II. That's If she'd be fine with being around me.

Jamal is still befuddled by the scene at his eyes. And now her friends are standing in front of him asking a question which is even more confusing.

“I said what have you done to her?” Brenhilda asks one more time, moving towards her unconscious friend.

The others follow anxiously with the same inquiry in their heads.

Jamal looks down at Myla then back towards her friend. “N-nothing. She passed out.”

Jamal has never felt this nervous untill the point of stammering.

“We should take her to the hospital” he tells after totally regaining his common sense.

“No! We can't take her to the hospital. We're taking her home. Her personal doctor will work on her” Ms. Grayson rebukes and he nods obediently.

He tries to lift her up unto him and Tiffy shakes her head. “Leave her to us. We'd take her to the car . . . together”

He sighs, closing his eyes. “Please just-let me do this”

With a pinch of hesitation they agree for him to go ahead. He fawns a smile and raises her like unto the lightest object inexistence away from the mal.

Her Manager directs him towards their car and once she's inside Amid comes running towards them.

“No, no, no . . . photos are not authorised” Ms. Grayson announces and Amid lessens his pace.

“He's with me.” Jamal assures immediately and she looks at both of them before accepting.

Amid lands beside him with a screwed countenance. “What's going on?”

“I have no idea.” he responds honestly.

He really has nothing to say about this. He feels culpable. Bearing faults in the back of his mind that Myla has been suffering.

If she could shared a tear and passes out in his presence then what more when he wasn't around.

Her friends are filling the empty seat of the car while Ms. Grayson looks at Jamal sternly.

“She wouldn't be in this condition if she didn't have to meet with you. So I'd advise you stay away from her. After everything that was what you wanted.”

He can't say it's a lie. But deep inside of him, he's not sure he can stay away from her again.

They've been apart for too long. And through these periods. He can truly acknowledge how addicted he became to her.

He's so sick worried about her health right now and this woman is telling him to leave. If only she knows how badly he wants to be by her side. Seeing her recovering from what he hauled her into.

Her Manager steps into the driver's seat where she matches on her engine and peels off the private lot.

Amid looks at his boss emphatically. Maybe some day he'd truly understand what this feelings are that Jamal has. But right now he can't relate with him on any bases.

“Shit! I forgot to ask her card” Jamal curses, ruffling his hands through his hair and Amid chuckles.

“I doubt she'd have given you” Amid sputters under his breath.

Jamal had already forgotten that his assistant was still next to him as he turns around to see his sex mate.

“Are you done with paying for the cloths? I'm tired. I want to go home and rest for tonight” Jamal switches discussion and Amid smirks.

“Yeah? I packed them in the car already before coming back for you but you were gone.”

Jamal says nothing as they walk towards his black Jeep and drive away.

...

Jamal appears home after a short ride with his right hand, Amid. He is welcomed by his ‘first love’. Let's not really call it love assuming people don't fall in love twice.

But the lady standing meters away, facing him is the only woman he ever had feelings for.

She is graced with a small square face, adorned with a double chin. Hazel eyes, thick and dark natural braids, puffing in the air as the wind blows.

Elongated eyelashes, full pink lips and a mixed skin tone, that glitters under the setting of the sun mid the horizon.

Her fresh scent occupies the vast living room as she moves closer to him, her head slanting like trying to scan any memories of him in her mind.

He shrugs as he studies down at her profile. She looks just as she was in his past. Just a small scar on her forehead that makes a slit difference.

His mom walks into the scene and smiles at the girl who is of her daughter's age. But the young lady is still in daze of Jamal's features that she doesn't make note Mrs. Mehdi's presence.

“Finally he's here” The woman in her 50's announces and Gabriella jolts, her hands holding the sides of her cloth reflexively.

Jamal haven't taken his eyes off her but she is now staring at her feet, feeling somehow awkward to keep gazing into his.

“Gabriella this is Jamal . . . my only Son” Mrs. Mehdi introduces standing in front of them.

She hangs her neck at once to look at his mom then back at Jamal who is still seriously draining an image of her.

He is ogling her way to much that she becomes nervous which does not misses his comprehension when she salutes. “N-nice to meet you”

He renders a non-verbal gesture and looks away at once.

“Does he . . . bring any memories of someone you once knew?” Mrs. Mehdi inclines purposely to re-attract her son's attention.

Gabriella searches her thoughts one more time and he darts his eyes to hers expectantly.

After a moment of silence she shakes her head and Jamal clenches his jaws.

“That's fine. You'd definitely recall so much about him when y'all will spend more time together.”

Jamal scrunches his eyebrows toward his mom and she doesn't try to see his reaction as she rides on.

“He'd be attending a program tonight and . . . I'd love it for you to accompany him”

Then she looks at Jamal. “What do you think son?”

He has been frozen for over a minute now. How can she take such a decision without privately seeking his opinion? This was not part of the plan for her staying here.

“Son?”

Jamal blinks his eyelids as he returns to earth. He still has no say to her suggestion.

He looks at the girl in front of him and slowly nods. “Sure. That's If she'd be fine with being around me”

He couldn't say no. It'd be harsh. After all it'd just be for today. This won't happen again.

He's trying with all might to keep away from her. That was his plan before she arrived. He'd not want to find himself feeding the strong memories he has of her.

So it'd be very much better if he keeps his distance and see her just as a guest.

His mom smiles as she faces Gabriella. “Will that be ok with you sweetheart?”

Mrs. Mehdi has always taken Gabriella as her second daughter. And her return is only making her treat her better.

She was positive Jamal will end up with Gabriella before the accident she had that brought a little conflict between the families. And her parents ordered for her to stay with them overseas.

She couldn't feel any less irresponsible. If only she could safe her son's love life they'd have been weeded by now.

Gabriella offers a faint smile nodding at the request. And Jamal presses his lips together firmly before uttering.

“I should take some rest then. We'd be living at 9:00 PM”

She nods again and he walks off living just her, his mom and Amid.

Amid is staring at her prudently. And she turns to look at him, her innocent face folding at the way he is looking back.

“Well, this is Amid. Jamal's assistant. You once knew him too”

She doesn't give out any form of recognition as she keeps visioning.

“I believe all those memories will come back to life when you get to stay with them for a longer period of time”

“Come. Let me get you something to eat. I'm sure you must be hungry.”

She looks at Mrs. Mehdi with a grateful chortle before strolling away with the woman.

...

Myla hums as she wakes up from her sleepy head. Her eyes are squinting open successfully.

Her friends rush to her bed side when they see her putting in effort to seat upright.

“Myla. Thank goodness you're awake” Tiffy says, gaining a confused gaze from Myla.

“It was all a dream” She mumbles and they crease their eyebrows.

“What was all a dream?” her Manager inquires.

She looks down as she tries to fetch her memories. “Jamal. I-I saw him in my dream. He-he was standing in front of me. And . . . he just kept looking at me. Then-I don't know what happened. I think I'm going crazy. Why does he keep following me? I want to forget about him. But he keeps hunting me”

Brenhilda hugs her at once. She hates to see her friend in this condition.

Tiffy and Ms. Grayson just stare at one another, not sure if they should tell her that she was not dreaming. It was real. He was in the mal. And even carried her to the car.

“Myla he won't come for you again. Let that dream remain in your nightmares. You are in the real world now. So get things ready and let's prepare for your show tonight” Ms. Grayson mentions.

She blinks her eyes. Realization resting over her.

“Wait-It's night already! what time is it?”

They just give her a sad look that makes her more anxious.

“Pass 8” Tiffy replies.

“Oh Jesus! Why didn't y'all wake me up?” she hurriedly jumps off the bed, almost stumbling in the process.

To be continued...