True Love Never Dies 31/?
General information and disclaimer: Here
Summary: The story is about Camilla/Sofie. She has an opportunity to visit London after several years. She is there on an assignment and also to meet some new friends. However, destiny wants something more when she meets an old friend that causes her to have to confront the memory loss resulting from a surgery done a few years back. Not possessing any memory of the old friend or what sort of relationship they might have had, she only knows that she has seen him lately in films.
Previous Chapter; Intro-1, Chapter 2-3, Chapter 4-5, Chapter 6-7, Chapter 8-9, Chapter 10-11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30
*Chapter 31*
If I had been any normal female, as soon as the door had closed behind us I would have pushed him towards it and showered him with kisses. Now I wasn't, and I let him to close the door. I went directly to the bed and turned my bag upside down to let all of it's contains fall out. After laying the bag down I took my cell phone and then went to look in my suitcase to find the charger. I plugged it in and put it on charge.
After that I went to the bed to repack my suitcase. I placed my medication bag on the bureau, removing just one for the pill I needed to take. I looked at the clock standing at the bedside table, counting backwards to when I thought I'd taken the last one, and decided it wouldn't be any problem if I took one now and then if I would need any more I could do it later in the evening. I took one of the coca-cola bottles and drank some to help the pill down. Then I walked to the bathroom to see how bad I looked. It was not good but it could have been worse.
Deciding to take a shower I went back to the room. I stopped short, seeing Orlando sitting on the edge of the bed. I swore silently, realising I'd forgotten I'd invited him in. To forget small things told me I was worse than I tried to persuade myself I was.
"Orlando, if you don't mind I need to take a shower to get rid of the hospital smell."
He turned around to face me. "You do so. Is it alright if I stretch out on the bed?" he asked me.
I looked at the bed, as there where something I felt had happened there, though it was blank. I was just happy I'd made it before going out that morning. "Of course you can, and if you want to you can take a shower after me."
"I might do that."
He had risen, taking off his jacket and shoes, and did what he asked to do. I lingered a moment and just watched him. My heart beat faster and felt really happy he wanted to stay. What I told him earlier was so true, I'd missed him. I took the shower quite quickly, and dressed in comfortable clothes.
As Orlando took the offered shower, I called my friend again. This time I got hold of her. She was sad to hear that I had been at the hospital and understood that we had to change our meeting to the next day. We decided to meet over an early dinner the next day. Knowing I didn't have to go out again tonight helped me to relax some more and allow me to concentrate on my work.
I went to my suitcase and took out the last clean t-shirt I had brought with me. Inspecting it, I thought it would fit Orlando, and it would be better than the hospital grown he still had. When I was about to knock at the bathroom door I heard him switch off the shower. I knocked.
"Orlando, I have a t-shirt you can borrow." I put my hand on the door, like it would help to get closer. Next I took a step back so he wouldn't knock me with the door when he opened.
"Thank you." He answered and a few seconds later he opened the door with the towel around his hips. I had to suck in my breath. My fingers itched to drop the t-shirt and let them caress his naked skin, but I just held it out to him. He took it, let his fingers close around mine and then leaned forward and kissed me. My head was in a whirl and I had to break the kiss by stepping back and sitting down.
"I'm sorry, you looked so irresistible." He said and backed into the bathroom.
"You don't have to say sorry. I just… was surprised." A quick moment I looked at him and then turned my head the other way. "You have no idea what you do to me." I whispered.
"What did you say?" Orlando asked and took a step towards me.
Automatic I looked back at him. It almost looked like the towel had slide down a few centimetres and it was hard to not stare at his stomach and sun tattoo. His body looked as good as it had so many years ago and the itching was still left in my fingers. To stop myself from helping him to drop that towel, I twisted my hands in my knee.
"I don't know." I swallowed. "I'm confused. I don't know how I should act, and a part of me is scared as things seem to go so fast."
Orlando forgot he was not dressed and was quickly at my side, putting his arm around me. "As long as you talk to me we can take everything at your pace, though I have these deep feelings for you, and I will probably not always remember to not act on impulse." He loosened his arm, but didn't let it go totally.
I turned slightly, stopped my hand twisting and put one of my hands on his chest. I savoured the feeling of his warm, damp skin. I knew that I would want to be somewhere we had been before, what else it had been. My heart beat faster, and it was not only because the contact. The mixed feelings I was sensing didn't help me at all.
"You want… you not… you will not be offended if I might show one thing and then do the opposite?"
"It will be confusing, but I want to believe we can work through it. Last time we were open with each other and I will be that now too. I love to have physical contact and also show that I love a person with hugs and kisses, so I probably do that without thinking. I can always hope you don't get offended by it."
I let my hand touch his face, following his chin and beard, continued to his hair. Among the things that slowly come back was that I always liked to play with it. I leaned in against him.
"So far I haven't felt as safe with anyone as I do with you. That puzzles me, when I don't know why. I hate to have this memory problem. I really like that you hold me, show me affection." I looked up at him. "I do it even if it goes to fast and it seems too… fantastic."
He hugged me.
"Can I kiss you?"
I smiled. "You should not need to ask… yes."
We kissed and it felt so good.
"Do you want to talk more or do you need to work?" He asked after a moment.
"I would love to do anything else than work, but that's why I came to London, so I should get something done. Will you go home now?" I didn't actually want to ask the question, but I needed to know what he would do.
"Do you want me to leave?"
"No! It's just that I don't want you to be bored. I can't exactly explain what I'm doing. I do it on the computer and I think I've read that you're not good with technology."
Orlando smiled and it felt like there was a laugh that wanted out, but he answered, "You don't need to explain. I would be happy to just be in the same room with you. I think my back would appreciate if I lay down for a while. I can do that on your bed just as I could if I go home."
I sat up straighter. "Then I shall not keep you from dressing."
Orlando kissed me, took a hold of the towel so it wouldn't drop when he rose. I tried not to look, but my eyes were drawn to him. His back showed more clearly what the impact with the car had done. Behind the redness, the darker shades had started to develop. He would be black and blue in the morning. I could only imagine how painful it must be.
When he had lay down, I forced myself to go to the little desk and boot up my laptop to get some work done. Though first I changed my wallpaper to a nature picture I found. If I took a photo of Orlando I might use that in the future.
Before I really started on the work, I checked how the site would work. I had a few things that didn't work and most of those were things I yet had to ad. Before doing that I tried to fix the ones that still seemed to not work as I wanted. It didn't take that long until I was really lost in the work and I was grateful that what I did seemed to work better this time.
I don't know how long I had been sitting when I became aware that the noise I heard wasn't coming from me. Though it didn't surprise me as much this time. I turned too looked at Orlando in the bed. He had rolled over on his back and lay more in the middle and snoring. I had to smile, it hadn’t changed. Those times he was sleeping deep and lay on his back he always did it.
If he had seen me I guess he would have seen my smile get wider. It was another little thing I remembered about him. Maybe things really would come back. Remembering small pieces just made me want to learn more, and if we might have anything of our old relationship left. I decided that no matter how it was going I would treasure our friendship.
I turned back to my computer and another thing hit me. I had been ordered to not fly home the next day, so I had to change my plane ticket. I rose and went to my suitcase where I put the tickets and information. It took a bit of working out, but finally I was able to change it. The new ticket would cost more, so I had to give them my credit card number. When I asked for it to be delivered to the hotel, I had to pay a fee for that too. I choose to do that to be sure I would get it and not have to get to Heathrow even earlier to make sure I had tine to pick it up.
When that was done, I needed to extend my stay at the hotel. I took my purse and the doctor's letter and put on my shoes. Orlando still snored so I wasn't worried he would wake up when I was gone.
Down at the reception for a moment it looked like there might be a problem, but the receptionist was great and managed to extend my booking in the same room until the Wednesday. Before she charged my card, I ordered some room service that she could put on the bill as well. I'd started to get little hungry, and didn't want to fuss with food later when I was into the swing of working. Remembering to fix these things was a good opportunity to stretch my legs.
I would worry about the extra cost later. I knew I probably would not earn any money on the work, it probably would cost me with the extra day's I had to stay in London. Knowing that I really wanted to make it best work I've done would be worth the extra cost. Everything I did would hopefully get more work later, and then start bringing in money.
I was able to do a few things more on the site before the room service knocked on the door with the food and drink I ordered. Smelling the food made my stomach growl, saying it gone without food for longer than I thought. I checked my clock on the computer and saw I'd been working a few hours. I put the trays on the side of the desk and then considered if I should wake Orlando, and how I would do it.
He had turned on his side, and for a moment I was uncertain if he slept or not.
Hesitantly I said, "Orlando." I probably said it too softly as he didn't move. I went around the bed and called him again. He made small movements, but kept sleeping. To wake him I had to touch him. I was probably wary of doing so as I know how I would have reacted. Biting in my lip I took courage to do so, though not hard.
Finally seeing his eyes open I withdrew my hand and told him that I ordered some food. He blinked a few times and then carefully sat up. He couldn't hide the grimace he made. He must have seen my sympathy. "I'm stiff and yes, it hurts. I'm used to needing time to get up in the mornings, now I will feel it more, no question about it."
"I know. Would you want me to rub in some of the liniment, if it helps?"
"Was it long since the food arrived?"
"No. I think it won't get that cold if I help you."
"Then I would very much appreciate it. You'll find it in the pocket in my jacket."
Orlando lay down on his stomach and I went for the liniment. Opening it I was ready to feel a sharp smell, but this was without one. I took some in my hands to first warm it.
"Please let me know if I'm pushing to hard." I said just before I started. Orlando said he would. Not long after he said that I could do it little harder. I only dared to push little more, especially over where I could see the black and blue marks appearing. When I was sure I got everything in I moved to let him sit up. He moved little back and forth and also stretched. His face more composed, I couldn't tell what he felt.
"Thanks. You are very gentle, next time you can use more pressure."
I felt my cheeks turning red, but more with the dirty thoughts it have give me. I moved to give him a bottle of water and a plate. I opted to turn my chair around and took the other. I didn't wait for any more talk and started eating. Hungry as I was, I had emptied mine fast.
"Have you got anything done?" Orlando asked as he saw me finished.
"Yes, it has worked okay and it's going quite well, and as I don't need to meet my friend tonight, I want to continue for a little longer. Take the opportunity when it works well."
"That sounds great. What do you say about going out tonight to a restaurant for dinner? We can talk then."
I know that I had cancelled a dinner and I had said something about talking with him, so it sounded good. After a little thinking I said yes.
"How long do you think you need to work? What about if I come and pick you up around eight?"
"Hmm that would give me little more than three hours… I could be sitting to midnight if I wanted, but then I would be exhausted, and overwork the site, so yes eight sounds good."
"I will come back and pick you up then, as I think you do want to be alone and I do need to get home and change. If you don't mind."
"I don't mind. I know that I often become caught up and forget everything around me when I work." I put my plate down. "I'm sorry if you hoped we would talk here, but when the doctor didn't want me to fly for a few days I hope we can have some of them to do it."
"I can't see we couldn't and I would love too."
Orlando rose and put his empty plate on the tray with mine, went back to take his jacket and put on his shoes. I turned back the chair and was looking over the page I had been working on.
"Sofie," Orlando waited to I looked at him. "Did you check your bag from H. Samuels?"
"Yeah, thank you for them. Though there was something I have to give you." I rose to get to my suitcase and give him the necklace. Finding it and looking at him I saw that seemed to be something wrong.
"I mean, I found this," I hold out the box with necklace to him. "This wasn't anything I thought I purchase."
"Didn't you like it? I thought you liked dragons."
"Yes I do, but I didn't think it was for me, and you did pay for the others."
"Oh, you are worth so much more and I still have much to return to you. Remember all the times you flew here? I didn't come to you as many times, and my presents to you weren't so big. It sounds like I have the better conditions this time."
His words made me speechless and I felt the tears running down my cheeks. Through them I could see Orlando hesitate, but being who he is, he took the steps towards me and hugged me. When he heard my sobbing subside he let me go to bend down and pick up the box and necklace. He opened it and took the dragon out and placed it around my neck.
"It looks better on you than I imagined."
I put my hand over the charm. "Thank you very much."
"You're very welcome." Then he kissed me and I was totally lost.
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