When It Unfolds

4

Regius allowed the sun to beat against his skin as he stared at the blue calm waters in front of him.

A beer bottle trapped between his fingers as his mind replayed his run in with the woman two days ago.

He had not even slept with her and yet she occupied his mind at every given moment. It was the strangest thing Regius had ever experienced.

"Ahhh."

The man occupied the seat next to his.

"How often do we get to do this?"

He questioned as he clinked his bottle against Regius's.

Regius stared at the man he considered a best friend. They'd been through a lot together. Wounds they never wanted to reopen, yet Regius found it weird that he was unable to answer Mya's question.

He stared at the honeycomb man, Sean's curls tamed neatly on top of his head.

"When exactly did we meet?"

Sean stared at Regius.

"Why are you asking?"

Regius's shoulders rose and fell.

"It just feels like I've known you all my life but I feel like there are parts that are missing. I remember you from the age of eight but before that, it's blank."

"That's because we met when you moved to Compton with your dad and grandfather when you were eight."

Regius didn't know that. He always assumed that he'd lived with his father and grandfather all his life.

"Did we move in together?"

Sean shook his head.

"Dude you really don't remember?"

Regius shrugged as Sean stared at him in disbelief.

"You probably blocked out the memory, but you moved to Compton at eight to stay with your dad when your mom abandoned you."

Regius froze.

He'd spent eight years with the woman. A woman he couldn't even picture yet he'd spent eight years with her.

"What are you boys talking about?"

Reggie questioned as he sat across from his son.

"Regius's memory loss."

Sean joked but Regius could see the twitch in his father's hand.

"Son you lost your memory?"

Regius shook his head, a part of him wanted to keep this from the man, while another part of him. The part that told his father everything wanted to blurt it out.

"No, Sean's just clowning me because I can't remember my life before Compton."

Regius answered.

"That's because you didn't have one before here."

Reggie's voice was stern.

"You two need to stop living in the past and focus on the present. What's right in front of you because God knows you two have a lot to be thankful for."

The atmosphere changed as his father left the two men to themselves.

Regius always felt like if he was transported to another time. A time that slapped him right across the face. One he tried to escape but never could.

"Is this about that woman? Did she try to pry into your personal life?"

Yes...

Regius shook his head.