RESURFACING MEMORIES

"Because you are one of those girls that know nothing. You just want someone that could obey you and provide you with all the luxuries you want. And that includes sleeping around too. So tell me, how many guys have you slept around with, before you came here, declaring that you love me" He whispered harshly before screaming at the guards to take her away. He stood up, his hands clenched to his sides, before he turned around storming towards me. Before I could process anything, his lips crashed into mine.

We let go, completely breathless. I turned red when I heard Blake snickering. Hayden smiled as I hid my beetroot red face in his chest.

"Man, you are whipped" He commented, making a whooshing sound.

"Oh, what about Vanessa? Have you had any luck yet?" Hayden teased Blake, who started sulking.

"Just because you have found the one doesn't mean the whole world has" He snapped at Hayden who smirked at him.

"Who is Vanessa?" I asked them to which Blake became more sulky and Hayden laughed at him teasingly.

"She is Blake's crush who doesn't even look at him" He laughed.

"SHUT UP and she doesn't even know that I like her" Blake looked like a child who didn't get his favorite candy.

"Who says she doesn't know?" Hayden answered mischievously. Blake looked at him in disbelief.

"You didn't.." He shakes his head in a No before pouncing at Hayden. Just as he jumped on him, the door opened and a girl entered. Blake stilled his hand still in mid air.

"Hi, I am Clare and you must be Vanessa" I held out my hand which she shaked.

"Yup, I am Vanessa. Hayden messaged me" She turned towards Hayden.

"Well, you know, this is my fiancé Clare and we were going on a date then Blake came. So I decided that instead of him third wheeling, why don't we go on a double date?" Blake choked on his saliva.

"Sure, why not. When is it?" She replied cheerfully.

"Blake will pick you up. Seven exact" Hayden replied, removing Blake's hand off his neck.

"Well, I came in a cab. Can you ask your driver to drop me at my apartment?" She asked Hayden.

"Ummm, He is running some errands, but Blake can drop you off" He pushed Blake in front of her who looked like he was gobsmacked.

"Yeah, sure why not," Blake said, nervousness evident in his voice. He opened the door for her and Vanessa walked outside.

"Do I look okay?" He turned around from the door.

"Yes, leave" This time I pushed him out of the office.

"You at least should have told me that you messaged her. Thank god, my brain was fast enough to come up with something" Hayden scolded, taking his phone from my hand.

"Well, Blake was looking so sulky, I decided to help him out a bit" I sat down on the sofa.

"I want to meet Selena at night" I closed my eyes, resting my head.

"But what about dinner?" Hayden looked up from his phone confused.

"Well, if Blake can't make a move, I say, push 'em. Book a table for two under your name. They can have their very own date. I need to go see Selena about that token." I told him my plan. He shook his head typing away on his phone.

It was nearly seven thirty when Hayden's phone buzzed. It was Blake.

"Where are you guys? We are waiting" The phone was on loudspeaker and Blake's nervous voice filled the car.

"We had to go somewhere in a hurry. I am sorry we can't come" Hayden answered him and dropped the call before Blake could whine. I was resting with my eyes closed. Hayden looked at me carefully. We stopped at the signal and I awoke with a start. A stray tear escaped my eyes but I kept still clenching the sides of the car seat. Hayden looked at me worriedly. I nodded at him in assurance that I was okay. Not convinced, he stopped the car in front of a mart and went inside. Minutes later, he emerged from the shop carrying a shopper. He sat down in the car and gave me a bottle of juice. I drank the whole bottle in one go.

"What happened?" After a while Hayden asked me.

"My memories. They are resurfacing. The ones that happened but I had long forgotten them. They are coming back as flashbacks. Ones that were too terrifying. I had forgotten them. But now they are haunting me. I am having re-collections of them. That is why I wanted to see Selena. She knows something about them" I sniffled, realizing that my face was now tear stained. Hayden handed me a tissue, reversing the car back on the road. Twenty minutes later we were outside her house.

"Oh my gosh, what happened?" She looked alarmed at my tear stained face and called us inside.

"Are you okay, did something happen? What happened, Was it that bitch Amy? I swear..." Her sentence was left in complete as I sat down on the floor, my sobs now louder as I hugged myself, shivering.

"Don't touch me" I harshly backed off when Hayden tried to comfort me. He stopped in his place, looking at my panic stricken face, confused.

"That night on my birthday, when it was raining, someone tried to take advantage of me. Who was it?" I spoke incoherently due to my sobbing. Selena stilled at the mention of the event.

"No, nothing happened" She walked towards me.

"TELL ME EACH AND EVERYTHING. WHAT HAPPENED?" I screamed at her, trying to quiet down my sobs. She looked at Hayden helplessly, whose eyes were now red in anticipation.

"My parents put some enchantment on me in order to forget everything that happened when I lived at the mansion when they tried to run away from what they were destined to do. Somehow, upon entering and living at that place, my memories have returned. The enchantments done on me are broken. You are an Atlas. You must know something about this" Selena looked at me defeatedly. She unclasped the pendant from my neck. The pendant I have been wearing since I could remember. It was my mothers. A blue rock with a gold chain that held it as if it was something precious. The rock was now jet black. I looked towards Selena questioningly.

"Your mother wanted you to forget any bad that happened to you in the past. That is why you only remembered the happy ones. Perhaps she wanted to lighten down the guilt, that you were never given the childhood you deserved. This necklace had those memories. You might want to forget them but they are a part of your life" She was looking at the ground.

"And the predator, who was he?" My voice was now dead cold.

"Blaine Tobias" She replied.

"Blaine, Blaine. Is he related to Aubrey Blaine somehow?" Hayden asked, recognizing the name.

"Yes, she is her wife" Selena assured the relationship. I clenched my teeth, squeezing my hands, trying to calm the raging lion inside me.

"Where can I find him?" I asked her, my voice dead serious.

"He is dead" She informed us. I banged my fist on the counter and she flinched.

"Is there anyone remaining on that line?" Hayden asked her.

"No, all dead. Amy killed them all" She poured herself a glass of water. I took a deep breath and walked towards the sofa and sat down, closing my eyes in the process.

"What about the token?" I asked.

"It is hidden in London. I myself do not know where it is,” She replied.

"You are the descendant of Atlas. You can find it. Try" I told her, standing up and walking towards the door. Hayden got up and followed her outside. I came outside taking a breath of fresh air. I sat in the car and Hayden drove the car out of Selena's neighborhood towards the highway.