And Then (Part 1)

Chapter 16

I wake up and turn my head to look next to me, but Harrison isn't there. I sit up when I realize that I am alone in the bed, and I feel that my head still aches a little "Ow." I see that there is some more Advil and water on the nightstand, right next to the side of the bed I have been sleeping on; that's good since I really need it, he's so thoughtful. I look around again, but I don't see him anywhere. After taking the Advil I decide to lay back down. Was that all a dream? Maybe we never went back to the hotel. I turn my head and scan the room and I see that my luggage is just outside of the closet. Hmm. Ok, so we did go back to the hotel. Oh, wait, I pull the sheets up to me as I start to remember what happened...that large man tried to attack me, but I put him down, thanks to my years of Taekwondo training, I smile...but things are a bit blurry after that. Okay...we talked to the police, we checked out, we got in a cab, and then we came back here...then what?

I get up and go to the bathroom since I need to pee. I go pee and then wash my face, I look at myself in the mirror and see that there's a little bruise on my cheek. I don't remember that guy hitting me, but it was all pretty fast. Wait, it was probably from the door when he shoved his way in. I do remember him biting my boob though...I lift up my shirt. Ow. I'm a little sore and there's a bruise on my boob, close to my arm. Great. I put my shirt back down. I don't see any other bruises and I'm thankful for that. I go back to the bedroom and there's still no sign of Harrison, so I get back into bed.

I feel like there's something I can't quite remember, but that I want to remember. I lay down and close my eyes. "I love you, Annie. I really do...." My eyes snap back open after hearing that. I look around, but I'm still alone. Was that a dream or did he really tell me that? My heart is racing now. I mean, I know I love him, I have for a long time, but isn't it too soon to admit that. I close my eyes again. I fell in love with him, at least with the idea of him and the fantasies I had about him, but when I met him in person and got to know him, I really fell in love with him even harder. The real him is way better than my fantasy him. We met only a few days ago and I know it hasn't been that long. But I really do think that I love him, I just haven't been allowing myself to admit it. If I did, I would have said it out loud, although I don't want to scare him away. He might freak out if he knows that I love him already. I mean that's crazy, right?

But him loving me? He did say that he'd been fantasizing about me for a long time too. Or maybe I just imagined him saying it. I close my eyes again "...Annie can you hear me? I love you! Come back to me..." I sit straight up and look around again. Ow, my head. He is not here, and I think that is a memory. My heart is galloping at this point, I may have a heart attack if I can't get myself to calm down. I have to find him, bit where could he be? I look around the room yet again, but I know that I should just wait here and think about what I am going to say. I don't really know anything about him. Maybe I should just wait to bring it up. I shake my head; I can't really be sure if what I'm remembering is real or just a dream. I lay back down and bring my arm across my eyes and slowly drift off to sleep again.

I don't know how much time has passed, or how long I slept, but I hear the front door open and close, then quick footsteps on the stairs and into the room, and then movement on the bed. I shiver as he touches my cheek with a very cold hand. He pulls it away at my shiver, but I grab it and pull it back to my face. He leans in and kisses my forehead. "Hi Annie." I don't open my eyes, "Hi Harrison." He is still hovering over me and whispers, "How's your head?" I reply quietly, "Better, thanks."

He removes his hand from my cheek, and I feel his body stiffen. I open my eyes to look at him and I see that his eyes are wide open. He gently touches my cheek with his fingers and his eyes darken. I touch his hand when I realize that he's looking at the small bruise that's on my cheek. "It's ok, it doesn't hurt too much." He shakes his head, "It's not ok! I'm going to find that guy and strangle him!" It looks like he's going to run out of the room right this second, but I pull him to me before he can. "Stay here with me, please?" His eyes move from my cheek to my eyes, and his lighten up a little. "How? How did it happen?" He lightly touches the bruise to emphasize what he is asking about.