Chapter 002
NOW
Stella wondered what she was living for after Ace died. It had been six months until the tragedy and she had accepted his death. In fact, she had accepted it early as she believed: I accept your death, Ace. I accepted it pretty early. It has just been two months. Two months since you're not here with me, two months since I found that I am pregnant with a gift we made together.
She was, now, six months pregnant.
The thunder rumbled.
*Crash*
Stella opened her eyes in frustration. She lived alone and all of the work was making her condition worse day by day but she knew she had to be strong for the tiny life inside her.
She slowly got up and held her baby bump as she walked to the front door sensing something is wrong with Rain outside. He had been not well for months now.
"Rain?" She opened the door only to be hit with a huge gust of wind. The wind slapped her face so hard, her reflex was to close the door immediately. She grunted, angry again. This all was so overwhelmingly frustrating. Tears filled her eyes, sudden feeling of wanting to be embraced took over her. However the truth was, she was alone. Her friends came to help often but she understood that they had lives of their own and were probably busy most of the time, so, she denied their help and only took it when it felt very necessary.
She covered herself nicely with a raincoat and tool an umbrella, lazily wore her boots while wiping her angry tears and then went outside to check on rain who was in his stable.
"Rain?"
She saw his head down and it was almost as if he was crying. She noticed how he had kicked the bucket of water that was left for him to drink water.
"Rain..." She reached her hand out to pet him. Tears brimmed up once again but she refused to cry, "I know. I miss him too."
The white horse made a whinny sound.
"Goodnight, Rain. I am tired. I am going to sleep."
The rest of the night went in a blur. She didn't want to cry but she did cry herself to sleep again.
*BANG!*
*BANG!*
Her eyes opened and she winced immediately. Her tummy hurt. It hurt a lot. Again frustrated, she got up, angry at whoever it was four-thirty in the morning. She had planned to yell at the person who was there at her door until she opened the door.
Her whole word stopped. Her breath stopped.
"Ace...?"
He was standing right there in front of her. Sunshine vibe. Long Black hair and beard. Deep blue eyes. Tall. Muscular. Toned Naked...He was naked in the cold.
Stella finally caught her breath. It was him. It was Ace. Tears welled up and escaped as she jumped slightly and hugged him tightly.
"It's you! It's you! Please be real. God... please be real."
"Uh...excuse me?"
She didn't leave him until she realized that he was not hugging her back and it was ten minutes later. She stepped back, her cheeks red and eyes, puffy. Her hands still held his as she unconsciously ignored his very puzzled face and asked, "How- I-I don't understand. You're- You're alive! I can't believe it. Please be real! You are real, right?" She held his cheek but he quickly removed it awkwardly.
"I don't understand anything either. I- I- just woke up and I was here at your doorstep. I am confused. I-I-I don't even know you."
Her world that had just stopped and started working again, all seemed to crash down at her.
"Hah?" She sniffled. "You don't remember anything?"
"I d-don't remember who I am. I am lost. I don't know anything."
Had he lost his memories? No, before that, how was he alive? Was he always alive?
They stared at each other, both bemused.
She blinked when he shivered from the cold and noticed he was naked. "Oh, uh, anyway, come inside?"
"You're not going to do anything bad to me...right?"
"Of course, not. I-" love you. She stopped herself before she could blurt it out because it would creep him out. She had to figure out what was going on. "Come inside. Its okay, You'll be fine." He nodded reluctantly and stepped inside.
Stella wrapped a blanket around him and told him to wait here for her until she got him some clothes. She was scared. What if he disappeared? What if he wasn't going to be here anymore? She reluctantly averted her gaze from him, her mind filled with questions as she wiped her teary eyes and ran to their room and quickly brought him warm clothes.
"W-Why do we have photos together?" He looked up at her, who was holding the clothes out to him.
She bit her lip. "Uh..." She was hesitant to tell him that he was her boyfriend, "You and I...uh we were friends and then you suddenly d-died in a car crash." She sniffled and then, all of a sudden dropped down on her knees, breaking down. "I am sorry. I missed you so much. You were just gone."
His eyes widened. Everything was shocking to him. He had died and he just came back from the dead. And Stella, a girl he didn't even know, claimed that they were friends and was crying right now, in front of him.
"Uhm...Its okay. Were we close friends?"
She just nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yes," she said in a low voice. You were my love. You are my love.
She felt guilty for lying to him but she knew him. It would be very overwhelming for him to know that they were together, in love, and she was pregnant with their baby.
"How old am I?"
"Twenty-four."
"And you?"
"Twenty-three."
"I don't remember twenty four years of my life and I died?"
She nodded.
"I am finding it hard to believe."
"I know me too." She sniffled, and finally handed him the clothes in her hand. "You can change and maybe shave if you want, I have the stuff in my washroom."
He nodded, hesitantly and followed her as she showed him the way to the washroom.
"Uh, excuse me?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't know how to shave. Please help." He looked away embarrassed and Stella barely held her urge to embrace him once again in.
"I- Yes. It's alright. I'll help and also, stay here with me until we figure out this stuff. Everything is- I still can't believe it." She said, walking closer, smiling with tears in her eyes.
He nodded.
"You will have to trust me."
"For some reason, I do, Stella. I do trust you."
She was going to shake her head as yes but snapped her eyes at him suddenly, "How do you know my name?"