Chapter 1 Long time, no see

Allison

I opened my eyes to the sound of muffled moans and slurping noises coming from the other side of the thin hospital wall.

"Yes, baby, yes..." a woman's voice cooed.

"You like this?" A man's voice responded, followed by more moaning and groaning.

"Yes, please, more!" she begged shakily.

I rubbed my aching head, annoyed. "Fuck!" I snarled, throwing off the covers. "Who the hell has sex in a hospital room?"

I got out of bed and slammed my fist against the wall. "Can't you see patients are trying to sleep here?"

The noise stopped, and I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," I muttered, rolling my eyes and lying back down.

Just as I was about to go back to sleep, the door creaked open. I quickly opened my eyes and saw my mom walking in, a warm smile on her face.

"Are you awake, sweetie?" she asked, taking out a food flask from her bag. "I brought you some soup. You must be hungry."

I sat up, brushing the hair out of my face. "Mom?" I called, and she turned to me still wearing that smile.

"When can I leave here?" I asked, letting out a tired sigh. "I swear that I'm fine now."

My mom's expression turned stern as she offered me the flask and a spoon. "You can't leave until you've completed your treatment, Allison, and don't worry, it's in a few days, okay?"

I let out another deep sigh and started eating slowly. "How about changing hospitals?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "Did something happen?"

I shook my head, avoiding eye contact. "Nah, never mind."

As I ate, my gaze drifted to the cuts on my wrists. The mirror beside me also reflected the red marks on my neck. The hazy memories of my past self-harm resurfaced, but... that wasn't what landed me in the hospital.

It was the day I had run outside, hoping to get hit by a car. And that was exactly what happened. The car struck me, sending me tumbling to the ground. The last thing I heard was my mom's loud scream before I lost consciousness. I was rushed to the hospital, where I spent weeks trying to recuperate.

It was after a few weeks that I woke up. The problem was, I couldn't remember some things – why I self-harmed or why I wanted to kill myself by throwing my body into some moving vehicle.

My mom has told them that wasn't my first attempt, either. I had a history of self-harm and suicide attempts, but my memories of those events were hazy.

I still remembered when I first woke up after the surgery I had, my mom and stepdad were overjoyed. They were over the moon that I had made it through. However, my elder sister, Sally had only visited me once, and that was the next day. I never saw her again.

Probably, that was why I hated her and never responded to any of her stupid messages asking me to like her photos on Instagram. It was only my parents that always visited, always checking up on me.

"Allison?" my mom whispered, her teary eyes locked on mine.

"Yes?" I replied.

"How about going for therapy after you get discharged?" my mom asked, her voice laced with concern.

I grunted. "Why? I don't need therapy."

My mom's voice cracked. "What if you try to... to do those things you did to yourself last time?"

I sighed, rubbing the side of my face. "I promise, I won't! Besides, I've forgotten what led to that, so everything will be fine now."

"And what if you remember sooner or later?" My mom asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I promise to keep it hidden, Mom," I began, trying to reassure her. "I promise not to remember that fragment of memory."

She smiled weakly, then hugged me tightly. Afterward, she looked at me with a mix of sadness and concern on her face.

"By the way, Jayden is back from Spain. He came back yesterday and will be staying with us now."

"Jayden?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

My mom nodded quietly. I remembered Jayden, of course – he's my stepbrother who had always hated me, my sister, and my mom ever since his father married her. He never hid his feelings and had a very sharp tongue, but because my mom was such a well-behaved and calm woman, she would always let it go, smiling it off.

Jayden's father had divorced his mother and married mine just a few months later, which only fueled Jayden's resentment for his father.

"I mean, who the hell remarries after two months of divorce?!" he had yelled, tears streaming down his reddened face.

Although my sister Sally and I didn't like the situation, we had no choice but to respect our mom's wishes. She really loved and desired to marry Tommy, our stepfather, and we gave our blessing. After all, she had been lonely for six long years following my dad's sudden passing.

Jayden, on the other hand, was fiercely opposed to it, and he eventually left us in Florida to live with his maternal aunt in Spain. He had wanted to stay with his mother, but she had rejected him, saying he belonged with his father.

Poor Jayden – the world seemed to be against him.

I couldn't even remember Jayden's face anymore. It had been eight years since I last saw him, when he was 15 and I was 14. Time flew by so quickly.

"Why is he coming back?" I asked, taking a sip of water from the cup my mom handed me.

"He feels he's grown up and doesn't want to leech off his aunt anymore," she explained. "His request for a college transfer was also successful, so he'll finish his final years at Boston."

My eyes widened in surprise. "My school?"

My mom nodded. "Yes."

"When... When is he arriving?" I asked, stammering like I'd never been shocked in my entire life.

"Tonight," she replied.

I assumed I wouldn't see him since I was still in the hospital, but my mom had other plans.

"Well, I guess I'm not seeing him tonight till whenever I'm discharged."

"Of course, you'll see each other," she said. "A simple 'hello' won't hurt, will it? He'll come to see you."

I was taken aback. "So, you're saying he's going to visit me here... alone?"

"What's wrong with that?" she asked, looking puzzled.

"Everything, Mom," I sighed, feeling uneasy. "That guy literally hates me. Who knows what could happen between us here? Another round of fighting and yelling. Ugh!"

My mom laughed and shook her head. "I should leave now, sweetie. The store needs to be opened today."

I nodded quietly, and as she turned to leave, I called out, "Mom!"

She turned back, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

I asked softly, "What about Sally? Doesn't she want to see me? It's been a week already."

"I really don't know, sweetie," she replied, her voice soft. "According to Sally, she's been really busy, but don't worry, I'll talk to her, okay?"

I felt my heart clench in sadness.

"You don't have to worry," I muttered, forcing a smile. "Bye!"

She waved and left, and as soon as the door went shut, I closed the flask, pushed it aside, and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I let out a soft sigh, shut my eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

As I slept, I sensed a presence watching me. Minutes passed, but the feeling persisted. I quickly opened my eyes to find a handsome young man staring at me.

His chiseled features, glassy skin, and piercing eyes left me breathless. His black hair was stylishly messy, framing his face perfectly. He was both cute and handsome, with an undeniable charm.

My mind foggy, I wondered if I was dreaming. "Who is this prince charming?" I thought.

I reached out to touch his face, and my fingers brushed against his soft skin. "Wow, it feels so real," I whispered.

The person's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Hello, Alli," he whispered back.

Wait! only one obnoxious person would call me that.

My eyes widened in shock as I took in his face well. "Jayden?"