Return

Selena you bastard! 

Holding my head as the memory faded, I whispered to myself, “Was that a deja vu?“. 

“Hold on tight!” Colin exclaimed, and pressed down on the accelerator but the car moved forward on its own. 

The rain fell, the wind pushing the car from all sides, Colin had no choice but to stop the car. 

“I hope it will pass soon,” I said, peering out the window. Colin reached for the radio dial and tuned in to the weather broadcast channel. 

We heard a female voice, “The weather forecast for today predicted a stormy and rainy night, starting at midnight. The storm is expected to continue through the night until the next morning,” she announced. “Everyone, make sure to stay safe and cozy with your blankets and heaters.” 

Colin exchanged a glance with me. We were faced with a choice: wait out the storm in the car or brave the storm to seek shelter in the nearby building 

“We’ll have to make a run for it!” Colin declared, his eyes meeting mine. 

“It’s dark, and everyone has locked up. No one will open their doors for us this late,” I pointed out. 

There’s a hotel over there!” Colin replied, pointing towards a dimly lit building in the distance. 

“A hotel?” I echoed,” for both of us?” 

“Who else?” Colin asked, Just then the car pushed forward violently by the storm as if to emphasize his points. 

“Stop acting stubborn! Let’s get out of the car before we get ourselves killed because of your stubbornness. The car could give out or even somersault any moment from now in this storm,” Colin urged. 

“Anyways I’m leaving” Colin said, unbuttoning his seat belt. “You can stay if you want!” With that, Colin opened the car door and ran out into the rain. 

“What an unromantic jerk!” I muttered under my breath, as I took a deep breath, opened the car door and 

followed after him in the run. 

The rain fell down without mercy, drenching us as we ran towards the faint light from the hotel. The wind strong. pushing us from all sides. 

As we ran the wind became so strong. Without warning, a powerful gust caught me off guard, lifting me off my feet and threw me into the rushing mud water below. 

“COLIN!!! AHHH!” I screamed, the current of the mud water pushing me along. 

“Hey!!!” Colin screamed as he ran towards me, his arms reaching out to grab hold of my flailing hand on the brink of being carried away by the relentless flow. 

Colin fought against the pull of the water, and he pulled me back onto solid ground, his grip on me strong despite the force of the current. Gasping for breath and trembling from the shock, I clung to him as he dragged me to safety, 

After a heart–pounding struggle, we finally reached the hotel, our clothes socked, clinging to our bodies. I was covered in mud from my fall, my body shaking from the cold and shock. Colin held me close and we made our way inside. 

When we entered the hotel lobby i felt relief. Colin kept me close as we approached the receptionist, my body still 

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shivering from the cold and shock of our escape from the storm. 

“We need a room. Is there one available?” Colin inquired. 

“Yes, sir,” the receptionist replied, as she observed our sorry state. 

“Is another room available?” I asked. 

“No ma’am, that’s the only room available for now!” 

Colin reached for his wallet, the damp leather sticking to his fingers as he retrieved his card to settle the payment. With a quick swipe, the transaction was completed, and the receptionist handed over the room key. 

Taking the key, Colin guided me towards the room, With a click, he unlocked the door and ushered me inside. 

Without hesitation, I made a beeline for the bathroom, the need to wash away the mud and grime from my fall overpowering everything else. The hot water washed the mud off, soothing my cold body. 

Feeling refreshed after my shower, I spotted a cozy nightwear set hanging in the bathroom and wasted no time in slipping it on. Gathering up my mud–stained clothes, I walked out of the bathroom just as Colin made his way in. 

I needed to get my muddy clothes washed, so I picked up the telephone and dialed the receptionist number, explaining my need to have them washed and cleaned. The voice on the other end of the line informed me that the female room service attendant would be dispatched shortly to get it done. 

True to the promise, a room service staff arrived at the door, so I handed over my muddy clothes for cleaning. Thank you so much. When can I expect it?” 

“They will be ready for you by tomorrow,” she replied and I nodded. 

Exiting the bathroom, Colin ordered our meal, which got delivered to our room. As we finished eating, I rose from the table and made my way to the bed, a decision that sparked a conversation with Colin. 

“We will sleep separately,” I declared, sitting on the bed. 

“What?” Colin asked confused as he questioned my unexpected statement. 

“I’ll be taking the bed, and you can sleep on the couch, I explained. 

“Why? I don’t understand,” Colin asked. 

“Firstly, I find you dangerous, and secondly, I can’t comfortably share a bed with a stranger,” I stated bluntly. 

“Oh!! but you could ask a stranger for help when you got knocked down by the storm“. Colin fought back. 

“Well I don’t need to specify between a stranger or a friend when asking for help” I replied. 

“And besides we do sleep on the same bed and cuddle when we were together 

“That’s all in your memory, like you said when we were together and now we aren’t anymore, respect that boundary. Lisa told you, I lost my memory and i don’t recall any of that,” I retorted. “And that’s it. Have a good night.” I tossed a blanket in his direction, a clear signal of my decision. 

“Don’t come near me, or you’ll regret it,” I warned, settling on the bed as I watched Colin reluctantly take a seat on the couch. exhausted, my eyelids drooped and I slept off. 

Slowly, I stirred from my slumber, feeling a hand creeping up my leg to my lap. My eyelids fluttered open, and I felt someone close to me. With a deep sigh, I turned around only to find Colin seated below me, his hand on my 

lap. 

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“What the hell, Colin?” I exclaimed. Before I could reach further, instinct took over, and I lifted my leg,and pushed- him with all my might. Colin, caught off guard, tumbled backward and fell colliding with the sharp edge of the hotel room table, emitting a loud thud. 

“Ouch!! Selena you bastard!“.