Chapter 3 Three

Rachel

"Ahhh," I groaned, adjusting my eyes to light. The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room.

God, my head hurts so badly. I tried to recall the events from last night, but my memory was hazy.

I massaged my temples with my hand, hoping to get some relief, and turned my head to the side of the bed, only to come face to face with Jayce. His tousled hair and peaceful expression brought a sense of comfort amidst my pounding headache. As I watched him sleep, fragments of the previous night's adventures began to resurface in my mind, filling in the gaps in my memory.

Wait, now I remember that I was drunk yesterday and had a fight with Jayce; after that, he carried me in his car. Then, what happened next-I don't remember-and how I ended up coming into Jayce's house and in his bed

I checked my clothes quickly, but nothing seemed unusual. I'm still wearing the same clothes that I wore yesterday. Jayce seems to wear PJs and a t-shirt, which seems odd. He is a naked sleeper and doesn't like clothes in bed.

So, nothing happened last night, so why am I here? Wait, I confessed my feelings while drunk to Jayce.

Shit, Shit shitt.. what've I done? I don't want a relationship. Commitments make things worse, and who knows that better than I do?

I have seen my mother, who was not once happy with my dad and yet never divorced, and I've faced it myself too in the past. I remember the pain and heartbreak that came with trying to make a relationship work. It's not something I want to go through again.

Shit drunk, Rachel You made quite a mess, Rachel.

Good thing Jayce is still asleep; maybe if I'm lucky, I can sneak out and never look back.

Yeah, I can go to my old house; no one here knows the old address, and no one can find me there, not even Jayce.

Move Rachel, I signed, staring at the last glance at the sleeping and handsome face of Jayce. I took a deep breath, reminding myself of the pain I had experienced in the past. I couldn't let myself fall into that trap again. With a heavy heart, I quietly slipped out of the room, leaving behind the mess and memories.

This is the last time I can see him. I don't want that image of him to ever fade from my mind. As I closed the door behind me, I made a silent promise to cherish that final image of Jayce forever.

"I'm sorry," I said, silently leaving everything that I had in the past, like a coward.

This is good for both of us. We never wanted anything serious, but I let my feelings rule over my mind, which disappointed both of us. Only if I leave can we both be happy, living our lives as if nothing happened.

I know Jayce doesn't consider me someone more than an employee, and just because we share the bed doesn't mean that we both can share each other's hearts. It's time for me to accept that our relationship was purely physical and not meant to be anything more.

*******

Jayce

I smiled at myself even if I was half asleep, but I'm happy because I know after today things will only get better and change for the better.

I moved to the side of my bed, scanning the space that seemed cold beneath my touch. With my senses on alert, I opened my eyes, looking at the space where Rachel was sleeping last night, but now she is nowhere to be found. Confusion washed over me as I tried to make sense of the empty space beside me.

Jumping out of bed, I took rapid steps, scanning every inch of my house, hoping to somehow find Rachel, but no matter how much I tried, she was nowhere near my sight. My heart sank as the realization hit me-she was gone.

I signed, sitting on the edge of the bed with my hands on my head. "Why?" I groaned, wanting to express the stress and anger beneath my heart in words. But I can't; it's no use right now. I then grabbed my phone, calling Rachel again and again, but the phone was switched off.

I paced around my house, blaming myself again and again, if only I wasn't a fool. Accept the feeling in my heart that things would be better; maybe I'm too late.

Shut up! I shouted, grabbing my car keys and phone without even caring to change my clothes. I made my way to Rachel's apartment. I need to be quick; I said driving the fastest and safest as legally I can.

Rachel, don't you dare to leave me when I've built enough courage to accept my feelings for you.

I quickly parked my car in front of the apartment building. Running to the door, only to be disappointed with it being locked.

Rachel, why are you hiding? I paced around her front door, nearly losing my mind, finding no way to contact Rachel.

Shit... I punched the wall closest to me, thinking of finding some comfort from my anxiety, but nothing helped; it only hurt me physically this time too.

I scanned my knuckle, which was now bruised and throbbing badly, but at least it helped distract me, even for a bit.

'Rachel,' I sighed her name, playing with the bracelet on my wrist. It was a gift from Rachel, and in many ways, it was just a replica of her personality-sweet and quirky and yet mysterious in some way. And for now, this is the only thing close to me that reminds me of her other than the memories I created with her. I touched the bracelet once more, promising one thing: that I'll find Rachel one day, and that day I will confess everything unknown, even the closet in my life, to her, and even if even after that, her feeling remains unchanged for me, I'll leave her and never look back, living my life as before, alone, dedicated to my works. Because I can't dream of falling for anyone but her in this lifetime.

Until then, my quest to find my mysterious Rachel starts now.