I got off the motorcycle and looked around with panicked eyes. It felt like I was in a movie—time seemed to slow down, raindrops began to fall from the sky, and people hurried past me, desperate not to get wet. But I was the only one standing still in the middle of the sidewalk, searching for the person I desperately needed to see.
The rain grew heavier as I stepped forward, scanning the street for a familiar silhouette. Across the road, I spotted Mike, also looking around anxiously for his best friend.
Though it was late evening, the street was well-lit by glowing streetlights. Then, my attention caught on a red phone booth standing at the edge of the sidewalk. Someone was inside, hunched over the phone. Only the top of his blond hair was visible.
My breath quickened. My heart pounded harder. I dashed toward the booth and stepped inside. He lifted his head, meeting my eyes. His gaze was startled, wary—like I was a stranger he didn't trust.
"Felix," I whispered, my voice barely audible. He stood uncertainly.
"Felix, I found you," I said, then collapsed into his arms, hugging him so tightly I was sure he could barely breathe. He didn't hug me back—he just froze, tense and still.
"Are you the girl I talked to on the phone?" he asked, his voice uncertain.
I stepped back and searched his eyes. There was a lost puppy there—confused and frightened.
"It's me, Selena. Don't you remember me?" I asked, placing my hand over my heart, feeling it shatter into a million pieces.
"I'm sorry, but I can't remember anything from before the last few years. There's a complete blank."
My mind raced, unable to comprehend what was happening. Why didn't Felix remember anything? Why didn't he know me?
Tears mingled with the rain as they streamed down my cheeks and soaked my hair.
"We're going to take you somewhere safe. Me and your best friend, Mike," I promised.
Felix's eyes lifted and fixed on something behind me. I turned to see Mike standing in the rain, watching us intently.
"You mean the man watching us?" Felix asked.
"Yes," I said softly, eyes drifting to Mike. But something about him unsettled me—the pale, almost gray tint of his skin, the blackened circles under his eyes, his cracked lips. He looked sick.
"You have to help me hide. I don't want to be caught by my parents," Felix whispered.
"Why? Did they hurt you?" I asked, my voice trembling with worry.
He lowered his head and met my gaze with pain-filled eyes.
"I don't want to be locked up again. I barely escaped that hell once. I spent months there, and I'm sure my mother will punish me for disobedience again, telling me it's for my own good. I can't bear it—a second time."
"What kind of hell are you talking about, Felix?"
"About the psychiatric hospital…"
*
We were staying in a hotel located on the same street where I had found Felix in the phone booth. The conditions were far from satisfactory, but at that point, we couldn't afford anything better. We just had to get through one night there.
I looked at Felix with caring eyes. He sat curled up on the bed, staring at one fixed point in front of him. He was a wreck of a man, nothing like the boy I had fallen in love with.
"You're coming back to New York with us," Mike said cautiously, carefully watching his friend. "You'll stay at my house. Your parents will be happy to see you because, like me, they've been worried about you. They know what your family is like since you often stayed overnight with us. At my place, you'll be safe. No one will hurt you there."
"Won't my parents find me there?" Felix asked quietly.
"You're already an adult," I replied firmly. "They can no longer control you."
Mike shook his head. "They can, if you're not fully well."
Felix sighed deeply. "The attending physician discharged me at my request, saying they saw significant improvement. I spent a year in that hell — the hospital. Every day, I had to take a handful of pills, which, under their supervision, erased my memory. I'm nineteen and managed to leave without a guardian. My parents were only informed of the decision. I didn't know what to do with myself. I was helpless — like an abandoned puppy with no home. I was afraid that wherever I went, they would find me. I spent a whole night and half a day wandering the streets, and your number kept popping into my head. Not knowing who it belonged to, I took a chance and called."
I squeezed his hand, feeling warmth in my heart. He didn't pull away but still looked uncertain.
"I'm grateful to the angel watching over you that this was my number," I said softly. "Before your mother took you away, we were very close. Mike and I have been searching for you all this time. Your friend even hired a detective."
"My grandpa didn't do anything," Felix mumbled.
"Were you really looking for me?" His eyes lit up with hope.
"Yes, we were worried. We didn't know what was happening to you. You disappeared without a trace."
Felix looked at me, and I wanted to hug him tightly, but I restrained myself. Sudden movements could frighten him — especially now when he remembered nothing and had been through so much.
"You should try to get some sleep. You look exhausted," Mike suggested.
"Mike will lie down on the couch. I'm small enough to be comfortable in the bed," I smiled.
Felix raised an eyebrow. "If we were close and it doesn't bother you, you can sleep next to me. Otherwise, I'll go to the couch, and you and Mike…"
"No!" Mike interrupted immediately, crossing his arms. "We're friends, but I can't sleep with Selena. What if your memories come back and you kill me in my sleep? Besides, I have a girlfriend in New York, and I can't share a bed with her best friend."
Felix looked at me suspiciously. "Were we in a relationship?"
"Yes," I answered softly, returning his gentle smile.
"You can sleep next to me. If it doesn't bother you, it bothers me even more," he said, slipping under the covers.
I glanced at Mike, who shrugged. "I'm big, but I'll sleep on the couch," he said.
I lay down next to Felix, who was already lying on his back. His eyes closed, and at that moment, he looked like a wounded, innocent child. I wanted to hug him again but held back.
I don't know how long I lay there, staring at his face. I couldn't fall asleep with him so close after such a long time. I thought about everything he had gone through. It gave me no peace that his parents had hurt him so deeply.
One thing was certain: his mother was the most toxic, selfish, and heartless person in the world. She was the one who ruined Felix. It was solely her fault he was going through hell.
I hoped karma would catch up with her.
*
I opened my eyes, feeling a gentle touch on my cheek. With a puzzled look, I turned to Felix, who was lying on the bed, propping himself up on one elbow and staring at me intently. His gaze was so intense that for a moment I thought he remembered everything from our past.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I just felt like I had to touch your face. You looked very charming," he said.
I sat up and glanced around the hotel room. I didn't see Mike anywhere.
"He went to his parents' place. He asked me to tell you to take care of me for a few hours. He'll be back here in his dad's car," Felix added, noticing my confusion over Mike's absence.
Well, yes — on the motorcycle, he could only take one person.
"How do you feel?" I asked, studying his face. It seemed like his complexion had regained some color over the past few hours.
"Much better. Thank you for finding me."
I smiled softly and squeezed his hand.
"Now that you're with us, we won't let anyone hurt you — especially your mother."
"Then why did you let it happen before? Why did I end up in a psychiatric hospital?"
He stared at me sharply. I blinked, unable to form words at first.
I guessed he didn't remember that day, but he was right. I had done nothing to help him. His mother had taken him away by force, and I had just stood there, watching.
"That day I was helpless. I'm sorry. I didn't have a chance to fight your mother."
"So you think you have a chance now?" His bluntness made me feel foolish, but deep down I had to admit he was right. I wanted to comfort him and promise he'd be safe with us, but I was lying to myself.
"I wish I could remember the past — to know what really happened. It would be easier to defend myself then. I wish I knew how strong the feeling between us was, whether we were happy together... I want to remember every moment with my friend... but there's a complete blank in my head. I only remember the time I spent in the hospital and visits to my parents. All I know is that my mother is a terrible person who fills me with fear."
Tears welled up in my eyes at Felix's words.
"I'm going to ask you one thing..." he said, looking at me carefully. "Since you don't remember us, and we're strangers to you, do you trust us even a little? Your life will depend on us until your memory comes back. Are you ready for that?"
"I was ready the moment your number popped into my thoughts. I felt you had to be important to me, since you were the first person I thought of. I felt the same today, when I longed to touch your face," he said, making my heart ache with warmth. "I trust you, but I don't trust your words when you say you'll protect me from my family. If I don't do it myself, no one else will."
He was right. This was his battle — we could only stand by his side and help him fight it.