Remember Us

Chapter: 8 (Unedited)

Natalie tossed and turned in bed all night. She had been tired for weeks. Why couldn't she sleep?

She changed sides and cursed. She had laid down, thinking she'd be sleeping in a matter of minutes but no. She was wide awake. What was wrong with her?

She sat up in bed and ran her hands through her hair. She pulled a cushion and hugged it to her chest. Carmine was alive. She was engaged to be married to Dave.

So, what was wrong? Everything was back and perfect. Only Carmine had lost his memories. His memories. That jerk!

He actually went and did it. Forgot about them! How could he forget about them just like that?

They've been together since childhood. He had turned 8 when Carmine's family moved here from England. Carmine and Natalie were fast friends. And then best friends.

Their families were close too which was why they both called each other's mothers mom.

Natalie glanced at her side table.

There was a picture of them. Carmine had been leaving for his military college that day and it took all of her effort not to cry but still he saw her tears. He had been quiet at the time but later he wrote to her and teased her about it.

Caroline had insisted on a picture of them and this one was it.

Natalie was wearing her yellow floral dress in it and Carmine was in his uniform. She was smiling at the camera but Carmine was looking at her. Natalie had always been confused about his expression in this picture.

It was... tender. Somehow. She wasn't sure. His expressions were more of teasing, annoying, anger, embarrassment, happiness or excitement.
But he had never wore this expression in front of her or for her. Never.

Until today.

Today, he was different. He was Carmine. Yes. But a different one. She, his best friend, saw another side of him. A new side.

He made her uneasy today. No man has ever made her uneasy. Not even her father or Dave. But today Carmine did. He got her heart beat running fast.

Natalie threw the cushion aside.

"What is happening? What the hell am I reading nowadays? I haven't been watching The Notebook, right? Dear John? The Vow? Or Sleepless in Seattle? Or Twilight? Then why am I thinking like a lunatic?" She kept on mumbling.

She looked at her phone. Dave. She should talk to him. He had been quiet after lunch. Both of them had nothing to say to each other at the time as they were too deep in their thoughts. His mother had called him and ordered him home.

She snatched her phone from the side table and bit her lip, contemplating.

She looked at the wall clock. It was 11 at night. He was probably asleep. She didn't want to hear a lecture and hidden taunts again on calling him late and then getting him late or lazy for office from his mother. She always finds out.

Natalie got up from her bed. She was wearing a long baggy peach color top that reached her knee. She wore her white room slippers, pulled her hair back with her hands and tied them in a pony tail then walked out of her room.

She walked into kitchen and got herself a glass of orange juice. Her parents were sleeping and Alexa was probably studying. She was a complete, pure nerd. But a lovely sister.
She was close to Karen too. But Karen was too wild for her sometimes. And after her marriage, they both were too busy for sister time.
Plus, Karen had her hands full with Sierra. A complete copy of her mother. Poor Zack. Natalie chuckled.