Love in Separation

Chapter 13 - Crush

I haven’t been drunk or drunk any alcohol since I had Maralin. 

So when I woke up, I felt an insurmountable thirst and headache. 

When I opened my eyes, the light began to blind me and my headache hurts even more. 

Groaning in pain I covered my eyes with my pillow as I try to find my phone on my nightstand using only my hand. 

When I didn’t find it, I open one eye to see that there was water and Advil beside me. I would have been curious as to how it got there if it wasn’t for the pain I’m feeling. 

Without question or hesitation, I down the Advil and empty the glass of water before laying down once again. 

I was about to dose off when I suddenly heard the toilet flushing. 

My body swiftly got up looking at my bathroom door. 

I am fairly sure Maralin is at my cousin's this weekend. 

I am alone, but I am scared because someone might be here. 

I waited for the door to open with bated breath. Not knowing who it might be, I decided to arm myself with the empty glass and was ready to throw it if it were an intruder. 

When the bathroom opened, soon as I saw a muscular arm, I threw the glass on instinct. 

I do not know a single person in New York who is as muscular as that guy! 

Despite my appearance, I’m very good at my aim and I can see the glass going for his head when his hand suddenly caught it in midair. 

My eyes bulged in surprise. Is that even possible?! 

The guy suddenly lowered the glass showing me his face. 

His handsome face. 

Wait… I DON'T KNOW HIM! 

“Oh my god, who are you!” I asked as I shockingly point at him. 

His grey eyes scanned me for a bit before smiling. “I see you’re finally awake. How’s your hangover?” He asked so familiarly. 

Baffled by his calmness, I got up from my bed and back up to the farthest wall. “I said who are you and what are you doing in my apartment?” 

He set the glass down on my nightstand as he calmly sat by the edge of my bed. “I guess I should have expected you’d forget about me. After that hot steamy night, we spent together.” He said smugly. 

His eyes suddenly went down to my body. When I look down, I realized I’m only wearing my underwear. I squeal and went for the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I wear my bathrobe and went outside then armed myself with a random scissor I saw from the bathroom. “Okay, mister. You tell me who you are, what’s going on, and why you are in my apartment.” 

“My name is Jeremy. We saw each other at the bar and I protected you from that asshole who decided to feel you up.” 

Trying to remember everything, I began to suddenly remember the events up to that moment that he carried me. “W-wait… I called you Drayce didn’t I?” 

“Yeah, you did. Then after that, you decided to kiss me.” 

My eyes widen upon hearing him. “W-WHAT?!” I exclaimed. 

Jeremy chuckled. “You kissed me then you keep telling me to take you back here. You keep giving me the apartment address that I had to agree to take you home to stop you from announcing to everyone on the street where you live.” 

My arm drops to my side upon hearing him. 

I do remember grabbing his face upon seeing Drayce’s face…. 

I remember begging him to take me home so we could talk because I want him to know of Maralin… 

I also remember that upon giving him the key to open the door, we went inside but then he whispered something to me. “I finally found you.” Before kissing me. 

I gasp in realization. “Oh my god,” I exclaimed once again. I started pacing around the room. “Did something happen to us?” 

Jeremy then lay down on my bed and laughed. “No. After kissing you, you fell unconscious because you are hammered.” 

After pacing some more, I stopped and remember once again what he whispered. “Wait, you didn’t say we met at the bar last night and you also whispered you found me…” I trailed. I walk closer to him and look at his annoyingly handsome smug face before continuing. “Have we met before?” 

He smirks and then props his arms on his side to support his head while still laying down. “We do. I guess you don’t remember me anymore. It’s been years after all.” 

I try my hardest to remember him. The longer I look, the more familiar he gets but I couldn’t for the life of me remember who he is. “Can you please tell me who you are?” 

“I will. Only if you have breakfast with me.” 

“Only if we eat outside. I’m too hungover to cook.” 

“Deal.” 

“Can you please go wait by the living room so I can change?” 

He sat up and grinned wider. “Alright, although I don’t see why you would feel shy. I have seen enough of what you’re trying to cover.” 

Sternly looking at him, he laughed and raise his hands before going out. Slamming the door, I begrudgingly change into sweatpants before washing my awful face and brushing my teeth. 

When I’m done, I pulled my hair in a ponytail and went outside. 

As we sit across from each other and wait for the waitress to come over with menus, I couldn’t help but wonder why I don’t feel the least bit awkward with his presence. 

I guess I know him somehow, I just wish I remember. 

“I don’t think I met you 8 years ago in Georgia,” I said as I look intently at him, trying to remember his face. 

“Well, would you believe it if I tell you I met you longer than that?” 

“Longer than that?” I said, repeating his word as I think. “Did I work with you in Qahla 10 years ago?” 

At the mention of Qahla, his grin grew wider. “We did meet in the resort but we didn’t work together. At least I didn’t.” 

With my brow creases as I desperately try to scour my memories from 10 years ago, my heart races and my stomach flutters as I began to remember. Covering my mouth in shock, I lean back on the chair and look at him in a different light. “Jeremy!” 

10 years ago…

“Is it that weird that I don’t have a crush?” I ask Stella as I stand alongside her while I keep my hands warm in my pocket. 

“Not that it’s weird. I guess I just thought you’d have some since you’re so young. After all, we are in a different country for the first time!” She said before puffing her cigarette. 

The sky is still bright even though it’s already 7 pm. Back in Manila, the sun usually sets around 6:30 pm. “I don’t know. I’m not attracted to women, I’m not attracted to any men around me so far but I have tons of celebrity crushes.” 

“Yeah, white celebrity guys. We are in a white country, girl.” She teased. 

Both of us chuckled. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll like someone out there.” 

“When I was 19 like you, I remember the bliss of flirting and everything. Maybe one of our guests will turn out to be someone you’ll like.” 

Shrugging. I exhaled and saw how my hot breath fogged in the cold Washington air. “Maybe. Anyways, I need to get back to our room. It’s so cold.” I said brushing my arms to warm myself up. 

Stella puffed the last bit of her cigarette before disposing of it. “Alright, I’m done. Let’s go.” 

As I sat by the break room, some of my friends decided to watch a movie while I opted to look at my phone, thinking about what Stella said earlier before dinner. 

It is my first time out of the country, thanks to this internship/exchange-student program our university offered us. 

We’re halfway through our internship and I ended up not liking anyone. 

Qahla hot springs and resort is located along the Olympic Peninsula and is surrounded by mountains, phones would have no service, and wifi is limited. 

The books that are in the break room are not my cup of tea so I’d usually find myself bored. I love the scenery though.

Laughing internally at my shallow problem, I started craving some ice cream so I decided to come down from the employee’s boarding house to the main lounge to buy some snacks. 

When I got there, even though it was already 8:45 pm it was a lot busier than I expected. I try to buy some time by taking my time in choosing the flavor of my ice cream and some chips to share with my friends upstairs. 

By the time I’m ready to pay for everything, I found myself 5th in line. Even though I have ice cream, I patiently waited in line when I saw Tim, our elderly co-worker who allowed us to call him Dad. He smiled at me but just like me, he also waited patiently in line. 

He must have been waiting in line earlier than I did because his butterfingers is starting to sweat so he decided to tell our coworker Thalia that he’d eat it first before ringing it out. 

He waved at me before leaving for the restaurant. 

By the time it was my turn, I noticed that a man was behind me. 

As a courtesy, I turn towards him with so many snacks in my arms and smile. “You go on ahead, sir.” 

“You go first.” He said, his gray eyes looking at me and then at my snacks. 

I chuckled before insisting. “No, please go ahead.” 

“Are you sure?” He asks looking for any doubts in my eyes. I simply smiled and nodded my head in agreement before he relented and went ahead. 

He is handsome… His long curly hair is still wet, probably from soaking in the hot springs. 

Though his back is facing me, I couldn’t seem to forget how handsome he is that my smile remained on my lips even after he smiled at me before leaving for his cabin. 

Thalia sighed and smiled at me when it was my turn. “Sorry, Salina. There was an elderly couple that took their time to ask a lot of questions.” 

“I didn’t mind,” I said still smiling. 

“You’re a bit late on your nightly ice cream.” She said as she rings everything. 

“Yeah, I was thinking of skipping ice cream tonight but I'm glad I didn’t” 

Thalia smirks as she notices my unfading smile. “Oh, is that a little crush I see?” 

I giggled a little bit before speaking. “Maybe? I think so…” 

“I wouldn’t blame you. That guy is hot!” 

“Is he a guest?” 

“Yeah, he went in the hot springs first and he’s only checking in.” 

“Well, it seems like I’ll be seeing him for a while.” 

“You go, girl!” She said as she hand me my card back. 

“Night, Thalia,” I said before leaving.