Tearing Paper

Danger

Ella stared at the plastic sunflowers sitting by the window, its petals stiffly swaying with the evening breeze. She scoffed.

They were not real flowers. They were not born to dance in the wind-they were just created to look beautiful, but if you took a closer look, you would realize that they were empty.

That they would never amount to be anything but decorations in a dull white room.

Maybe that was what her relationship was with Nate.

After six years of the never-ending I-love-yous, she never imagined Nate would just simply say that he did not love her like he thought he did.

What made her worship him on her knees, even when he treated her like that?

Ella quickly blinked to stop the tears that were starting to collect in her hazel eyes when she heard the door open.

"You have a visitor. He said he wanted to meet you."

Ella did not say a word until the nurse left. She stared blankly at the stranger standing by her bed, trying to figure out if he was yet another unravelled memory in her head.

"I don't know you," she finally said.

"That, I'm sure," the man grinned.

Ella frowned at him. He was possibly just as old as her-maybe a little bit older, but surely he looked much more mature. He had dark hair that messily ran down his nape. As he looked back at Ella with his deep green eyes, she knew he was up to something.

"You better tell me what you're doing here before I call the nurse," Ella snapped at him quickly.

"I don't intend any harm. Although-I've been sexually deprived for so long now, I would still respect a beautiful girl like you," his lips curved into a cunning smile. "I'll start off friendly. I'm Lucio."

"I've heard no Lucio in my entire life," Ella replied in confusion. "But-I'm here because I've just recovered from-"

"Temporary memory loss. Caused by an accident by the river a few months ago. But your memory is totally fine now," Lucio read her like a book. "I research."

"I never knew you would be that interested in me," Ella smiled haughtily. She heard Lucio chuckle with his low voice. She did not know what was that about him that started to make the blood under her skin rush-maybe it was the danger. Danger resonated from every glare, every word and every move he made in that hospital room.

"Nah, not you. I'm much more interested about the guy who saved you-when you fainted by the same river a few days ago. And you better tell me about him. No, actually-you must."