Forever My Love Ch. 04

'Wow!' Amber thought. 'Maybe the more time David spends with Ben, the easier it will be for him to remember everything that happened. I know mom and Jim had something to do with why David got married quickly. But David never even told me. Perhaps, if he remembers, we'll finally know why he left Ben and married Jim. That's why mom and Jim got so scared the other night. They definitely have to be hiding something and I am gonna find out.'

She wore a smile and took his hand in hers.

"I have no idea if the both of you are connected in the past or not." She lied, feeling bad afterwards. "All I know is that if you feel like knowing whether you're connected with him is important, then you should go for it. I love you so much and the only thing I want to see is that your memories are back. You have still forgotten some of the best conversations that we had." She laughed, slightly hitting him on the shoulder.

"What conversations?" David raised an eyebrow. "You've refused to tell me anything, Amber. You've even refused to tell me how your relationship was with Jim before we got married. You've refused to tell me why you hate him so much?"

"Because..." She took a long harsh breath. "...because I just don't like him. Jim and I have never been able to see eye to eye with him. But I respect that you chose to marry him and I love that you gave us this bundle of joy." She said, staring at the sleeping boy. "What you do for him is what every child dreams parents would do for them. All I know that is that you're amazing dad, but I wouldn't say the same for you husband."

"Amber!"

Amber raised her hands in the air like she was surrendering, rising from the swing.

"I got it. He's a good guy but I just don't see it." She carefully took Michael from his arms into hers, patting on him when he moved. "I'll see you inside. Let me take this bundle of joy to sleep."

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before she left him alone. He began staring at the sky with lots of thoughts filling his head.

'Who are you, Ben?'

***

Ben entered his office, looking smart and sexy in a blood red shirt that was tucked in a black designer trousers with black sneakers on his feet. His hair was made into a braided ponytail, revealing his gorgeous face. He was breathtaking.

When he entered his office, the first thing he noticed was a bouquet of beautiful roses that was waiting for him on the table. When he saw them, he couldn't mask the shock that registered on his beautiful face. He slowly walked to them and got them, realizing that there was a note there.

'Thank you so much for giving an opportunity.' The note read. 'I hope you love the flowers. Didn't know what color to pick though.'

A smile registered on Ben's face as he took the flowers and smelled them. They smelled so heavenly and he couldn't help but feel like he was om cloud 9. He didn't need to be a genius to know that Carlos, especially Gustavo had sent those flowers to thank him for the high sales of the new chocolates.

As he was in his reverie, his beautiful assistant came him and she couldn't help but smile when she saw him.

"Good morning, Mr. Henandez." She greeted lovingly.

"Morning, Felicia!" He responded happily.

"I take it that you love the flowers?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, they're lovely."

"That's great." She added. "He didn't know if you were gonna love them. I am pretty sure Mr. Paola will be very happy to hear that you loved them."

Ben's heart skipped a beat and he froze, muscles locked in a momentary paralysis, his eyes wide with astonishment, surprise momentarily rendering him immobile. He didn't know why he got scared but the smile on his face began fading slowly.

"David... left... these?" He stuttered, trying to control his breath.

"Yes!" The assistant nodded. "He said he wanted to thank you for the lifetime opportunity you've given him. They're so beautiful!"

Ben couldn't think straight. He had been so happy before but not anymore. He didn't wanna get anything from David or anything that reminded him of his pain. He needed to stay away from the man.

"You think so?" Ben chuckled nervously and when the lady nodded, he extended his arms to her. "You can have them."

"What?" She gasped, her eyes widening. "But they're not for me, sir. Mr. Paola brought them for you."

"I know, but... I am not really fond of flowers." He lied. "I love them but I can't take them. Since you love them, you can have them."

"But... sir..." Her voice became low. "Mr. Paola..."

"He doesn't have to know anything." He smiled, handing the flowers to her. "Just tell him that I said thank you." With a pat on the shoulder, he picked up some documents from the table and started heading out.

But he barely got out when he saw David coming towards him. His jaw dropped, eyes widening in disbelief. Lucky for him, the man seemed to be busy on the phone and didn't see him. He stumbled back, losing his footing for a brief moment. He blinked rapidly as his eyes as he scanned to see if there was a place he could hide quickly. His mind froze and he couldn't think properly.

He rushed behind the door, surprising his assistant who was staring at him like she had seen a ghost. Ben gestured to her, putting a finger on his lips to tell her not to say anything. She couldn't get it even when he began mouthing until...

"Hey there!" She heard a voice. She got it when she saw David that Ben was hiding from him. What was going on, she thought as she smiled.

"Sir!" She cleared her throat. "You're back?"

"Yeah!" He said as he let himself in, walking towards her. "I came to check if perhaps he came here. Someone told me that he was headed towards his office."

"Oh..." She chuckled nervously, glancing at Ben who was pale. "...yeah, actually..."

As she was talking to the man, Ben got it as an opportunity and silently and carefully moved from his hiding place and tiptoed out of his office. His heart was racing so much that he thought he was gonna have a heart attack.

"He did come here." The lady agreed. "But he didn't spend much time. He had a meeting that he was rushing for so he just picked up some files and left. I can take up the message if you want."

"No... not really. Did he like the flowers?"

"He did." She smiled. "He said I should thank you on his behalf when I see you. In fact, I was just about to mail them to his house."

David couldn't contain his happiness. "That's great. In that case, I should run as well. I have a meeting to attend."

He said his goodbyes to her and left. He was about to get his phone out when he saw someone rushing to the elevator. He had his hair tied in a braided ponytail and from that body, he didn't need to be a genius to know that it was Ben. He felt his heart pound in his ears and he gulped, feeling weak in the knees.

But there was also the fear that he felt... fear of the unknown. He noticed a strange sensation creeping into his head. It started as a faint throb at his temples, like a gentle tapping, and gradually grew into a dull ache. Confused and slightly worried, she tried to shake off the discomfort but then he began having flashbacks.

In his images, he was at a party standing on the dance floor with Jim calling his name. It seemed they had been dancing but something had taken his mind away, the boy that was heading towards the exit. That was the first time he had seen Jim in any of his flashbacks. The feeling felt so awfully familiar and scary at the same time.

As if his feet were on fire, David began splinting towards the boy that had already entered the elevator.

"Ben!" He hollered, waving at him. "Ben! Wait!"

But it seemed the boy didn't hear him. When he reached the elevator, it completely closed. The last thing he saw was the boy's eyes when they locked with his. But in his flashbacks, he didn't even get to see who the boy was.

"Shit!" He screamed, hitting the elevator.

He felt so much anger, and it was all so familiar, like it had happened before. With each passing moment, the pain tightened its grip on David's head, as if invisible hands were squeezing his brain. It felt as though a storm was raging inside him, lightning bolts of agony flashing through his thoughts. The world seemed distorted, as if seen through a foggy lens, and every sound, no matter how soft, pierced his ears like a thousand needles.

He tried to massage it away but it only intensified.

What was he going to do?

***

Isaac opened the door to his office and found David pacing around like someone who had lost something very precious. He could tell that something was bothering the man.

"Hey, bud!" Isaac greeted, raising an eye brow. "Sorry, I couldn't come earlier. I was in the E.R for an important surgery. What's wrong?" He asked as he took off his coat, putting it on a hanger.

"I don't know." David sighed, massaging his head. "I've been experiencing these terrible headaches and I feel like I am gonna go crazy if they don't stop."

"Really?" Isaac rushed to him and placed his hand on his head, checking his temperature. "You don't seem to have a fever. I can run some tests just to make sure that you don't have any...."

"This isn't an illness." David sounded frustrated. "I feel like there's another person living in my head. I've been having these flashbacks and I just can't figure out what's going on or why...."

"Flashbacks?" Isaac gasped, a smile creeping up his face. "That's good news, bud."

"It's not!" David shook his head. "I'm just getting more and more confused. There are so many questions running in my head and I don't know how I am gonna get them. Man, I don't know how much of this I am gonna take. It's too much for me."

"Calm down!" Isaac reassured, holding his hand. He took him to the small living room in his office and offered him some water. "Okay, tell me how often you're having these flashbacks and what you can remember."

David took some water and took a deep breath.

"Not very often, I've only had them three times now."

"Three times?" Isaac couldn't mask the shock in his voice. "And why am I only finding out about this?"

"Because I... I don't know what to make of them." He spoke. His voice was rising. "They only happen when I am around him, when I am around Ben."

"Ben?"

"Yeah!" He sighed, massaging his temples. "The first time I saw him at the restaurant before the party...."

He began narrating every occasion that he had had a flashback and as he went on further, his headache got worse. But he made sure that he told his friend everything. He could tell that Isaac was paying so much attention but he also didn't miss that worry in his eyes. It was obvious that the man might have been thinking he was going crazy.

"So, I need your help, man." He said, holding his hands. "You're my best friend and I very well know that we do most of the things together. Do you remember the party I was at or did you at any point meet the boy in my memories? I could clearly see Jim's face but not the boy's face. Perhaps, you know who this boy was and why I was running after him. I know what you're gonna say, but I cannot ask Jim these questions because of obvious reasons."

Isaac was quiet and he had reasons to be.

'All those occasions he's describing where things that happened in the past with Ben. I never really met the boy but I am pretty sure that Ben's return must be triggering his memories. This is good.'

"Isaac!" David called, getting him out if his thoughts.

"Yeah!" He nodded. "I remember the party but I don't think I remember seeing someone you described there. That night, you left the party early and didn't really tell anyone where you were. Sorry, man, I wish I could help but I don't know who the boy is."

"Shit!" He said under his breath, hitting his head. "I feel like I'm going insane, man. And question is, why does this only happen when Ben is around. And there always this feeling that I get whenever he is around... I don't wanna say it but... I like spending time with him. I feel emotions that come with these memories. It's like I don't want him to go away whenever I am around him."

"What?" Isaac was shocked. "David, whatever you're feeling, I hope you don't...."

"Don't get me wrong, Isaac, it is not what you're thinking. I am a married man and I love my husband, no matter what the situation is. Although I don't really remember anything, our marriage is one thing that I am sure of. Jim is a sweet guy and we have a son together, a very beautiful boy that adores the both of us. But..." He paused and took a deep, harsh breath.

"I cannot ignore these memories because I know they've got some meaning behind them. It's like my mind is now ready to remember. I might be wrong about all this. Maybe it isn't even Ben. It might just be someone that reminds me of him, maybe that's why I am having these flashbacks."

"Could be!"

"But that's why I need your help, Isaac." His voice was so low. He sounded so desperate. "I need to remember my life before that accident happened. I need those five years of my life and know who that boy was. Is there any way that you can help me remember? Maybe... maybe some drugs or anything that can force me into remembering. I'm ready to pay any amount of money."

"David, it doesn't work like that." He shook his head. "You've got retrograde amnesia and it's not something that can easily be fixed by some drugs. You need to remember naturally and, in this case, that's good news. Let it continue and eventually you'll remember everything. You need to continue seeing your neurologist regularly as well. When last were you there?"

"You know I don't like going to that man." He rolled his eyes. "I feel like he doesn't do anything but rather asks me weird questions all the time. I'm tired."

Isaac burst into laughter. "Well, you know I'm not a neurologist but a surgeon. I can only advise but he's the one that can give you the help that you need. You should go and see him. He might have a better solution for you."

"Nah!" He shook his head. "I'll pass. I have a lot of problems as it is. I can't endure his questions anymore."

"We can go together right now. I am free."

"Yeah, I'll pass..." David said, laughing as he rose from the couch. "And I don't want my mom or Jim to hear about any of this." He warned, pointing at Isaac. "I cannot afford them being worried. If it's important, I am gonna talk to them myself but right now, they cannot know anything." Isaac raised his hands like he was surrendering. He nodded, making David chuckle. "All this talk has gotten me hungry. I'll treat you out for lunch. You coming?"

"You know you're crazy, right?" Isaac commented, raising an eyebrow.

"As long as you're coming, you can say whatever you want." He was leaving as he said that. "Just prescribe some drugs for my headache."

The two friends left the office and went laughing on their way out.

***

The aroma that filled the kitchen was to die for... almost everyone that smelt it from the outside could almost taste the deliciousness of what was being prepared. The smell was inviting, almost hypnotic....

And here he was, smiling as he carefully mixed the ingredients, both dry and wet. There were very few things that made him happy after his experience and making chocolate was one of them. The fact that he was gonna donate that chocolate to the kids at the orphanage made him so excited. He knew his daughter would have wanted that for him.

He was wearing a white apron with his daughter's name engraved on it, from where he got his motivation and power. His hair was tied with a band and he was a little messy but he couldn't have loved it in any way. The chocolates that he had managed to finish were put on the trays in the fridge. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face, its radiance contagious.

As he was busy working....

"Wow!" He heard a voice speak, almost making him jump. "When I smelt this beautiful aroma, I couldn't have imagined in my wildest nightmare that it was you making the chocolates."

Ben quickly raised his head and when his eyes landed on the man, his heart almost skipped a beat and he felt weak in the knees. The man was smiling so wide at him that it gave him chills. He knew that smile very well and he could remember it.

David on the other hand couldn't explain the excitement that he felt when he saw the boy there. A radiant smile spread across his face, his eyes sparkling with an electric energy that illuminated the room, a vibrant reflection of his exhilaration. He hadn't seen Ben in a number of days and seeing him felt so damn amazing.

"David!" Ben gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Why?" David chuckled, getting nearer. "You didn't wanna see me? I haven't seen in that few days and I must say that I'm so happy seeing you again."

"I have been busy." He sighed and continued doing his work. "I am also kinda busy right now. Is there anything that you wanted to discuss?"

"Not really." He was getting nearer and his eyes on the work the boy was doing. "Wow, that looks and smells amazing. Where did you learn how to do that?"

Ben knew he couldn't get himself out of that. "I think it's just a natural gift. Like I said before, I discovered this during one of the darkest moments of my life. I was grieving and then I realized that I got so so happy whenever I saw how chocolate was made. Decided to do it and I've been hooked ever since."

"Wow!" He held his heart, smiling at the boy. "You know, I don't know what you were going through but I'm glad you pushed through it and got back to your feet. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been blessed with all these delicious chocolates."

He began unbuttoning his jacket, surprising Ben.

"What are you doing?"

"I wanna help out." He said as he put the jacket on a chair. "I've always been curious how you make chocolates and now that I've gotten an opportunity, I wanna ask you to teach me."

He took off his tie and unbuttoned his white shirt halfway, revealing his muscular hairy chest. Ben took a harsh breath as he felt his heart pound so hard in his chest that he felt like it was gonna rip out. He wanted to deny the man's request but seeing how excited and ready he was, he knew that he couldn't come up with a good excuse.

"Alright!" He nodded. "I'll try and do my best to teach you. Just that I've never actually taught anyone how to."

"You'll be surprised to find that I am a good learner." David commented, winking at the boy. "I am ready."

Ben took a deep breath and began showing the man how he did, the melting of the butter, the mixing of the ingredients. He was nervous at first but as they proceeded, he calmed his nerves and began enjoying himself. The man was making a mess of himself, which made Ben laugh like a child, but overall, he was very good at following instructions.

Ben had to hold his hand to show him how to mix the ingredients together and David couldn't have appreciated it more than he did. At that point, his worries went away and the only thing he could think of was how much fun he was having with Ben. The world around him seemed to blur as he moved, the rush of exhilaration blinding him to everything but the pulsating thrill of the moment.

In no time at all, they made the first set of chocolates and boy was it delicious. David couldn't have been prouder of himself, of the both of them. They were on to the second and Ben let David do it this time with minimal helping and he couldn't believe how he was able to remember most of the things. His chocolates were done and they tasted good, not as good as Ben's but he was proud of himself. He was gonna take them to his son to taste.

"Wow!" He laughed, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be able to make chocolates. This is one of the moments I am gonna seize. Thanks a lot for showing me this."