CHAPTER 87: FADED LIFE

"only because you are precious to me,more than you can imagine"Ryan replied to her words,he used the back of his hand to caress her cheek and mia responded by closing her eyes as if to capture every feeling of his touch. "I-i don't mind if you don't" at her words Ryan chuckled and it had Mia raise her brows

"what did I say about you not making things worse?"he questioned her

Mia pursed her lips trying to remember what he said about it "nothing?" mia played oblivious whilst she bit her lower lip then added "as I have said ,I don't mind...I want to see that side of you the one you are trying to hide"

Ryan stared at her features, although she was in the water her chest was revealed for him to see and he was glad he was the only one to see it ,not any other person. With a sigh,he pulled into a hug the whispered near her ear "that side of me you want to see...I don't want you to see it yet at least not now you are the only one who can stir this kind of feeling in me and that won't change because I am going to take my time with you...I won't rush things" . Mia smiled then hugged him back, even though he had intimately touched her where she hadn't been,Ryan had made sure not go to far whilst increasing their cravings for each other.

Scooping her up in his arms,the water gentle rippled "let's you get inside". Indeed the air was cold,now coming out of the pool,mia shivered,she let out a shaky breath when Ryan carefully placed her on the floor. He reached for the robe he had placed aside before wrapping it around her body where her exposed skin was concealed.

The water dropped from the tip of his hair before travelling down his neck to rest of his wet body. Mia couldn't help but gulp at his well sculpted body.

In one of the rooms,the same one mia had found herself in when she had woken up that night She sat on the bed bring her knees close ,still in the white rope ryan had offered her,she placed the sketchbook on her lap as she draws on it.

Ryan sat on the space beside her the without warning,he effortlessly carried the woman and sat her down on his lap. Mia gasp at the sudden movement,he also wore a robe the v-shaped neckline revealing the chest underneath .

"what are you doing?" Ryan asked , tucking her damp hair behind her ear . Mia clutched the sketchbook in her hands and replied "sketching...I haven't done this in a while it makes me forget I have forgotten how to draw but luckily I haven't " mia held the sketchbook close to her chest.

"let me see" said Ryan his eyes darting to the book in her hand that she held so tight as if not willing to let it go.

"it isn't finished yet" mia replied taking a look of what she drew before closing it to her chest once again but her actions only made Ryan more curious

"is it a drawing of me?" he questioned as that was the only thing that came to his mind but he immediately felt a slight disappointment and displeasure when mia shook her head

"is it of another person?" he was already thinking of what to do with her if it turns out to be a drawing of another person but mia shook her head and replied with"it's not a drawing of a person,the one I have of is back at home"

"so what is it then?" there was evident curiosity in his voice. He watched mia pout her lips, thinking about something then she handed the sketch to him. It was that of a school playground but mia had only captured the playground making it void of the children playing on it.

Ryan asked "I don't find it incomplete"

"I know but I just find something missing... like there is supposed to be someone on that bench but I can't seem to capture it"she pointed out and went into a deep thought "it's from my childhood memories"

"memories fade with time"Ryan observed the drawing with his keen eyes before he looked back at her "not everything can be remembered"

"I have had partial amnesia since childhood...some of my childhood memories fade away they are blank and anytime I try to remember I feel a splitting headache" mia complained before placing her head on his shoulder and allowing one of her hands to rest on his chest where his heart lies. Ryan placed the drawing aside ,with concern he said to her "then don't force yourself to remember ,the last thing I want is you ending up in the hospital,I like to keep you perfect and healthy"

Mia hummed softly and after a while of silence when she sensed no movement from Ryan aside from his soft breathing she called out "Ryan?"

"hm"Ryan replied to her and heard her say "what is this place?" it felt like Ryan had more than one mansion he stays in and she wondered which one this is.

"apart from the mansion grandpa lives,this is where I spent my childhood with Jason and my parents"

"I'm sorry...I didn't know that.." mia stated but Ryan caught her off just in time"don't apologize ,you didn't do anything ".

Then he continued"I can remember it being noisy and lively until it wasn't but I come here whenever I want to get away from people since it brings me peace and now you do"

"they died in a car explosion, I was there to see it" back then a young Ryan couldn't fathom what happened he had felt the intense urge to yell hoping it didn't happen but he couldn't and all he could do was watch the scene with tears streaming down his eyes . Even when the thought crossed his mind he knew the past couldn't be changed and one just had to live for the future

"how did you handle it?" mia asked him. Both had lost their loved ones from a young age,while mia had her mum to console her it was different in Ryan's case as both his parents died and there was only his grandfather but she could only imagine ...

"it was hard at first but I'm alright"he assured her his handing reaching to touch the side of her head when she said "I wish to heal all your wounds so you wouldn't feel the pain of the past "

"as long as you are alive and by my side that's enough for me" he added"you should sleep ".

Mia responded by letting out a yawn, placing her head back on his shoulder whilst she closed her eyes to sleep.

Ryan stared at the woman who made herself comfortable by sleeping on him. His hand was on her waist to support her body.

Many years ago when he was still young,he was in this particular room when his mum came looking for him

' Ryan?' the woman had called out as she peeked inside the room she didn't find anyone on there but unbeknownst to her Ryan sat down on the floor beside his bed where the woman's eyes couldn't reach. He heard his mom call for him but before he could reveal himself the woman had left the room.

Ryan stood up from where he was dropping the tablet in his hand in his bed then stepped out of the room of his room looking left and right in time to see his mum disappear behind the pillar.