Christian's POV

I walked out of there and entered the very next house. The door opened with a creak. Spider webs scammed the hallway. I walked into the living room and lifted the white sheet from the couch. Not caring for anything more, I slouched down on the couch restlessly. I wasn't exactly heartbroken but maybe a little upset or hurt. I can't even put my own situation in verses. I sat there till evening while Julia looked over the people who came for housing maintenance and pest control.

Some wise men said,“There's always two facets of everything,” and so I was trying to figure out the positive side it has got. I was up in bed all night trying to figure out and guess what, I got none. I wish we were just  like we were an year ago. This want, this desire ignited the spark in me and made me get up the next day.

“ I'm here,” I yelled as I walked in Blaire's house, self inviting myself got the breakfast.

“Sure, you're,” I heard Mel reply.

“ I'm up for a fancy brunch,” I smiled.

She chuckled and went into the kitchen.

“ I have things t o discuss,” I said once we all were at the table.

“ Where's Blaire, anyway?” I asked.

“ She's at Central Pool Park  - ,”

“ - uh... went to practice. She's been pretty busy with swimming lately," Mel replied.

“Good," I remarked.

“ Things like?" Rob asked going back to the topic.

“ Alright, first things first,” I said as I took a huge bite of sandwich in,“ after I passed out , that day at the hospital, I was in coma for three days. When I woke up...uh...I saw my father,”

“Yeah, I contacted him. Thought it won't be the best to leave you there alone and Blaire was also shifted so...,” Robert interrupted.

“It was him who filled me in with the fact that I was in coma for three days and by the time I healed, summer was already over. Senior year started and it was all rumoured over that Blaire is dead. The student body there, even held memorials and stuff,” I threw my hands in exasperation.

“I thought of contacting you guys,” I looked at both Melody and Robert,“ but what would I possibly say? That I'm sorry for I killed your little girl, my girlfriend. I was already in guilt and whatnot but part of me never believed that she was...uh... dead,” I exhaled loudly.

“ It's like there was always a hope that maybe, someday I will find my Blaire and I won't let her go again but now when I found her, I have no right to hold her even let alone letting her go," I shrugged.

“ Actually, with Blaire being suffering from RA, we took it as a relief that you didn't stop by but I guess we had to face this someday it the other," Mel said, sadness prevailed in her eyes.

“ I believe everything happens for its own good,” I sniffed, holding my tears that were starting to form.

“I think I have a solution to this,” Robert interrupted.

“What is it, uncle?" I asked, stretching my lips into a smile.

“She hasn't forgotten her memories she made before that. Her childhood memories are intact. We could always introduce you as Jamie. She didn't forget her Jamie...,”

“No. No, no, god no,” I interrupted and abruptly stood up from my chair.

“ What's wrong in that?” Mel asked.

“You could always do that, sure but does it guarantee that it'll bring back all of her feelings back? Will she love me all over again? I don't think so,” I calmed myself down and grabbed my seat again.

“look, if you introduce me as Jamie, then sure she'll recognise me , she'll recognise her childhood friend, her kindergarten playmate but not the one she fell in love with,” I bit my lip and closed my eyes for a second.

“ I know, I know it'll be hard but I believe destiny has given me one more chance by bringing us face to face. And if destiny is ready to give me this golden chance, then I'm not ready to lose this change. I'm gonna grab it. Trust me. I trust my destiny," I looked into their eyes.

“One. Last. Chance.” I uttered, word by word, keeping my voice low.

“ I'm leaving, Auntie,” Austin declared.

“ Where are you going?” I asked, out of the blue.

“To pick Blaire up from the practice,” he replied.

“ Doesn't she drive?” I asked.

“Sometimes,"

“ I'll go with you,” I said as I stood up.

“ May I drive?" I asked Austin as he took out Blaire's Audi out of the parking.

“Sure,” he said in a chirpy voice as he threw me the keys.

“Ah...I missed this," I whispered as I sat in the driver's seat and gripped the wheel.

Well, I forgot to mention, Justin and Austin are Blaire's first cousins. While Austin was the same age as ours, Justin was two years older than him. Austin was that kind of guy whom we call cute. He wasn't exactly the skinny kid and neither was he muscular, rather I would say he was lean, the hot type. He always wore this half-rimmed oval glasses and lastly his triumph card, his smile. He could melt anybody with one of his smile. He was the kind who had crinkles by their eyes whenever they smiled.

I pulled up infront of the park and we walked towards the pool. I saw Blaire diving straight into the water, her strokes were faster, faster than I ever saw. It took her barely two mins as she pulled herself out of the water and stopped the timer.

“ What's the record, champ?”

“ One minute and forty seconds," she replied to Austin's question.

Her eyes questioningly landed over me,“you?” she asked.

“..uh...just tagged along.”

“okay,” she shrugged.

“Sorry about earlier. I certainly mistook you as someone else,” my voice cracked.

She simply nodded.

“So," I clasped my hands together,“ shall we have a race?"

“Do I owe you one?” she arched an eyebrow.

“Apparently. I mean you own me a sign for ‘apology granted’,” I gave my signature smirk.

“Alright,” she said jumping back in the water.

I took off my shirt that I left unbuttoned and then unbuttoned my jeans. I was going to take off my grey polo that I wore beneath the shirt, when it stroke me.

“ I'm waiting,” Blaire called out.

I gave a last thought and decided to keep it on or I might have to face a bunch of questions about the tattoo. With that, I jumped into the pool. I wasn't a swimmer but had all kind of practice. Didn't matter that I played basketball and soccer, I had a touch on each of these albeit a very soft one. I realised this when Blaire broke my wall of confidence and surpassed me. We touched the wall almost at the same time, maybe differed by a second but that's what counts.

“ One point thirty-five,” she screamed in delight as she snatched the stopwatch from Austin and went on jumping around.

“I was trying to break this one point forty since last two weeks,” she huffed as she hugged her brother.

“ Ew, go away Jimmy. I hate being drenched, you know it,” Austin scrunched up his nose and pushed her away but Blaire liked irritating people knowing what they hate.

I walked off and put on the rest of my clothes and continued watching her from afar. Her laugh still has that aura, the brightness of the sun. It lights up everyone around, just like it did back in those days. My world was crashing down every moment as I went on feeling that suddenly I'm not allowed to touch somebody who's mine. Suddenly I couldn't claim her as mine, I couldn't go close to her after a certain distance, I couldn't hold her. Suddenly, I was a stranger.

Distance. Distance is a cruel thing. It eats you up and erodes the feelings. All of a sudden, I wasn't a part of her every happiness, her every laughter or even her sadness. But at that moment, I was happy that although indirectly, I could be the reason of her smile.