Please Forget Me - Chapter 250

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Something on fire was falling right above my head.

“Get down!”

The boy shouted, throwing himself over me to shield me.

“Ugh!”

“Aaaaah!”

The burning debris landed right on him. The impact made us lose our footing, and together we tumbled from the third floor all the way to the ground. My last memory of that day is hitting my head and losing consciousness.

I retraced the memory I’d just recovered, and as I did, I couldn’t take my eyes off the broad back of the man standing by the wide-open window, watching the world outside.

“Killian.”

“It’s alright. The fire won’t spread here, so don’t worry—just get some rest.”

“Did I ever get trapped in a burning building as a child?”

His hand paused on the window latch. Killian turned to look at me slowly, his entire figure silhouetted black by the red glow behind him. I couldn’t see his expression, but I could feel it—the shock rippling through him.

“You saved me, didn’t you? That’s how you got the burn on your back, isn’t it?”

“How did you…?”

So I was right. My memory had come back—Killian really was the one.

“I remember now!”

I jumped out of bed and ran straight into Killian’s arms.

“Oh my god, my love… I can’t believe I forgot how you rescued me like a true knight. Do you know how grateful I was? I just wanted to shower you with kisses.”

I grabbed his face and kissed him over and over, everywhere I could reach. The whole time, Killian stood there frozen in shock.

And why wouldn’t he be? I hadn’t told him yet that my memories were coming back. I thought he’d be happy, just like me, once the shock wore off. But—

“Why… why are you only remembering this now?”

His voice sounded almost accusing.

“How much do you remember?”

I told him what I’d just recalled: being trapped in a burning building, Killian rescuing me, waiting for the ladder, and falling together when burning wreckage dropped on us.

“That’s all I remember—up to that point.”

“What about before that?”

I shook my head.

“All I remember from before then is my grandmother. After being scolded, or shut in the closet for punishment.”

“And after we fell?”

“I don’t remember anything after that, either.”

I tried to remember, staring at the burning building across the street, but nothing else surfaced.

“It’s always like this. My memories come back in fragments, with gaps in between.”

“…Always? How long have you been regaining your memory?”

“I’m not exactly sure. But I started getting bits and pieces back when we were living in Eisenthal.”

“…”

“Mostly things from the army base. The big square in front of the field hospital, the church and the priest there… I even remember the moment I saw you again at the hospital. But it’s all in pieces—and not much, really.”

I added that last part because I worried Killian might get his hopes up and then be disappointed if he thought I was getting all my old memories back.

But for some reason, the more I answered, the paler he seemed to become, instead of relieved.

“…Killian? Are you okay?”

“You told me… you told me you didn’t remember anything.”

“Oh…”

When I thought Dana was someone else and believed Killian had another woman, I’d lied to him about my memories coming back. I hadn’t trusted him, so I kept it a secret.

“I’m sorry. I thought you were with someone else, and… I lied because I didn’t trust you.”

Killian stared at me, so full of fear that even I felt uneasy.

“You… so you remembered… but even then, why…?”

What did he mean? He broke off, so I couldn’t tell what he was trying to ask. I looked at him in confusion, and Killian let out a deep sigh—of relief, or maybe disappointment, I couldn’t tell.

“Isn’t it good that I’ve gotten my memory back?”

“It is.”

Killian replied, forcing a smile. But his eyes didn’t smile at all. He hugged me, and the false smile faded from his face. His hand, stroking my hair, was shaking.

“It’s good. Really…”

But he didn’t sound hopeful. He sounded devastated.

* * *

That afternoon, we went to the post office again. There was still no telegram or letter addressed to Killian’s initials.

No answer from his brother. It has been four days now.