Till We Remember: A Reset Love Story

Chapter 4: Between Pages and Heart

A week passed since our last meeting. I felt sorry for being mad at Ben, even though he didn't do anything wrong. But the idea of seeing him with someone else hurt too much.

To avoid running into him, I went to the library instead of the café. I wanted to read about a mysterious pill and heard rumors that it was losing its effectiveness. People seemed to be becoming immune to it. Suddenly, Ben's familiar voice interrupted my peace.

     "Adeline?" he said. I faced him, feeling a mix of emotions.

"How do you know my name?" I asked coldly, hoping he remembered.

     "The Notebook," he replied.

Disappointment hit me again. "Why are you here?" I asked.

     "I need to find books," he said.

"In this small library in the city?" I asked annoyed.

     "Yeah."

"Is that book really important?" I questioned

     "Very," he said, smiling at me intensely, making me fall for him again.

"Okay, take your time," I said, moving to the opposite side.

     "Can you help me look for it?" he asked, sounding demanding.

Seeing him is hard enough, but it hurts more that he acts like the Ben I Know. It stings because, Ben used to ask for my help when we fought, just like he always did, but now he doesn't remember any of it, he remains the familiar Ben, unaware of us.

I felt restless. I wanted to run away because I was scared of getting my hopes up and getting hurt. But my heart wanted to stay.

"What book are you looking for?" I asked.

     "I don't know," he replied. I gave him a skeptical look, wondering if he was just wasting my time.

"Then I won't help," I started to say, but he interrupted.

     "I'm looking for someone," he said. "Someone pretty, with eyes that transform like nature in sunlight, endless sarcasm, full of boldness, and I don't have to talk to make her understand that my heart is hers."

"Did she make you talk about her to me because of what I did?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't see my despair. I cursed the government pill, thinking that they altered the memories of me to another woman in his brain.

     "No, it was the girl in my dreams, the one I believed I loved deeply before the reset," he explained.

Ben's words hit me like a surprise. It was similar to what I experienced, a dream but was actually a forgotten memory. I felt confused because it sounded like he was searching for me. I had mixed feelings—I wanted to protect myself from getting hurt, but I also wanted to be with him again.

I took a moment to think about what he said. It felt strange that he didn't remember me, but I understood him as I too struggled with the buried memories. I agreed to help him figure out about pills and memories. We spent a long time in the library, looking for clues. It reminded me of the times we snuggled, and he would read books I didn't think he'd like

In the quiet library corners, Ben shared pieces of his dreams about this girl. He talked about a connection that went beyond memory, a girl who captured his heart before the reset.

As we kept looking for clues, things got a bit confusing between us. He was looking at me a lot, and before I knew it, he had his arm around my waist, pulling me close.

"I'm Adeline," I said, looking at him. When he didn't believe me, he insisted that we knew each other, I said, "No."

     "Why are you lying," he insisted. He then told me he couldn't wait to see me again since we met at the café. It was confusing, and he got closer, holding onto my waist.

     "Why do I want to hold you down?" he asked, waiting for me to answer.

A sudden realization struck me – the image of his girlfriend tightly holding his arm surfaced in my mind, making me ponder if he had whispered sweet words to her as well.

Feeling upset, I pushed him again and asked if his girlfriend knew he was acting this way with me. Without waiting for an answer, I walked past him.

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The next day, I realized I couldn't find my notebook. I looked everywhere, even went back to the library, but it wasn't there. I felt really sad and hopeless like the gloomy sky matched how I felt after all the bad things that happened.

Taking shelter at a nearby café, waiting for the rain to subside, I spotted him standing drenched in the downpour. Without hesitation, I ran to him, pulling him into the rain-soaked haven. Worried, I held his face to get a proper look. He appeared lifeless, forcing me to hold his hand and take him home as it was nearby.

When we entered my house, gesturing for him to sit, I began wiping his wet hair. Suddenly, he pulled me into a close embrace making me sit in his lap, our soaked clothes almost melding our skin.

     "Don't leave me again like that," Ben mumbled. I tried to stand up just for him to tighten his embrace.

     "Adeline, please hear me," Ben began. "I have a girlfriend, and in my mind, it's like we share these memories that are so real like someone put them there on purpose."

I stopped struggling and just went quiet, waiting for him to continue.

     "But, you see," he continued, "even with all these memories, my heart tells me I don't love her. It's like I'm stuck between the woman in my dreams and the reality of my girlfriend."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, pushing him away slightly to study his face.

     "It's you, isn't it? The girl in my dreams," he declared, connecting the dots

Tears fell down my cheek as I couldn't find the right words,

     "You were such a crybaby even in my dreams," he remarked, gently caressing my cheek.

"I finally found you," his soft voice soothed me as he displayed a relieved smile.

"Go away," I pridefully blurted out, not wanting him to see me

     "You don't have to say anything right now; just let me speak," he commanded, a plea in his eyes.

     "When we met, it was then that I found the courage to face and leave the fake memories, and when I met you in the library, it was then I realized that the woman in my dreams was you all along."

     "I miss you. Even when I didn't have memories and was left with lies, I know I miss you every day. You're the only one real in this world for me," Ben added, laying bare his emotions.

     His gaze, filled with love, made my heart feel like it was on the verge of exploding. His eyes dropped to my lips under the warmth of our wet bodies. With a slight movement, he brought his face closer to mine, locking eyes and murmuring, I want to remember our first kiss."

My hands trembled as I ran them down his shoulder and whispered, I also forget what it's like.

    "You're killing me, please let me kiss you, till we remember, he pleaded, showing his eagerness to my answer.

In response, I pecked his lips, a silent acknowledgment of his plea. He looked at me as if I had finally snapped his last straw of patience, wasting no time as he carried me to my room, our lips continuing to collide in a cascade of emotion.

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*FANART CTTO*