Goren was going to please her.
Even if, at the moment, he would have preferred to kiss her a thousand times over.
So he nodded, walked over to the sofa, sat down, took the album from the coffee table and opened it.