A memory...

A minute went by but neither said anything to the other. The only sounds that could be heard at the moment were the screeching of tires and honks as cars drove by the busy street outside. A soft music playing from the in-house stereo in the lowest volume also filled the air.

Ryan patiently sat still, his palm still caressing the back of the lady's palm, as he waited for a reply from her. This was something she would have to think through before stating anything. He was in no rush but that didn't mean he could shoulder the ongoing silence for long.

After three minutes or so, Lily eventually spoke.

"Do you think I'm acting out?" Her gaze still stayed put elsewhere, precisely into space. She had a mixture of emotions compounded in her as she spoke.

Ryan resumed the caressing he had stopped about a minute before. He could sense the uncertainty exuding from her speech. She seemed to be doubting herself in relation to her reasoning and that was meant to be.

"No, you're not..." He stated sincerely.

She tilted her head to his direction, staring at him directly but changing her gaze to the floor straight after. Her expression as at now was far different from the aloof expression she portrays each and every time.

"I don't think I understand what's going on," She let out softly.

"Me neither. But I need you to relax and explain what you think is going on." Ryan replied. "You said already that you believe both incidents are not coincidental, that I believe. But you need to shed some light on it, maybe that way I can help out,"

Another round of silence ensued, this one lasting longer than the first. The lady needed to digest the two incidents in order to reveal the contents for the man to tap into. They both weren't much of a big deal but they needed a firm reasoning, a reasoning for enough to not make it seem like she merely called for the man's attention to nothing.

She went on to reexplain the first incident then carefully explained today's issue as well...

"...and what baffles me the most is the occurrences happening with the same model of car, almost the same precise location, and this makes me feel like i've been made a target,"

Ryan was all ears as he listened to the explanation Lily gave regarding the incidents. His witty mind at the moment was trying to make sense out of the info.

"Can the two be called coincidences? I don't believe they can be," There was a sudden interruption from her as he was still ruminating over the issue. "Tell me Ryan, did you offend anyone?"

The man stopped all of a sudden. Even the touch of his hand on hers reflected his sudden reaction. He stared at her. confusingly, not understanding why she made that statement.

"Where did you get that idea from?" He questioned her with a refrained look.

Her face was raised up again to stare at him. "I just want to know if I'm being targeted because of you. Think about it, it probably might be a big shot or something you unknowingly offended. You know how much risk is involved in the type of job you do,"

He took his palm off hers, sitting upright as he began reflecting on it. On a deeper look at the matter, she was making sense, that he knows. Has he offended anyone at all? Who could it be if he actually did? The Rubens or... No, he definitely hasn't!

"I don't think I have. Of recent, the only issue I have been involved in is the one regarding the John Ruben incident..."

"The hospitalization incident which went off every news channel at almost the same time, right?"

He nodded his head in response. "Yes... that one,"

"What's that got to do with you?" she inquired.

"Well, before it got taken off the SBO* channel, the managing director met with the news director and I as we both have says in it as well. Even before I was summoned, I had already disregarded the idea of taking it off because I did not see the need to.

When it was time for me to lay an idea on the news, I without fault revolted against it, no disrespects involved, but the director went against my decision and still went on to take it off. That's how I literally got involved in the first place and it's the only issue I know I've been involved in lately,"

His explanation was received with a comprehensive silence. The lady realized there was nothing wrong with whatever issue he was involved in. Nothing unofficially related at all. It all happened under a formal setting, where a subordinate simply disregards the rule given by his superior.

"Do you still think it has something to do with me?"

She shook her head in the negative. "No," she replied, "but I still believe both accident occurrences are related,"

"Hmph, are you going to consider moving out then? You know, get another apartment in another part of town or something? At least, for you to feel much safer," Ryan reasoned.

She shook her head in disagreement. "You know how much I've always loved Dambell..." The statement was obviously true. This was probably due to the history she has with the particular area.

"Not when your life seems to be in danger," He disregarded her thinking.

"You are not about to start dictating my life, are you?" She was back to her aloof expression as she spoke.

He gave a smile in return. "No..." he stated while getting up to his feet. "I have to get going now. I've got a whole load of job to tend to by— Argh!"

He groaned as he felt a flash pain in his head. His left hand was raised to massage his temple which was where the pain was felt the most. It seemed to be a serious headache building up in his head as it was similar to a throb.

"Are you okay?" Lily quickly asked with a worried expression as she got up immediately.

"I don't know but I feel a headache coming. Can you get me some pain killers?" He replied with clenched teeth as he sat back down, still massaging his temple on his scrunched up face.

"I've got some in my room. Give me a minute," She rushed out of the living room as went to get what he requested.

As he sat while waiting, he kept on massaging his temple. Although the pain had gone, he still felt a bit weary around his head. Had he overworked himself or what? Perhaps, he had made use of his brain in excess which then resulted to—

"Argh!"

He yelped silently as the pain came back again in a flash. He could feel it. This was probably a migraine. His other hand was raised up to rub the other side of his temple. This was getting serious.

"Take this Ryan," Lily was back, and in her hands were a packet of pain killers and a cup of water.

He willingly collected the cup from her as she pressed two tablets into his other hand. The tablets were consumed straightaway and he handed he cup back to her, leaning his back on the sofa after to relax himself.

"How are you feeling now?" She asked him after a minute.

"Much better," He told her.

"Would you like to rest for a while before leaving?"

"Yes." He nodded his head in affirmative.

Minutes went by before he stood up from the seat after getting the needed strength. The lady stood up as well.

"Thanks Lily," He told her and pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his hands around her tightly, before discarding his body from hers.

She saw him off to the entrance and stood by the opened door as he walked down to his car. He brought out the key to the car. And as he prepared to insert it into the lock, the flash pain from before triggered again.

"Argh!"

The key dropped to the ground as he groaned in pain. He lifted up his hand to touch his head as he began to feel weak, his other hand gripping the side of the car. What was going on with him?

But what he wasn't expecting happened next.

The main thing that had been triggering the pain eventually came into existence. It was something he didn't expect, something he didn't even have an idea of, something he couldn't comprehend at the moment...

A memory...