Ned / Reader (3)
Seconds, minutes… hours… they all slipped away as you stared at the setting sun, standing in the sea and trying to make sense of it all. The water was up to your waist and the gentle waves rocked you smoothly while the wind danced in your hair and the salt that had dried on the sunburns covering your skin made them ache a little. It was a beautiful evening; calm and warm, the sun was about to dive into the vast ocean that reached into every direction in front of you… so calm and warm, yet treacherous and mysterious… eternal and undisturbed. There was a large cruise ship in the distance, sailing away from the tropical island where it had been docked during the day and even though the massive vessel had blocked the view just a moment ago, it was now just a small detail on the edge of the horizon.
- Hi! you heard a man saying and after recoiling from your thoughts you turned to look who was talking to you. You had been staring into the sunset for a long time, how long exactly -you did not know, and therefore you had now difficulties to make out the features of this tall man who was talking to you. You closed your eyes for a moment and when you opened them, you were finally able to see the man’s face clearly.
- Are you alright? he asked when he noticed a nasty bruise on your forehead, on the right side, just on the edge of your hairline. There was also a cut under it, decorating the corner of your eye. The cut was not bleeding anymore but it had clearly bled quite a lot; the right side of your face was partially covered with blood stains as well as your hair, neck and shoulder, all the way down to the top part of your bikini.
- What? you asked with a confused tone. You were still mentally somewhere else and that was quite apparent to the man who was trying to read your expression as well as the state that you were in.
- You… have an injury. the man said and pointed at your forehead and then he pointed at the spot on his forehead. You raised your hand immediately and touched the spot that the tall man had pointed. You gasped and cried from pain when you accidentally pressed the injury with your fingertips too hard.
- How did you get that? the man asked and then stated “It looks quite bad” with a deeply worried tone.
- I… Uhm… I have no idea. you replied and when you brought your hand in front of your eyes, you noticed that your fingers were slightly covered with blood. The cut was bleeding again and the salt from the seawater was making the pain even worse.
- Come. Let’s get you to the doctor. the man said and put his hand on your shoulder since you still seemed a bit absent. You nodded and turned your back to the sunset, the cruise boat and the wide-open sea.
The man guided you to the shore, back to the beach that had been filled with swimmers and sunbathers but was now almost completely empty. The man kept supporting you and making sure that you were not going to pass out as you walked slowly towards the hotel right at the beach. The man had a very friendly voice, although in your current state of mind you were incapable of listening to it that well; you basically heard that he was talking but to actually understand what he was saying to you was a completely different story. He was very handsome but also… cute. He was tall, not very muscular but he had broad shoulders and it was apparent that he had been doing some heavy lifting. He was currently wearing swimming shorts and he had a golden tan that he had gotten as a result of spending days by the sea… or so you reasoned silently. His hair was slightly curly, brown in color and he had beautiful eyes that were framed with long, dark eyelashes. He had very distinctive eyebrows; thick and impressive but by no means bushy or untidy.
- I’m Ned, by the way. he said when you arrived to the lobby of the hotel. Ned walked to the receptionist and asked her to call the hotel’s resident doctor. In the meantime, you stood silently next to the reception counter and tried to hide from the curious eyes. You could see the random guests gasping and pointing at you when they saw you and actually a bit later when you saw yourself in the mirror, you gasped as well; your shoulders and arms, chest and face were covered with serious sunburns, your face was partially bloodstained and the cut combined with the big bruise looked… bad. Very bad actually.
- Come, the doctor will see you now. Ned said and gestured you to follow him. You smiled briefly and nodded and then followed Ned into the long, cool corridor that led into a room where the doctor saw his patients. You felt a bit dizzy and as soon as you entered the room, you saw a chair and sat down, hoping that the dizziness would pass.
- Good evening. I am Doctor Harrison. the middle-aged man said. He was wearing a white long coat over a colorful t-shirt and shorts and after nodding at Ned as a greeting he continued “I’m the doctor here at the resort” with a friendly, yet slightly annoyed tone.
- What seems to be the problem? he asked Ned while being more focused on his tablet device than his patient.
- I’m fine, but.. Ned said and pointed at you, sitting in the corner with your eyes closed and head down so your hair covered your face. The doctor walked to you and squatted in front of you. He commented on the sunburns and scolded you for not using enough sun lotion but when you finally recoiled from the state of confusion, nausea and dizziness, the doctor exclaimed “Good heavens!”
- Miss, how did this happen? the doctor said and gestured Ned to close the door.
- I don’t know. you mumbled barely audibly. Your mouth was as dry as the Sahara Desert and therefore it was very painful and almost impossible to speak. The doctor stood up and walked to the fridge, took a bottle of water out and handed it to you. You tried to open the bottle but you had no strength in your muscles and therefore Ned reached immediately to you and opened the bottle for you. He helped you to drink a little and then stepped a bit further again so he wouldn’t be in the way.
- What do you mean, you do not know. the doctor said and scoffed. He took a piece of a paper wipe, soaked it with antiseptic liquid and started to clean the cut with a bit rough motions that made you jerk and whimper a couple of times. Every time you cried in pain, Ned jerked as well and it was clear that he felt really bad for your suffering.
- I… I can’t remember. you specified with a confused tone.
- I see. the doctor commented and then asked “Well, let’s start with something easier.” He paused for a moment and took another wipe, soaked it as well and continued cleaning the cut and the surroundings of it.
- What is your name, Miss? the doctor asked and focused his attention to your eyes. The truth was that he usually attended sunburns and small bruises and now he had a serious case of head injury, a possible concussion in his hands and he did not quite know what to do.
You chuckled a little as you tried to give him an answer. You repeated “I am” a couple of times but every time you stopped just before you were supposed to say your name. “Well?” the doctor asked with a frustrated tone and rolled his eyes as the response to your hesitation. You shook your head and then shifted your gaze to Ned who was standing by the door with a worried look on his face. “I don’t know!” you exclaimed with an expression that begged Ned to give you the answer. Ned however stared at you with even a deeper sense of confusion and therefore you shifted your gaze to the doctor.
- Let me get this straight. You are saying that you do not know your name. he spoke with strong disbelief in his voice.
- I don’t remember… you sighed and then added after a sharp inhale “…Anything.” It was a scary realization and it also made you feel very stupid; of course you were supposed to know your name… everything or at least something about you… but no. There was nothing but blank in your head.
- Well, do you know this young man? the doctor asked and glanced at Ned. You shifted your gaze to Ned who smiled to you almost like he had tried to assure you that everything was fine.
- I don’t… you said and then continued “…Know” with a barely inaudible tone.
- Do you mean that you do not know who he is or… the doctor said and took a deep breath before continuing. “…Or you do not know if you know him?” he asked and made some notes to his tabled device. The question made you panic a little… or a lot; how the hell were you supposed to know the answer to this question? You did not even remember your own name! As the panic took over your mind, your breathing got quite erratic and shallow making you feel dizzy and nauseous again. You asked Ned to give the bottle to you and when he did, you emptied the rest of it with one long series-of-gulps. However the question still remained and there was no way to escape it.
- She is my girlfriend. Ned stated suddenly. You dropped the empty bottle accidentally when you heard the word “girlfriend”.
- Is she really? the doctor asked with a curious and somewhat suspicious tone as he turned to look at Ned. Ned swallowed once and nodded.
- We own a bakery together and we are here for the annual baking seminar. Ned said with a slightly hesitant tone. “Besides, I planned to ask her to marry me but… I forgot the ring home” he added with a nervous tone. You stared at Ned with a puzzled look on your face but then smiled briefly as the sense of relief spread all over your body and replaced the feeling of paralyzing panic that had been building within you during the conversation. This Ned actually knew who you were and if he really was your boyfriend… your fiancée almost… then it meant that you were going to be alright.
- So, what is her name? the doctor asked Ned who tried his very best to avoid eye contact with the doctor.
- She is… Ned said and after a short pause he blurted “…Chuck” with a voice that was filled with light panic. The doctor repeated the name with a tone that made it pretty obvious that he was suspicious… very much so actually.
- Yes, Chuck… sorry… Charlotte Charles. Ned corrected himself and then mumbled barely audibly that Chuck was just the nickname for his childhood sweetheart. You chuckled a little and sighed relieved because if you and Ned were childhood sweethearts, it meant that Ned really knew you and everything was going to be alright.
- Well, Charlotte. the doctor said and told you that he was going to call a taxi to take you to the hospital that was located on the other side of the island. Your head had to be examined for further internal injuries and the doctor had no equipment to even make stitches to close the wound properly. He was only able to give you a mild painkiller, to put a bandage on the cut to prevent it from bleeding and hope for the best. He gave Ned a big bottle of after-sun-lotion to cool down your sunburns.
The truth however was that Ned did not know who you were. He actually had no idea! He had noticed you in the afternoon just standing in the water, waist-deep, staring at the horizon. Then Ned had attended the conference for a couple of hours and when he had come back to the beach, you had been there still, just standing and staring at the sea. When the sun had gotten very low he had decided to come and ask what was going on and if you needed some help. The he had seen the bruise on your forehead and he had not known what else to do but to get you to the doctor’s.
The thing with Ned was that he usually was very mild-tempered and mellow person, but when he got stressed out he sometimes started to blabber and it was exactly what had happened now. He had known that if he told the doctor that he did not know you, he wouldn’t be allowed to follow you to the hospital, which was where you were now going, and as far as Ned knew, you needed to have someone with you to look after you… and to pretend that there was someone that knew you. Yeah that, a lie that he had blurted out because of the doctor’s intense gaze and the demanding tone. He had also wanted to make you feel better and the relief in your eyes had been the final push to keep growing the lie… bigger and bigger and now, by the time that the wound had been stitched and your scull inspected with x-rays he had already described his plan for the proposal and how you both loved each other so very deeply.
This lie made it possible for Ned to stay the night in the hospital. He slept in the chair next to the bed and in the morning, after one final examination and a green-light from the doctor, he took you to the hotel where he was currently staying. You took a quick shower, washed the dried salt and blood off your skin and then spread a generous amount of the after-sun-lotion on your aching skin. You asked Ned to help you with your back and when he was done, you put on a bathrobe because you didn’t have anything else to wear. Except… if Ned and you indeed were lovers and spending a holiday together, then surely your bag was here and you would have your belongings.
- Ned? you asked as you went through the bathroom cabinet; there was only one toothbrush, only man-scented hygiene products… nothing to imply that there was a woman living in the same room, using the same bathroom. This made you feel a bit nervous, anxious even.
- Yes… Ned asked and then added “…Sweetheart?” with a slightly hesitant tone. If he was going to play this role that he had gotten himself into… he might as well play it well. Besides, Ned liked you; you were very beautiful and even though he did not know you, he felt comfortable with you, which was very uncommon for Ned… to feel comfortable with a stranger, and therefore he didn’t mind that he had tangled himself into the elaborate web of lies and now he was in a situation where he was supposed to be your almost-fiancée.
- I assume… we are sharing the room. you said to which Ned commented “Yes” instantly, so quickly in fact that he did not really even think about it.
- So… Where are my… you said and stepped out from the bathroom. “…Things?” you asked with a deeply confused tone. You stared at Ned who was now standing in front of you, pale as a ghost, or would have been if he had not been so tanned from the tropical sun.
- What? he asked hesitantly and flashed a nervous smile.
- Yeah… if… we’re dating and on a holiday together… you spoke with a puzzled expression on your face and then after a slow inhale, continued by asking “…Why is there only one toothbrush in the bathroom?” Ned felt his palms getting sweaty and for a moment he was certain that he would either pass out of vomit… both most likely if he now dared to inhale… he would surely pass out if he continued holding his breath for much longer. “Where is my bag, Ned?” you asked before he managed to do any of those things; to breathe, to throw up or to faint.
Ned did not know what to do; he could tell you that your bag went missing during the flight and never arrived to the destination… but then you probably would ask about your purse… passport, phone, wallet… keys… the hand luggage… and therefore Ned decided to tell you the truth. He did not exactly want to admit that he had been lying to you but he knew that he couldn’t keep pretending that he knew you either because most likely you would get your memory back at some point, sooner or later and then what? Then you would possibly hate Ned for lying to you and Ned did not like the idea of people hating him.
- You don’t live… here. Ned blurted as a result.
- O-okay… you said and then asked “Can you take me to my room?” with a soft and friendly tone. You were relieved because you had secretly expected him to tell you that he did not know you. This, that you and he did not share a room, was not bad. It actually made sense because you had a feeling that you were a somewhat private person and needed space around you to maintain sanity.
- I do not know where it is. Ned replied after hesitating for a moment. You stared at him with a baffled expression on your face and then shifted your gaze elsewhere. What was he talking about? It made no sense… nothing made any sense!
- What are you talking about? you asked with a slightly panic-filled tone.
- You’re not… Ned said and paused to inhale sharply before continuing. “…Charlotte Charles” he added with an apologetic look on his face.
- What are you saying? you asked and stepped further away from Ned. “I’m Charlotte, your childhood sweetheart” you said and after a short gasp you continued “We own a bakery together and you have planned to propo-“ Ned dropped his head and shook it slowly and therefore you immediately stopped talking. An awkward silence filled the room and after gathering your thoughts you stated “You lied” with a disappointed tone. It was so confusing because you had been able to imagine what your life was like and for a moment it had felt real… well, as real as a memory could feel for an amnesiac. You had had dreams about Ned during the previous night, the night that you had spent in the hospital, and now Ned… the person that you had trusted and imagined to be your husband-to-be… was telling you that nothing he had told you and the doctors was real.
- So you don’t really know me. you said, still steering slowly towards the bathroom which was the only place where you could be safe, considering that you could lock the door.
- I do! Ned exclaimed and raised his hands up as a gesture that he was not going to hurt you.
- But… we’re not dating. you spoke and before you managed to say anything else, Ned blurted “We are!” with a hopeful tone.
- What? you gasped and then asked “What’s my name then?” with a slightly bitter and offended tone. Ned stared at you with an apologetic tone and exhaled deeply, letting his shoulders collapse, which made him look shorter than he actually was and very sorrowful, like he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The sight made your heart ache and it was almost impossible to be angry at him… Almost.
- I do not know your name. Ned answered and then continued by speaking very fast and explaining that you had met him during the previous evening, spend the night with him and then the next day Ned had gone to the conference and you had gone out from a swim. “Names were not important” Ned said and then added “But the spark… the chemistry was real.”
- Do you usually have sex without knowing the first name? you asked with an annoyed tone.
- No, we didn’t… Ned said and blushed as he repeated “…Have sex.” You rolled your eyes and commented “Uh-huh?” and it was apparent that you did not believe a word that was coming out from Ned’s mouth.
- We… were stargazing. Ned said and then continued with a more assertive tone. “Yes, that’s right. We watched the stars and slept on the beach” he spoke and smiled shyly. You looked at him suspiciously and the smile disappeared from Ned’s face instantly. “You like stars… don’t you?” he asked with a shaky voice.
- I don’t know… you replied and then corrected yourself by saying “…I guess.” Ned sighed relieved and nodded. He walked into the balcony and leaned to the railing. You closed your eyes as you leaned to the bathroom door and after a minute you followed Ned to the balcony.
- So… Why did you lie that we’re about to get engaged? you asked with a curious and slightly puzzled tone.
- Because I like you. Ned replied and turned to look at you. The afternoon sunlight made his eyes sparkle and the shy, boyish smile made him look sincere and very cute. You tried constantly to remind yourself that you didn’t know this person… that you really did not know this person… at all… but as you kept drowning into the greenish eyes of the tall man, you couldn’t help but feel comfortable with him.
- And I was afraid that the doctors would tell me to go away if I was not anyway related to you. Ned continued after a small pause. You turned to stare at the horizon that glimmered in the sunlight and mumbled “I suppose you’re right, Ned” with a barely audible tone. Besides you had to admit that you were quite relieved and happy about the fact that you had had someone by your side during this ordeal. What if you would have been forced to face everything alone? What if Ned had not come to talk to you?
- You see, I think you are smart and funny… Ned stated shyly and then added with an admiring tone “…And so beautiful!” You smiled briefly, feeling deeply flattered but also very confused for such statement.
- But you don’t really know me. you stated with a thoughtful voice as you stared at the gorgeous horizon.
- I am only stating the obvious. Ned admitted and turned to stare at the horizon as well. “I promise you that… I will keep you safe” Ned added suddenly with a sincere and proud tone. He placed his hand on yours as you were resting it on the railing and after this neither of you said anything.
You both kept staring silently at the sea that bathed in the sunlight, wind playing in your hair and the sound of calming waves mixed with the seagulls screaming somewhere in the distance echoing in your ears. You both took secret glances at each other when the other was not looking and all of a sudden you mumbled half-aloud “Well, I have a very handsome boyfriend”. The statement was not meant to be heard by Ned and hearing you call him handsome made him blush again. When you realized that you had voiced your thoughts out loud even though you had not meant to, you mumbled something about being very tired and returned into the hotel room. You lay on the bed, closed your eyes and soon you drifted away to the land of dreams… Dreams that were filled with Ned… the burning hot sun and the sound of waves.