Chapter 16: I Will Make Him Remember Me*
Noah stared blankly at Alex, his mind whirling with the heavy information that had just been dumped on him. Kai didn't remember him. The person who had meant the world to him had forgotten everything—every laugh they had shared, every touch, every quiet moment of love.
His emotions became a whirlwind. Shock was the first to hit, freezing him in place. Then, sorrow settled like a heavy weight in his chest, causing his heart to ache painfully. He couldn't stop thinking about the way Kai had looked at him earlier—like a stranger. The disbelief was almost unbearable, and yet it was real. The man who had once been his entire world didn't even know his name.
Noah's hands clenched into fists as grief mixed with frustration, his body trembling. He remembered every moment vividly, as if they had only happened yesterday. His heart ached for the Kai he had known—the Kai who had laughed with him at art galleries, who had whispered promises of love, and who had left him broken five years ago without a word. And now, to discover that it was not because Kai had forgotten him intentionally but because he had literally lost his memory in a tragic accident—it was both devastating and confusing.
Alex watched Noah, sensing his friend was on the verge of breaking down. "Noah... I'm so sorry," Alex began, his voice soft and filled with concern. "I know this is a lot, and I can't imagine how it feels."
Noah shook his head, the tears brimming in his eyes as the weight of it all pressed down on him. "He doesn't remember me," Noah whispered, his voice cracking. "All this time… five years, Alex… and he doesn't remember me." The hurt in his voice was palpable.
Alex took a step forward, reaching out to comfort him, but Noah stepped back. His emotions were a storm, and he couldn't handle being touched right now. Anger flashed through him, not at Kai, but at the situation. He wanted to scream, to demand why fate had been so cruel. Why had this happened to Kai? Why had everything been taken from him?
But then, amidst the swirling emotions, a sense of determination began to rise from the ashes of his heartbreak. Noah wiped the tears from his cheeks, his breath steadying. "I... I'm not giving up on him," he murmured, the resolve growing within him.
Alex, seeing the shift in Noah's expression, cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"
Noah turned to Alex, his eyes still red but now focused with a fierce intensity. "I'm going to make him remember me. I'm going to do everything I can to help him recover his memories. I can't just walk away from this. I won't let him forget everything we had. If there's even the slightest chance that I can bring him back, I'll take it."
Alex was stunned for a moment, but then he smiled softly, nodding. "You really love him, don't you?"
Noah didn't hesitate. "I never stopped loving him," he admitted quietly. "And I don't care how long it takes or how hard it will be—I will make him remember me. I will bring him back."
With that, Noah felt a strange sense of calm. The path ahead of him was uncertain, filled with challenges, but one thing was clear—he wasn't giving up on Kai. Even if Kai didn't remember him now, Noah would fight for the love they had once shared. His heart might be fractured, but it wasn't broken beyond repair. He was ready to pick up the pieces and fight for what was his.
---