True Love Never Dies 32/?
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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,
*Chapter 32*
Authors Note: This is from Orlando's POV.
Sofie looked adorable where she stood in front of me, still with tears in her eyes, little pink and her hand holding the dragon charm.
When she thanked me, I knew I just had to kiss her. I said 'you're welcome' and did it. For a moment she was the stiff girl she had become, but then I could feel her relax and respond to me. I wanted to continue longer, though I was not sure if she wanted to and I opted to try to hold to the promise that I made.
If I hadn't held her, she probably would have fallen, she seemed so lost, and maybe it wouldn't take so long before she knew what she actually was feeling. Then, I hoped to be more than a friend to her. Even if we hadn't been reunited long, I still hoped for some way to become a couple again. I knew that the old saying 'true love never dies' was so true.
I waited for her to give any sort of indication on what she wanted to do next. My patience was stretched, but I guessed that she was fragile so I let her go. She swayed some but she regained her balance.
"Are you okay?"
Sofie blinked, then, she seemed to be back. "Yes, I'm okay. More than okay."
I could not keep from smiling. I felt more than okay too. What wouldn't I do for her? Every movement now reminded me of what I did less than a day ago. Thinking back at the evening, I just knew I'd forgotten something. I knew it that from the moment I had spotted her at the Borderline, nothing else mattered. I had gone there with Kate, who had flown in yesterday to spend time with me. Before we left, I told her about Sofie. I remember that I told her to do what she wanted; go to the apartment because she had a key. I probably should have called home to check if Kate was still waiting for me.
"Good. If I leave now, the sooner we both will finish what we have to do before dinner."
"Right, that would be great."
"See you later then." Part of me hoped that we would share another kiss, but I guessed it was better to wait. I left Sofie and wished the hours would go fast.
Outside, I picked up my mobile phone and called Kate. She didn't answer and I got her voicemail. I didn't know what to tell her, so I hung up without speaking. I think I needed a little longer to go through what happened the previous day. It was not a long way between the hotel and where my apartment is, so I walked. It didn't look like many people recognized me, and the paparazzi had yet to get a tip to where I was.
Walking felt like it helped my back some, even if I had to clench my teeth. Being alone now made it easier to feel it and I must have taken a harder hit than I thought. I was mostly happy as long as it didn't get worse. I didn't want to get back to the time I had to spend in the hospital. I sped up as much as I could because I wanted to take something to ease the pain.
After I unlocked my door, something told me that Kate wasn't there. It felt very silent and empty. After stepping inside and closing the door behind me, I noticed the key I let her have to my apartment was lying on the rug. It confirmed my feeling that she had left. It would complicate explaining things to her.
I looked into the kitchen and it looked just as we had left it; the boxes with Chinese food sitting on the counter, and our plates in a pile. I would take care of it after I went through the rest of the apartment and had taken my pills for the pain. The living room looked the same too. I was on the way to my bedroom when I saw something was leaning against the vase containing the flowers I'd given Kate. I went into see what it was.
It was an envelope; on the outside, she had written my name in what looked like a hurry. I opened it finding a letter. I sat down in the closest chair and started reading it.
Dear Orlando,
As you read this, you probably know that I didn't stay. Before you asked me to listen to your story about Sophie, and then seeing her at the club, I came to the conclusion that I would need to take up a few things with you; if we want to be able to continue. There have been small things that made me feel you had secrets, and without you knowing it, you answered several of them by telling the story. I do not want to go deep into them on paper, or at least, not now. I'm sorry but I really just want to get away from here and think about things. I need time.
No matter when you had come to me with the story, I would have felt hurt; hurt because I do love you. Though, added to what we've already been through, I am not sure if I can keep things going. Until I know what I feel and what I want to do I decided it would be best if we take a break and I will call when I'm ready.
I leave because I'm not up to acting for anyone, not when it isn't good between us. You told me to wait to decide what I want to do, though when you went after Sophie, I think you went too far. That’s why I did not stay, and please do not try to find me, I'll probably leave the UK as soon as I can. I also hope you will listen to me and do what I wish; to not call me before I call you.
Kate.
Even if she not gone deeply into the reasons why she left, she did at least leave a note so I would not worry, and that I appreciated. Of course, I understand that I had really hurt her and had it been reversed, I would be very angry, so for Kate asking me to not search for her and wait until she was ready wasn't a surprise. I felt very sad to where we had come, and I would miss her; there was no question about it. But it wasn't the same as it had been with Sofie. Nothing could be the same.
I read the letter a few times. There was nothing I could do about how everything had turned out. I also wanted to show that I could do what I was asked, so I would wait for Kate to call me, hoping it wouldn’t take too long. I put the letter back in the envelope and laid it on the table. I went up to go to my medicine cabinet to get my stronger pain killers.
Even if I knew I shouldn't lie down and sleep, I did anyway. I could think just as well lying down as walking around. I was so sure of my feelings and very, very happy that I found and met Sophie again, though it could have turned out better.
I felt bad what had taken place at Borderline. I should have considered that she was anxious and I could have scared her. In my mind, there hadn't been a thought in my mind that she might have been out with someone else. I was probably as surprised as Sofie was at Dominic's reaction. If I could have predicted what would have happened, I would have done it differently. As it turned out, I acted on instinct and I do not regret it. Things could have turned out really bad. I quickly pushed those thoughts out of my mind.
What made me happier was that it seemed like she was remembering me more and more. All I could hope for was that it meant things were taking a turn for the better. I was very much looking forward to meeting her for dinner again tonight, and that we would talk. I decided to think about how I was going to put things. One thing I did know was that I would not keep things from her and if she needed to be assured about what I wanted and felt, I would do it again and again. I hope that I would never tire of it.
Lying in bed and letting the pain subside with help of the medication, I knew I thought of things again and again, but it was the way to handle everything. I knew that I really wanted to hear a lot more of the things Sofie could remember from when we lost each other, how she had struggled through her sickness, and what she was doing now. I would answer all the questions she could have and tell her whatever she wanted to hear. A part of me was curious because she came to like the films that I had played in, even if I hated to analyze my own performance.
Sofie had told me a few things when we had been to that café in Soho, but I wanted very much to hear her tell me more of what had happened to her with her brain tumour surgery, and what she had gone through, made me feel both sad and frustrated that I hadn't been with her. I also felt amazed at how strong as a person she really had to be.
Being able to see her the last twelve hours, and know that she showed that she hadn't lied about her conditions, that she was having problem with her memory, strengthened my feelings for her. I know my feelings could come from some pity, but they didn't. I had to believe that anyone would have felt so too. With the feelings I kept all the time and what I had wanted to tell her back in 1998, I so much would have wanted to be at her side and support her through that rough time in her life. Now, I could only keep my wish that Sofie would let me do it for the future. I was sure that I had to make it work in my schedule somehow. I was not ready to lose her a second time.
When the medication had kicked in fully, it made me sleepy and I slept for a few hours. When I woke up, it was a little darker outside. Going to the window, I noticed that it was due to some dark clouds overhead and recent rain. I went to the bathroom, freshened up and was very close to shaving my beard off. The only reason I didn't was that I knew there could still be some re-shooting on Kingdom of Heaven. I rather have my own than get a beard glued on, if that happened. Sofie hadn't said anything against it, either. I know that Kate hadn't been found of it.
Standing in front of the closet, trying to decide what to wear and looking through my shirts, I smiled when I saw one of my older ones that had a paisley pattern. If I wore it, I guess it would make Sofie smile too, especially that this one was one she had given me just because she thought I had such a bad fashion taste. It had been fun to wear it, but I didn't want to make much of a scene so I took one of my white shirts instead. The paisley shirt would have to wait for a time when we were alone.
Even though, I planned to take her to a restaurant, I decided that it had to be good enough with jeans. I thought I would suggest that we went to one of the Chinese restaurants in Soho. Every time she had been here, we had gone there. Then, we'd had that favourite restaurant - was it called Fung Shing? - I think I read it in her dairy. It really was some time ago since I'd been to any of the restaurants in Chinatown and there was a possibility that it was no longer there, but we would find that out later.
Before I left my apartment, I took my camera with me. I wanted to save the moments and have new photos of Sofie. If she agreed, I would see about take some more arranged pictures of her. I'd had so little time for photography lately and I felt that she had woken up that part of me again.
I knocked at her room door, a little later than we had decided, but I had hoped Sofie wouldn't feel bad about it. If she said that she could get lost in front of her computer, she might have done so and not have noticed the time. I could not hear any movement behind the door, so I knocked again.
"Coming, coming." was heard, muted by the door.
Sofie opened a small chink, but let the door open wider as she saw me. She was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white shirt that she had knotted under her breasts. She looked good, and I wanted her.
I waited for her to accuse me to being late, but that didn't come.
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