My Phobia Man

27. The Lost Memory

"TALAYYY!" I shouted, but it was too late, the doors were already closed. Like crazy, I kept pressing the button, but the little light above showed that the elevator was already going down.

With panic pulsating under my veins, I rushed to the stairs to catch the elevator before Talay had an attack.

DAMN! I missed it on the sixth floor, so I ran down again, my bare feet producing no sound on the stone steps. As I learned from my mistake, I didn't stop on the fifth floor, rather continued to the fourth floor. There, I pushed the button with full force and managed to catch the elevator.

That marvellous ding sound mixed into my heavy breathing and the doors opened.

"TALAYY!" I shouted unwittingly, seeing my boyfriend was half lying on the elevator floor with a shocked expression. I pulled him up to my arms and exited the elevator immediately.

"Talay! Look at me!" I patted his pale cheeks lightly and the haze dissipated from his eyes.

"Veera?" he sighed in relief and buried his head on my chest.

Fearing he might catch a cold, I pulled him on my lap and hugged him tightly. His light frame continued to tremble for a while, but then he relaxed in my arms.

"Veera, I remember what happened in the elevator," he whispered, his voice muffled in my shoulder.

I froze, but recomposed myself rather quickly. With difficulty, I rose to my feet, pulling Talay up too. Then, I passed an arm under his knees and lifted him off the ground in bridal style.

"I am okay," he said with a hoarse voice, "I will tell you wh-"

"Not now, rest a bit," I said and started to walk up the stairs. When we arrived at my flat, I put him on the bed and grabbed a clean t-shirt from the wardrobe. Although he said he was okay, I helped him to change his sweat-soaked t-shirt with mine, and then handed him a glass of water.

"I am really okay," he reassured me, holding my hand.

Only then, my heart calmed down a bit. As he was okay, then I could finally scold him. "You shouldn't have done that, do you have any idea how scared I was?" I asked with a hard glare.

"I am sorry," he caressed my fingers, "I was out of my mind, but I finally know what happened. Well, not all of it, but still..."

"Will you do it again?" I asked coldly, ignoring his words. Of course, I was dying to know what happened, but my priority was the safety of my boyfriend.

"No, never... I am sorry, Veera," he promised with an apologetic yet loving gaze and I forgave him.

"Now tell me."

Reading in between lines, Talay smiled softly and started to tell me what he remembered.

"I was trapped inside the elevator, my body aching terribly with the injuries they bore. I thought I was going to die, but then a voice called me from up. Raising my head, I saw a firefighter, reaching his hand down towards me. He wanted me to grab onto him, but it was impossible for me to move. I told him this, he soothed me softly. Then his head disappeared for a second before he started to come down. Once there, he tied a rope around me carefully while telling me about his baby brother..."

"Me..." I whispered and Talay nodded, squeezing my hand.

"... he told me that I should be at the same age as you, and like me, you were a fighter too. When he was done, he called out to someone and the rope started to pull me up. Then I heard another explosion and the elevator cabin moved down a bit..."

He started to sob, so I rubbed his back, trying to help him calm down.

"... I begged him to grab my hand so that we could go up together, but he shook his head. He must have known that the robe wouldn't carry both of us... He asked me to pass you a message, saying he loves you so much, but I insisted that he should say it on his own. He just shook his head with a painful smile and said it again; 'tell Veera how much his brother loved him.' Then... you know... I am so sorry, I forgot..."

"Hssh," I pulled him on my chest and caressed his hair, "thank you for remembering." Although he wasn't aware, he really gave me a conclusion. Thanks to him, I verified that my brother was a hero one more time, and learned his final words, which turned out to be related to me.

.

.

"What are you doing here?!" Talay shouted with shock when he saw me sitting on the most secluded table where he worked.

"Having lunch?" I teased him.

He shook his hand, meaning stop. He checked around before saying "are you okay? I can take you out from the staff door."

The worry in his voice filled my heart with happiness. Smiling, I said "I am okay, it is not that crowded." Then I grabbed his hand and directed him to the seat across from mine.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, leaning on the table.

"Yes," I said firmly, and before Talay could ask again, his co-worker brought our lunch.

"Enjoy," she said with an allusive smile, looking at Talay, and left.

"I am still working," Talay said apologetically as he exchanged a glance between me and the plate.

"No, you are not," I said with a smirk, "I talked with your charming boss, she kindly agreed to give you a half day off."

He looked at me with a slightly opened mouth for a second, "you asked my boss for a half-day off for me?"

I nodded.

"She agreed without a fuss?"

"Well, she charged me for thirty cups of coffee, but still..."

"Why? How?"

"I don't know why specifically thirty, may-"

"Not that," he slapped me lightly on the arm for teasing him, "why did you come here and ask for a leave for me?" he asked with wondering eyes.

"Because you need to rest," I said scoldingly, "you clearly don't remember, but you had an attack yesterday and we slept at five in the morning. You still have a puffy face, yet you insisted on coming to work," I counted with my fingers, "therefore, I came to treat you to lunch before I take you home. Aah, also coffee! We have to divide fifteen-fifteen between us."

Talay blinked the tears away and chuckled after hearing the last part. Holding my hand over the table, he said "I must have saved a village or something in my previous life; otherwise, I don't know how I deserved a lover like you."

"Funny," I kissed his hand, "I was thinking the same."

"By the way, this is our first time eating out."

"I hope there will be a second time."

"...?"

"After drinking fifteen cups per person, I hope we will survive." It was funny how much I liked to tease him although I had never done it with anyone else. Love?

A slap.

"Ouch! Stop hitting my arm!"