Exiled (AmBw)

Chapter 9

Takanori POV

'Is it really you?'

'Are you the same girl from my dreams?' I thought as I stared at Layla as she slept peacefully beside me. 'It can't be.' I sat up.

For the past two years, I've been having the same reoccurring dream. I kiss a woman behind a bar wearing my ring. Then I make a promise to protect her. I could never quite make out her face. It was always too blurry to distinguish any features other than a pair of full lips. This time I could clearly see her face. I was never able to figure out whether this was a dream or a memory. At first, I thought it was just a dream, but then I could never find my ring, so I thought it might have happened. Ever so often, something would happen to jog my memory a bit like a scent or song. The last time it was lights that triggered me, I went around Tokyo, stopping in bars looking for the lights that flashed red, blue, and violet and a wall filled with liquor. Eventually, I gave up when I couldn't find any evidence that the bar in my dream was a real place. Like a sick cycle, I would have this dream the go back to obsessively looking for this woman, who I couldn't prove was real. I stopped looking when I couldn't find a trace of her.

'Is my mind playing tricks on me, or are you the woman in my dreams?' I questioned, looking at Layla. 'If you are, I'll find out soon enough.' I thought before getting up to take a shower. I needed some time to clear my mind and figure out what I should do about this new revelation.

After my shower, I wandered around the hotel room, wondering when my sleeping beauty would wake up.

'Oh yeah, I did order these, didn't I?' I thought, looking at the drink umbrellas on the table.

Layla POV

'What is that sound?' I thought, irritated by a noise that woke me up.

Layla: "Someone, anyone, please save me." I mumbled into the pillow. "I'm tired." I ruffled under the sheets while an iPhone ringtone blared aloud. "Uh okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up. Is this what you want from me?" I sleepily argued with the phone after I found it under the pillows. "Oh! Oops, not my phone." I said, realizing it was Takanori's phone. My eyes slowly focused on the words on the screen. Katsuhiro. "Takanori! Takanori!" I yelled, looking for him. "You missed a call," I said, stumbling around until I heard his voice.

Takanori: "I'm out here." he yelled.

I walked out onto the balcony, where I heard his voice.

I'm telling you, this guy has to stop looking so visually pleasing. Honestly, this is irritating me now. I'm out here looking like a truck hit me, and he's out here looking photoshoot ready.

He was resting against the balcony's railing, in an armhole shirt that showed off his arms, and jogger pants.

Takanori: "Well, good morning, beautiful. Were you looking for me?" he asked after standing up properly to talk to me.

Layla: "Um yeah, your phone was ringing." I handed him his phone.

Takanori: "Oh, okay. Thanks." he said before putting it in his pocket.

Layla: "Are you not going to see who called?" I asked.

Takanori: "Nope, if they need me, they will call again." he said, going back to what he was doing before I interrupted him.

Layla: "Whatcha doing?" I curiously stepped closer, looking at what he was fiddling around within his hands.

Takanori: "Writing on umbrellas." he said, not taking his focus off what he was doing.

Layla: "Oh, okay." I paused before I spoke again. "Why?" I asked, baffled by what he was doing.

Takanori: "Because it's what I do." he replied.