Jen was still astounded as she looked at his confused face, his eyes locked with hers. And the familiar spark in his irises turned more mysterious each passing moment.
She tried to calm the riot in her chest and the knotting in her stomach. She swallowed, wetting her now parched throat.
What was going on with him?
She cleared her throat. "Brax..." she called him on his name again, but she felt something strange. Suddenly. But she had no clue what it was. "Ummm... do you know me?" she asked, gently. She was apprehensive and embarrassed to ask him that question. But she had to know.
His face brightened. The lines on his forehead smoothen. Curiosity suddenly exploded on his face, replacing the shadow of confusion, as he eyed her thoroughly.
He was looking at her as if she was a specimen under a microscope, and she felt heat creep to her cheeks.
She wanted to dart her eyes to the other part of the room and break their intense eye contact, but he held her gaze, and she found herself just looking at him.
"You are certainly a very beautiful woman," he said as his eyes skimmed her face.
The scarlet color on her cheeks darkened. The beating of her heart intensified, whacking her chest.
"But who are you?" He smiled at her, flashing his rows of even, sparkling teeth.
The laughlines at the corners of his eyes appeared, softening his masculine face, making him look undeniably more handsome.
Jen found herself mesmerized. Seeing Brax smiling at her like that took her breath away. He was as handsome as the devil as always, but it was the first time he smiled at her that way.
It took her a moment to process the fact that Brax had forgotten her because his smile had totally blindsided her. She had to bite her lower lip to get a good grip of herself.
He didn't know her name!
"You don't know me?" she asked in awe.
He shook his head. "Uh, uh. But I would like to know your name, beautiful lady..." His eyes sparkled as he looked eager to know her name.
She blinked her eyes a lot of times, unable to process the surprising discovery. Something pricked her heart knowing that Brax had forgotten about her. But at the same time, she felt relief that he didn't recognize her. She could pretend that he was a stranger.
But she couldn't help but to worry about his condition. She didn't know what had happened to him when she found him on the shore. He might have encountered an accident that made him suffer from a memory loss. At least a temporary one, if he was.
"I think I need to call the doctor back and thoroughly check your condition," she said, and stood up.
But he reached for her hand and stopped her.
Her heart jumped when their flesh brushed. Waves of emotions crashed into her, making her throat ache. But she instantly composed herself before the corners of her eyes crinkled with tears.
This was certainly a bittersweet reunion. Seeing Brax again in the island where she self-exiled certainly was a big surprise.
What was he doing in the island? Why was he washed ashore? And was he really suffering from a memory loss?
She suddenly had a migraine. She couldn't believe the turn of events. He couldn't believe that the man who broke his heart was here in the island where she was trying to put the pieces back together.
Did the heavens played with her fragile heart again?
"What is your name?" Brax's deep, masculine voice pierced her confused thoughts.
She looked at his face, gazing at his eyes. Curiosity shone in them.
She hesitated to give her name, but her mouth opened. "Jen," she said, before she could stop herself.
Crap. She shouldn't have given him her real name. She could just have made up a name for him. But...
"Jen..." He smiled, looking pleased. "It's nice meeting you, Jen. Your name is as sweet as you are. Thank you for coming into my aid." The sincerity in his grateful voice was apparent.
This man broke her heart, alright, but he was smiling so warmly at her that it softened her anger and washed away the pain that she'd been nursing in her heart for a month now.
She could only sigh.
She was suppose to be angry at him. She was suppose to berate him for hurting her. She was suppose to curse him at any chance she could get, but how could she when he looked so adorably handsome as he peered at her?
Pathetic. You are fucking pathetic, Jen. Tsk!
She took a deep breath. Okay, no more nonesense. She had to stop this foolishness.
She was weak when it came to love, that was a major take away that she realized today.
But she couldn't stay this way. She couldn't be foolish enough to be played again after Brax broke her heart into million pieces.
"I'll just call the doctor," her voice was hoarse when she spoke, not looking at him. And with hasty steps, she walked to the door to get out of the room.
She had to stay away from Brad. She had to stay away from the madness that consumed her. She had to take her sane mind back and not to be overpowered by her silly emotions.
