CHAPTER 32

Dakota’s POV

Chef Ivo and I didn’t say anything until we got to the kitchen. I couldn’t move anymore when I saw that he had taken the glass and went to the opposite side of the fridge to pour water himself. He came to me and gave it to me. I smiled at him as I accepted the glass. “T-Thank you, Chef.” I immediately drank it and almost coughed up all the contents of it.

“Are you hungry?” asked Chef Ivo.

I shook my head because I still felt really full until now. When I noticed that Chef Ivo sat down in a chair, I was even more immobilized in my position. ‘Doesn’t he intend to go up?’ I asked in my mind. I kept fumbling in my place. Do I turn my back on him and leave him or go with him? ‘Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if I volunteered myself to stay with him?’

“Are you going upstairs?”

“Ah… do you want me to join you first, Chef?” I want to kick myself for asking that question. It’s embarrassing. I’m not thinking. Later is what Chef Ivo thinks of me. It embarrassed me to smile at him. “If you want me to go first, that’s fine—”

“Stay here with me,” said Chef Ivo, without even looking at me.

I was speechless. I have no idea what we’re going to do here in the kitchen. Maybe he was tired. That’s why he needed someone to talk to. But I thought, why me? Liam can now because they are both boys. After a while, I pulled out a chair and sat down. I feel what will happen.

“I asked the police that I brought you and Willow if anyone had searched for you.” Chef Ivo’s start.

My attention automatically went to him. “What did the police say? Is there any news? Did any of our relatives or friends look for us?”

Chef Ivo shook his head. “Nothing. Even though some have been gone for a few months since I brought you there and when it was reported, no one is really coming.”

My shoulders slumped because of what I heard. It seems really vague that we will have Willow’s identity. Who are the real us? ‘Who am I? And Willow, who is she in my life? Why are we together?’ I tried to think and to remember something about Willow and I but I felt a painful in one part of my head. I immediately grabbed the painful part and closed my eyes tightly.

I heard Chef Ivo call me and come to me. He grabbed my shoulder, but I just closed my eyes. Try to calm yourself down. The pain slowly went away, but I still kept my eyes closed. I didn’t notice that one of my hands was also holding Chef Ivo’s hand. When I opened my eyes, that’s when I saw it.

I was ashamed to pull back my hand from him. “I’m sorry, Chef.”

“Are you okay? Do you have a headache? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” He asked me one question after another, but I shook my head.

“I’m okay, Chef. T-the pain is gone.”

“Don’t even think about it. I’m sorry if I mentioned more,” said Chef, who was obviously guilty because he started such a topic.

“It’s not your fault, Chef. I also want to know who Willow and I really are. If someone is looking for us or something.”

“Your head hurts,” he said. We met each other’s eyes and I could clearly see the concern in his eyes. Am I just missing something or what? I don’t know. I don’t want to hope that he is concerned because it seems impossible for that to happen.

“I-it doesn’t hurt anymore.” I’m lying because I still have feelings, but I can handle it. The pain is now tolerable and not as bad as before when my head really felt like it was going to explode. I’m ashamed because he still sees me like that. I know that he also just wants to help me and tell me about Willow and me. “Thank you, Chef Ivo, for your effort. You actually went to the precinct to ask the police.”

Chef Ivo adjusted his seat, then nodded slightly. “That’s not. You work with me at my restaurant, so it is my obligation to help you and Willow.” He avoided looking at me.

What Chef Ivo said caused a slight pain in a part of my heart. Yes, indeed. That is really the reason for Chef Ivo and no one else. Why do I seem to hope that there is another reason? ‘Stop it, Dakota. It is wrong to rely on something that is uncertain...’

‘You work with me at my restaurant so I have an obligation to help you...’

How many times have I heard that thing Chef Ivo said in my mind? A while ago, I was here in my bed next to Willow, who was sleeping peacefully. My friends are fine. It’s good for them to sleep while I’m still wide awake. Because my mind was always on what Chef Ivo said. There is nothing wrong with that and I accept it, but I wonder. Why am I hurt?

After getting up from my bed, I took a deep breath. I need to stop thinking about uncertain things. When the curtain moved from the open window, I focused my attention. I looked at my friends who were sleeping well. I have no idea who opened the window, but I’ll just close it. When I stood up and was about to close the window, I saw the beautiful moon. It is not round, but the light is still so bright. I smiled.

I feel a different nimbleness in my chest, especially when I smell the fresh air from outside. Smell of night and trees. Suddenly something quickly drew some image in my mind.

I am running in crowded places and a lot of trees. I am laughing, wearing the scanty white dress. My feet are bare, but I don’t hurt.

It was quick and went away, but left a strange pain in my head. I didn’t want to make noise because I didn’t want to disturb my friends so I forced myself to leave the room. When the door was closed, I fell to the floor because of a headache. I don’t know how to get rid of the pain. I was holding my head and pulling my long hair. Tried that way to relieve the pain but I couldn’t take it anymore. Little by little, my vision darkened, and I lost consciousness.