Chapter 144

**Damien Point of View**

My whole body felt like it was suffering in a twister with the way how I was internally shaking.

The moment my eyes landed on that person, the usual calmness in me was disrupted. I thought that since the period has passed and since none of us remember the past, it would be alright but seeing her now, leaning slightly over a man beside her and looking at me and Acacia with puzzled and understanding filled eyes, I cannot be calm anymore.

How long has it been?

How long has it been since I saw her? How long has it been since I heard her voice.

How long has it been since she leaned over slightly over me just like she was with another man?

My heart leapt out and pounded loudly inside my chest. Looking at her lazy yet beautiful countenance, the memories, the feelings, the words, the actions we shared in the past all resurfaced.

"I have something important to do. Why don't you have a chat with your friends?" The man beside her patted her back gently and nodded at Ruby with a considerate gaze.

Ruby nodded and smiled at him as she waited for him to leave before she took small steps towards Acacia. With each step she took, a new tear fell from her eyes and which each tear that fell, her eyes moved from Acacia to me to our other friends that were behind us.

"Cia? Acacia, what -" Ruby stuttered once she was standing one step away from us.

Acacia immediately stopped her from saying anything and looked around, "Let's talk somewhere else."

"Ruby Angus, right? We have attended same middle and high school." Carter spoke with pleasant surprise evident on his face.

"Let's go somewhere else to talk." I spoke in a low voice and urged everyone to walk out of the public place.

Seeing that the situation right now is somewhere in the middle of not knowing what was happening and knowing only half the truth of the past, I think it is better to clear the doubts of everyone and set things straight before it is too late.

Now that the time has given the opportunity, it is better now than later.

So we all moved towards the hotel we are currently in and chose Anne's room to chat. Carter and Anne were obviously confused by the sudden awkward and silent atmosphere while Acacia is pale with guilt dripping from her eyes.

"Hey, why is the air so strange suddenly?" Anne asked once everyone got into the hotel room and closed the door shut.

After taking our seats, it was silent for a long time before Carter looked between Ruby and everyone else and asked, "Ruby Angus, how are you? I did not expect to meet a schoolmate after a bunch of years." Carter asked with a smile, breaking the silence.

"You don't remember me?" She narrowed her eyes in bafflement at Carter and then at Anne.

"Uh, of course we do. Ruby Angus, attended school in Charleston and in same class as us. Except, Miss Winters here is not from the same school and batch." Anne replied doubtfully.

"Not from the same school and batch? Carter, Anne, what are you talking about? Damien, isn't Cia from the same school and same class?" Ruby asked a little loudly and turned to Acacia. "And why do I only remember you and everything only now?"

I and Acacia kept silence, obviously not knowing where to start and what to say. Acacia is already filled with guilt so she only lowered her head and suffered from her own over thinking.

Seeing that she is not ready to speak, I took the responsibility to clear up everything. Those who believe it can believe and those who don't want to can choose to not believe it.

"I'm sorry." I heard a small whisper from beside me. Acacia raised her head and looked between me and Ruby, probably seeing how I reacted when Ruby first came, she must be beating herself from in her heart.

But what can she do? It is not like she had any control over what happened.

"Stop feeling guilty for something you did not do." I scolded her lightly and turned towards the other three friends with a somber frown.

"What is happening? How come Miss Winters is our classmate and why did Ruby say she only remembers something now?" Anne spoke looking between the three of us.

"Even I don't know but I recently got flooded with these memories a few days ago and I'm confused as well. What exactly is going on is something I want to know as well. Damien, you remember me right? You remember Acacia too right?" Ruby asked hurriedly to which I nodded.

Facing three curious pairs of eyes and one guilty pair, I took a deep breath and finally told them everything I know, everything I experienced and everything I heard from Liam the other day.

Without missing a detail, I told them from start to end and wisely chose to ignore them changing expressions for a while.

Once I was done, the whole room fell in another episode of silence, however, all looking towards Acacia with mix of astonishment, horror, pity, pain and whole lot of other emotions.

"Although Acacia wants to tell you all after you recover your memories, given how Ruby got her memories back and how the two of you are present at the right time, I didn't want to lie about anything. Acacia is still feeling guilty for many things that happened to us and to her family and if you don't know the truth then it might take a wrong turn if your imaginations are used."

"So, the rush of scenes I saw in my head are the real ones that we forgot because Acacia's existence was wiped out." Ruby breathed out, analyzing everything slowly.

"More or less." I nodded.

"Are you both sure, you are not on something strong?" Although Anne said those words, there is no hint of disbelief in her voice. It was more like she wanted to confirm it again and again.

To be honest, it is not easy to believe the stretch of supernatural things that took place. If it wasn't for the recovery of memories, even I wouldn't have believed it.

Heck, I would even think that other person is high on something as well.

"Acacia; Cia," Ruby went on to hold Acacia's hand and shook them to gain her attention. "Are you alright?"

Acacia looked up at Ruby and nodded lightly with a small smile. However, one can clearly tell that she is stopping herself from crying.

"I'm sorry. I caused a lot of mess." Acacia! You don't have to feel bad for us.

I know she is guiltier towards me and Ruby given how the changes broke our relationship. Carter and Anne are still together despite the memory loss but when it came to Ruby and I, we are now not together and poles apart from each other.

As much as I want to console her, I can still understand how she must be feeling in her heart.

Hearing Acacia's words, Ruby glanced at me briefly, eyes filled with grief and helplessness. "No, Acacia, you suffered the most here. You haven't done anything. You are as helpless as anyone here."

"So this is how you know her. This is why you suddenly made a trip to Tucson and stayed there these past few days." Carter, who was silent till now finally spoke.

"Yes. I only wanted to prove that I wasn't going crazy. It was only after I went in such of Winters family did I learn about the back story."

"Then why didn't you say anything to us? Miss Wint- Acacia is our friend too."

"Do you believe what I said? Do you believe all the supernatural stuff I talked about just now?" I countered back to which Carter fell into momentary silence.

"I don't know."

"This is the reason I didn't tell you both anything. If you don't have the flashes of your original memory back, it will hard to process this information. We are all practical people who believe in science the most. If one day I come and tell you about Acacia, would you believe me or choose to send me off to a psychiatrist?"

Carter and Anne both got their satisfied answer so they turned their attention towards the center of the plot.

Acacia Dawn Winters.

"It's unbelievable. Damien will never lie about such matters but still, what he said is still unbelievable." Carter exclaimed.

"I didn't want to keep it a secret. I just wanted to wait until your memories are back as well it will be more plausible to believe me. I'm really sorry for all the mess that's caused by me. Directly or indirectly, I'm also responsible for the current predicament."

"Don't be. As much as the whole issue is unfathomable, it is still not in your control." Anne sighed and went on to hug Acacia tightly.

"If even your family did not get their memories back, why would Damien and Ruby recover them first?" After calming down a little Carter asked the question that has been puzzling us from quite some days.

"Now that I think about it, I don't how but I can guess why they got their memories back first." Acacia said softly in a thoughtful daze.

Seeing that we are attentive for her to continue, she sighed and said her guess.

"I think it is the order of who saw me the last before I disappeared in the ocean."

**~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

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