32. The Memories

3.13.20

Kody's POV

I opened my eyes with no clue where I am. Last I checked, I was asleep next to Prince James after sneaking with him to the market. Now I seem to be in a car heaven knows where with a castle looming in front of me. I opened the car door, yet I felt strangely weak. What the hell is going on right now?

I realised quickly that this was the very castle that I had fallen asleep in, but how did I end up outside of it? Suddenly, the door to the castle opened, and I slammed the car door closed before ducking into the foot space beneath the glove compartment.

I curled tightly in on myself, but I had somehow grown overnight. I saw a face peer into the car that I couldn't recognize through the frosted glass. The door was pulled open, and I realized that it was James.

"Why are you down there?" James asked like he knew me a lot better than he did.

"Why are you up there?" I retorted lowly. I still admired him without him knowing, and if I could kiss him, I totally would. However, his parents are crazy, so I might hold off.

"Why are you not dead?"

"Uh... Why would I be dead?"

I'm so confused. What the heck is James talking about.

"How old do you think you are?" he suddenly asked.

"What kind of question is that? I'm 22, I've told you that before!"

James pulled me out of the car, and I gave him a funny look. "This cannot be good..."

"What isn't good? Is it your parents? I will gladly get rid of them," I resolved.

"No, it isn't... They're already dead! Dammit, Kodes!"

"Um... Nice nickname, but what are you even talking about? Is it past 7?" I'm so confused! What is he talking about? He opened the door, and I was pushed inside. "James! What if your parents see us?"

A woman was at the end of the hallway, and when we walked in, she came up to us. "Nat... Just wait."

"Who the hell is she? James what is happening! Why is everything different in here?"

The woman, Nat, made a small shocked face. "He's alive," she whispered in shock.

"I was dead?" I asked no one in particular.

"He doesn't r-"

"Sh! No, he doesn't," James cut her off lowly.

"I don't what? Who is she?" I asked. I need to know what the heck is going on.

"Kody... I don't know how to say this," James began uncertainly.

"What is it? Did someone hurt you?"

"Kod-" he was interrupted by a joyful shout.

"Daddy!" A little boy shouted before running up and clinging to James.

He gently crouched in front of the little boy. He had long hair, and I noted the color's similarity to James's brown hair while he cooed, "What is it, Koda."

"Why were you sad earlier but not now?" Koda asked. He had the same curiosity as I did when I was a kid, but he can't be mine. I've only known James for a week at most.

"It's nothing, dear. I was sad until someone made me not anymore," James reassured the little kid.

"You never told me that you had a child," I stated simply.

"I didn't. Kody, you're 27. It's been five whole years since what you last recall. You... You went through a lot, and your memory was lost, but only a small chunk."

My mouth hung open slightly. This is too surreal to believe. "Ummm... What?"

Suddenly, his kid turned around, and I recognized my eyes. On a child. With James's hair.

"Okay... Uh... I'm just gonna." I turned around and just ran away like I was raised to do. On the streets, if you don't like a situation, you leave it.

James caught me easily since I was still weak from the car, and my fears resurfaced. He had told me that he wouldn't kill me, but now he seemed pretty keen on catching and confusing me.

"Please don't hurt me!" I cried out. He turned me around while I struggled against his strong grip.

"Please calm down. I promise you that I'll never hurt you, Kody," he cooed gently, but my intuition told me not to trust him. I continued trying to fight my way out of his arms, yet he held me tightly against his muscular chest.

"Let me go! Let me go right now! Plea-" I was cut off by his lips on mine. While it was everything that I ever wished for, I didn't want to kiss James in this situation, so I quickly jerked my face away from his.

"Please, Kodes," James begged lowly. I'm hurting him, but he was kind of holding me captive right now. I remembered what he said once suddenly. "You will do what I say when I say it whether or not you want to." Does it still count if he was asking for something totally unreasonable?

"I don't want this right now! Just let me go!" I screamed. I know I'm causing a scene, but I'm kind of scared out of my skin. We have only known each other for a day or two, and even if he was friendly to me last night, he could still be trying to mess with me so that he could kill me.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me deeper into the maze of hallways. This is it, this is where I die! He opened a door, and I recognized his bedroom. However, it looked completely different.

"How'd you redecorate so quickly?" I asked. My stubbornness was swallowed by the curiosity faster than I could think my words through.

"It's been four years," James answered.

"You actually think I'm going to believe that? I just met you and you're already messing with my mind!"

"Will you believe me if I get Melia to tell you?"

"How do you know Mels! If you're going to kill her too, just get it over with!" James picked up a phone and began to dial a number.

"What!" A voice shouted angrily from the other line.

"I'm going to need you to come here."

"Why would I do that?"

James looked at me with a strange expression on his face before answering, "There's been an incident."

"Fine! I'll be there in 5 hours," the irritated person replied coldly before they hung up.

James sat on the edge of his bed with a tired expression on his face. I was obviously making him stressed, but I was just waiting for something to happen. I was kind of expecting his parents to burst through the door and start shouting about getting dressed.

"Why did you kiss me?" I questioned. I couldn't get it off of my mind. It wasn't that I didn't like it; I just didn't want my first kiss with James to happen while he was keeping from leaving.

"Because I love you," he responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why do you love me? I don't bring anything to this relationship."

"Yes you do. You make me feel safer. You make me feel like no one can get to me."

I nodded my head slightly. I'm not bringing down my guard for anyone even if they say they love me.