Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hannah​'s POV

It was a tiring day, so I headed back home to wait for my parents. When they finally arrived and heard the news, they were frantic with worry.

​"Don't ever do that again, Hannah. You have no idea how dangerous that was," my mother scolded. I couldn't blame her; their reaction was only natural.

​"I'm sorry, Mum. I just didn't know what else to do," I said softly. But just as I’d suspected, my parents’ compassionate nature won out, and they insisted on sheltering the survivor once he was stable.

​We headed over to Ashton’s house to check on him. When we arrived, I noticed a strange tension. My parents and Miriam exchanged a long, unreadable look—a glance that held a weight I didn't have the energy to decipher. My mind was entirely on the stranger in the other room. Before I could ask, the adults stepped outside, saying they needed to discuss something in private.

​I slipped into the room where the survivor lay. Ashton was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching over him.

​"How is he?" I whispered, nodding toward the stranger.

​"He's stable. I was thinking about bringing him to the hospital just to be safe," Ashton suggested, but I shook my head.

​"The nearest hospital is a five-hour trip away, Ash. The journey might do more harm than good in his condition."

​"I was thinking the same thing," Ash admitted, staring at the man. "I'll just bring everything he needs here. It’s going to be a long recovery, that’s for sure." The man lay still, a heavy bandage wrapped around his forehead where he’d taken a brutal blow.

​The next day, we moved the survivor to our house. I was officially in charge of his care. We knew his name was Luke because of a damaged ID Ashton had found in a salvaged wallet, though his last name had been lost to the wreckage.

​Since Ashton had classes and my parents were at work, I was alone with him. I prepared a basin of warm water and a soft towel. As I began to gently damp his face and neck, I realized just how handsome he was. Stripped of yesterday's soot and blood, he looked like a person from a completely different world.

​He looked like he was merely sleeping. As I rubbed the towel over his arms, I wondered if he could feel my touch. A shiver of nervous excitement ran through me. What would he say when he finally opened his eyes?

​Who was Luke? Was he a good man? Or someone I should fear? Looking at him now, he seemed like an angel. Without thinking, I reached out and lightly cupped his face.

​Suddenly, his eyelids fluttered.

​My heart leaped. I stood up quickly, unsure of what to do. His hand moved to his head, and a low, pained groan escaped his lips.

​"Ugh..." it was almost a yell. He struggled to sit up, clutching his head with both hands. I sat back down on the edge of the bed to steady him.

​"Do you want to go to the hospital?" I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. He didn't answer immediately. His nose wrinkled in pain, and he looked completely disoriented. I placed my hands on his shoulders to ground him. He finally looked up at me.

​"Who are you?" he rasped.

​"I'm Hannah. You're in my house," I told him gently. He blinked, his brow furrowing deeper.

​"What about me?"

​"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

​"Who am I?"

​I held my breath. We stared at each other for a long beat. "You... you don't know who you are?"

​"I don't. I don't remember anything." He sounded so frustrated, his voice bordering on a panic of his own. I did my best to calm him until Ashton arrived home a short while later.

​"How did I get here?" Luke asked later, after he had taken the medicine Ashton provided. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his feet finally touching the floor.

​"A helicopter crash," I said.

​"Seriously? Why am I here?"

​"We went looking for survivors. You were the only one we found before the whole thing went up in flames," I explained. He looked stunned, eventually thanking us for saving him. I made sure to give the credit to Ashton’s quick thinking.

​"How is he?" Ashton asked, walking through the door. He eyed Luke with visible relief. "Thank God you're awake."

​"You must be Ashton?" Luke asked. Ashton looked at me, surprised.

​"I've been telling him stories," I said with a small smile. Then my expression turned serious. "But Ash... we have a problem. A big one."

​"What is it?"

​"He can't remember anything."

​Ashton went quiet for a moment. "I suspected this might happen. That crash was tragic. He’s lucky that memory loss is the worst of his injuries." He walked over to Luke.

​"Why can't I remember?" Luke asked, looking up at him.

​"It's likely amnesia from the trauma. We should still try to get you to a doctor," Ash said. Luke immediately shook his head.

​"I don't have money for check-ups. I don't even know if I can pay the two of you back for saving me."

​Ashton tapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about saving you. And as for the medical bills? We’ll figure that out together."

​As Ash stepped out to give us space, I began to help Luke eat.

​"Is he your boyfriend?" Luke asked suddenly. I burst out laughing, which only made him frown in confusion. "What's so funny?"

​"Nothing. I just get that question a lot," I said, catching my breath. "It’s practically a running joke."

​"So... no?"

​"No. He's my best friend. We grew up together."

​Luke nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder if I have a best friend, too. Or even just a regular friend." He tried to smile, but he looked lost. My heart ached for him. My memories are my greatest treasure; I couldn't imagine a world where they were just... gone.

​"Everyone has friends, Luke. I’m sure you have plenty," I said, trying to offer him some comfort.

​Days turned into weeks, and Luke’s physical strength returned. The bandages were gone, replaced by a few fading scars and a pair of crutches.

​"Are you alright?" I asked him early one morning. It was barely 6:00 AM, and my parents had just left for the fields. I found Luke struggling to navigate the path toward the shore.

​"Yeah. I'm fine. I think," he said with an awkward smile. I walked over and offered him my arm, guiding him the rest of the way to the water. It was chilly out, and he was only wearing one of Ashton’s thin tank tops.

​"Stay here, I'll get you a sweater," I said. I ran back and grabbed an oversized sweatshirt of mine that I knew would fit his frame.

​"Thanks," he muttered as I handed it to him. We watched the sun begin to peek over the horizon. "When I woke up, Ashton was already gone."

​"He's on a medical mission," I said, unable to hide the pride in my voice. "Only one more semester until he’s a nurse."

​"He’s a good man," Luke mused. "How about you?"

​"I’m a filmmaking graduate."

​"A graduate? That’s impressive." He smiled warmly.

​"Yeah. I'm actually planning to head to Manila next month to try my luck," I told him. He cheered me on, telling me it sounded like a great plan.

​"I wish I could tell you stories about myself the way you do," he joked, though the humor didn't quite reach his eyes. "But I’ve got nothing."

​"Don't force it, Luke. Your memories will come back when they're ready," I promised.

​I left him there by the shore, but as I walked away, my mind was already racing. Ashton wouldn't be home for lunch, which meant it would just be me and the mysterious man who didn't know he was a CEO—and I found myself looking forward to it.