Alyssa had a great time with Jeremy and as promised when they came back from their sightseeing trip, she asked him to stay for coffee.

She showed him around the house and Andie was conveniently not at home either. It was just the two of them, adjusting to each other's company and relaxing more by every passing second.

She had asked Jeremy to tell her about her life in Mystic Falls and he told her what he knew about her. Except for the dad, Archer Grace Peterson, who he had never met and the fact that he still didn't know where she lived in that town.

She felt that was odd but didn't point it out, although she did tell him that she didn't even remember having a father.

They were sitting on the couch together, reliving memories from his perspective as she tried her best to think if she could recall some of it too. But there was only darkness in her mind, wherever she tried to look.

And she didn't want to risk getting a headache again so she have pushing herself to remember things, instead just chose to listen to whatever he told her.

Something about him made her feel that she could trust him. That there was no way he would lie to her or deceive her.

Perhaps it was that sincere smile or the genuinely trusting look in his deep brown eyes.

Jeremy Gilbert wouldn't deceive her, she had accepted that much.

"So will you go back to your town someday?" She asked at last, wanting his answer.

"Maybe," he shrugged, "I haven't thought of it yet. There was a lot of drama going on back there and I needed an escape. Besides, everyone thought you had gotten killed in an accident and I couldn't keep living in that place."

Her eyes softened to see the hurt look on his face and she gently clasped his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "but I'm here now and I'm fine."

"Yeah, thank God for that," he sighed in relief, tilting his head to look at her, "Alyssa, I hope you get your memories back. Especially all the good parts."

She nodded, knowing that he would be feeling awkward around her and yet being unable to come close to her. He loved her at one point, perhaps he still did and so had she but she didn't have any recollection of it.

He was being considerate for her sake, restraining himself from rushing into anything with her as he did not want to lose their friendship.

"Jer, were you in love with me?" She asked at last, hesitating at the question but wanting to know the answer.

"Love would be one way to put it," he smiled softly although there was a gentle melancholy in those eyes, "you were the best thing that ever happened to me, Alyssa. How could I not be in love with you?"

"I don't even remember what kind of a person was back then," she mumbled in a low voice, sharing a fear of hers that worried her ever since she had woken up without her memories, "but hearing you say that makes me think perhaps I wasn't all bad."

"Bad? Alyssa, you were the kindest person I had ever been with," he replied sincerely, "you made me want to live even when there was nothing but darkness around me. You had pulled me out of the darkness at the time I needed someone to help me most. I can never forget that."

It hurt to see him say that with such a forsaken look. She knew he was holding back for her sake but it hurt her to see him sad too.

Perhaps it was her intention to make him feel better or something in the moment that lured her to close the gap between them and softly kiss his lips. Perhaps, she just wanted to see whether it would feel the same way it did in the figments of her memories.

He had not been expecting that but he responded to her kiss, being as gentle as possible while reciprocating the moment. His hands pulled her close, reaching up to cup her face tenderly while her hands rested on his shoulders.

That soft and sweet kiss reminded her of the moment shared once before with him as well, an overwhelming wave of emotions building up inside her.

For as long as her lips were connected with his, she felt that void inside her fill up, the emptiness she had felt upon being on her own in that town living an unknown life began to fade.

When she pulled apart to catch her breath, his deep brown eyes connected with hers and her gaze trailed down to his soft lips. Her heart was racing but she wanted to feel that exhilaration once again.

"Jeremy, I don't remember much but this is familiar," she mumbled in a low voice, softening against him as he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug.

"You don't have to rush yourself for me," he replied, brushing back the strands of hair that fell over her face, "we can take things slow."

She was about to nod her head in reply but they had to let go of each other as they were interrupted by the sound of someone turning the key in the lock on the main door.

Jeremy got alert but she told him it would be her housemate, coming home from work.

Sure enough, the door opened and Andie stepped in, very drunk and disheveled. She held onto the door but stumbled and Alyssa had to go to her to steady her.

"What happened to you?" She asked in concern, not recalling any time earlier that Andie had behaved like that.

"I think... I drank too much..." The woman accepted her support, trying to stand straight but then noticed the third person in there as well, "did you bring... A guy back home? Aly?"

Alyssa's cheeks fired up in embarrassment as she led Andie to her room. Jeremy was standing there shocked because he had recognized the woman immediately.

Though he did not know what she was doing there.

"Let's get you to bed. You're clearly too drunk to function," Alyssa staggered under her weight but dragged her to the room.

But as the woman passed by Jeremy, she squinted her eyes and said, "little Gilbert? What are you doing he...?"

Before she could complete the question, she passed out and Jeremy stepped forward to catch her or else she would have fallen on Alyssa.

"She never drinks like this," Alyssa remarked, shaking her head, "I am sorry."

"It's fine. She lives with you?"

"Yeah. She's Andie Starr, the daughter of my mother's friend," she replied, helping Jeremy carry her to her room.

"Strange..."

"How so?" Alyssa asked as they dropped her on the bed and stepped out, "and she called you little Gilbert... Do you guys know each other?"

"Not that well," he shrugged, "but she used to work as a news reporter in Mystic Falls."

Alyssa was surprised to find that connection, "really? She never told me that..."

"Guess you will have to ask her in the morning when she's sober," he replied, putting his hands in his pockets as he felt awkward after the unexpected interruption, "it's kinda late now."

"Yeah, you must be getting late too," she managed a slight smile, "thanks once again for the nice outing today. I really enjoyed it."

"Me too."

After a while, Jeremy had left but his words were still resonating in her head. If Andie was from Mystic Falls too and intentionally hid that town's existence from her then there was something going on that she hadn't been able to figure out.

She felt someone intentionally wanted to keep her away from Mystic Falls. And she wanted to find out who was going to such extremes to keep her away from that town and what was the reason behind it.

***