One Chris

Chapter 3

Chris took a deep breath as he approached the living room, still adjusting to the unfamiliar clothes that he had found. His mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions and fractured memories. While he was getting dressed, he saw photos and others trinkets of his new past everywhere in his room. Eve was sitting on the couch, her face a blend of concern and confusion, while Wyatt stood nearby with an uncomfortable look. He gave her some shy glance, trying to find something to say, but she was ignoring him like he wasn't even there.

"Do I bother you?" Chris said, entering the room.

Eve stood and rushed to him, putting her arm around him. She took Chris's head in her hands and kissed him passionately. He noticed then that her clothes had suddenly changed. She wasn't wearing her big pajama and her dressing gown anymore, but a sexy little night dress. She was certainly tempting, but he had something else in mind.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your clothes, they changed..."

"You don't know?" Eve said, surprised.

"No... That's kinda why we need to talk" Chris said, his voice steady but lacking warmth.

Chris invited her to sit down, then came beside her at a safe distance, his posture rigid. He glanced at her, feeling a bit guilty, but it was quickly overshadowed by the urgency he was feeling. "Listen, it's gonna be complicated to explain but basically, I'm from another timeline. In that timeline I had to time travel to change things and now that it is done, I'm back in this timeline with no memory of it." Eve's eyes widened. After a silence, he added, "I'm not sure if it was very clear..."

She reached out to touch his hand, but Chris slipped it away.

"You don't remember anything?" Eve whispered, shocked.

Chris shook his head slowly. "I don't remember you, or us. I know... well, I guessed that you're supposed to be my girlfriend, but I don't have any recollection of how we met or what I felt for you before. I didn't even remember your name before my parents told me."

Eve's face fell. She stared at him, her eyes welling up with tears. "I can't believe you don't remember me! Really? We've been together for so long. And when you look at me now, there's nothing?"

Chris struggled to maintain his composure, trying to suppress any emotional reaction. "No." he simply said, very serious. "From my point of view, I just met you today. I mean, you're gorgeous but, that's it."

"Well... thanks, I guess... But what are we gonna do now?" Eve said, looking out for Wyatt's help.

"Maybe there's a way to jog your memory, it's gonna be okay, we'll find out something" Wyatt answered, trying to sound reassuring.

"It is possible, I suppose, but it is not that simple. There's someone else. Someone I met in my other life. Her name is Bianca. I loved her deeply before everything changed and I need to find her. I don't know if she's alive or where she might be, but she was important to me."

Eve's expression turned to one of profound hurt. She stood up abruptly, her body trembling as she turned away from him. "So, you're saying that I mean nothing to you?"

Chris felt a bit sorry to be so abrupt, but he remained emotionally distant. He didn't know her, not really. "It's not about meaning nothing. It's about what I remember and what I need to do. We were engaged, and we promised to find each other again. I can't ignore that because some things in my life changed. My other life is pulling me in a different direction. I'm just being honest with you."

Tears streamed down Eve's cheeks as she looked at him one last time, her face a mixture of sorrow and disbelief. "Oh... I'm just a thing... Like a toy you're tired of?"

Without another word, Eve suddenly disappeared. Surprised, Chris looked at his brother, but he didn't seem to see anything strange. "Where did she go? She can blink?"

"Of course not... she can become invisible, but she's still here." Wyatt said, with some anger in his voice. He didn't understand his brother right now. I wasn't like him to be so harsh, even without memory.

Chris knew he should feel worse, but it was hard to muster strong emotions for someone he didn't really remember. The whole situation felt surreal.

As Chris sat there, Wyatt stepped forward, his expression serious. "Chris, you can't just leave things like this. Eve loves you. You can't just abandon her like that."

Chris's eyes narrowed as he turned to face his brother. "Stay out of this, Wyatt. You don't understand."

Wyatt shook his head, frustration evident in his eyes. "But Eve doesn't deserve this. She's been there for you through everything."

Chris's anger flared. "You don't get it, Wyatt. You weren't the one who saw everything go to hell. You weren't the one who had to fight to fix it. Bianca was there for me, and she was everything I had. I have to find her."

Wyatt stepped closer, his voice firm. "I don't know what happened to you there, but things are clearly different now. You need to give this life a chance. You need to give Eve a chance."

Chris stood up, his frustration boiling over. "You think I can just forget about Bianca? You think I can just pretend everything's fine when I don't even remember this life? I'm not staying here while there's a chance Bianca's out there."

Wyatt looked at him with a mixture of sympathy and determination. "Chris, running away won't solve anything. Maybe you should wait a bit, don't rush things..."

Chris glared at his brother, his mind clouded with memories of the dark life he had fought to change. He couldn't trust him. Not after everything. "Just stay out of my way." Chris ordered.

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Wyatt standing there, a look of sorrow and resolve on his face. As he stepped outside, the weight of his decisions settled heavily on him, and he couldn't escape the sense of loss and regret that followed him.

"What am I doing?" Chris whispered to himself.

He knew his actions were hurting people, but the memories of Bianca were clear and powerful, and he felt compelled to find her, no matter the cost.