(Curtis POV)
"You must be mistaking me for someone else. My name's Lonia."
Her words hit me like a truck. I couldn't move. There's no way. There's just no way she forgot us.
"Yeah… Lonia Hart, right?" my brother asks. We both look at her, and she nods slowly, still looking as clueless as ever. She is Iya. Then why is she acting like this? It's been years since we last saw each other. I don't know why, but my eyes are starting to water. I haven't felt this way in a long time. I'm being a wimp all over again, but I don't care how I look—as long as she's in front of me.
I grab her and hug her again. I don't care what she thinks. All that matters is that she's here. "Iya… Lonia… whatever your name is now, I just missed you so much. "I tighten my arms around her, just to make sure this is real. Not a dream. Not a trick.
Then I feel my brother's hand on my shoulder, gently telling me to let go. So I do.
When I pull away and look at her, I see it—her eyes, glistening. She's about to cry. And then a single tear escapes. She wipes it away and softly asks, "Why am I crying?"
My brother answers, "Maybe… even if you forgot us, your heart didn't."
She stares at us, more confused than ever. The air feels thick with tension. Me and my brother wait, silently hoping she'll say something. To ease the moment, I gesture for her to sit on the swing while I climb up to the treehouse to grab a blanket for us.
When I come back down, I catch my brother's glance—she still hasn't spoken. I look at her figure. Her petite waist, her slim legs… it makes it harder to look at her without feeling like I might do something stupid.
Once my brother lays out the blanket, we sit. The silence is still annoying.
"Uhm…"My head snaps in her direction at the sound of her soft voice.
"What did you mean by 'the heart doesn't forget'?"
That question sparks something inside me. Hope. And I can tell Calvin feels the same. I lean forward eagerly. "That maybe… you still have feelings for us."
"But that's wrong."
I freeze. Those words slam into me.
"Why is it wrong?" Calvin asks the question I want to scream out loud.
She shifts uncomfortably, clearly uneasy. I glance at her hands—she's fiddling with her fingers. She always does that when she's nervous. I smile. Some things never change. She's still cute as always.
"Because I already have someone in my heart."
And just like that, my world crashes.
(Kendall's POV)
We were getting ready to leave when Lonia came back. "So, what happened?" I ask her.
"I saw them. But like you said, I pretended to have amnesia. "I nod and grab some snacks for the road. But she just stands there, quiet. Looks like she's deep in thought.
I clear my throat, bringing her back. "Oh—sorry. I was just thinking."
"Yeah, I can tell. What about?" I ask.
She smiles, a little too bright, and shakes her head. "Nothing. Don't mind me. School stuff."
I walk over and hug her. "I know this is hard for you. That's why I want to say thank you."
She shakes her head. "No, Kends, it's alright. You don't have to say that. I'm always here for you."
I smile. No matter what happens, she never forgets to smile. You'll never catch her down, sad, or crying. She keeps things light and bubbly—but I've known her since we were kids. I know her better. This girl is the kindest soul I know. And honestly? A crybaby.
I pull away and pat her head. "Thank you, Lonia. I'm really lucky to have you as a friend."
"Yeah, you bet! I'm basically doing what your great secretary should be doing at your company." She rolls her eyes, annoyed but also kind of proud.
And she's right. She is like my secretary there—since my current one is my cousin… who also happens to be Lonia's boyfriend. Yup. You heard that right. Lonia has a boyfriend. And no, it's not one of those two dumb twins.
I laugh and grab my bags. Just then, the door opens.
"You know you love this great secretary," Kyle teases, flashing his usual grin.
I just smile. Lonia rushes to him and hugs him. A second later, Arsyn walks in behind them. "We have an annoying guest," she mutters.
I nod at her and we all head outside to the car. "Lonia, you don't mind if I go with Kyle and you ride with Arsyn and my baby, right?"
"Yup! No worries. Take care of Dumdum for me, and I'll take care of your car. "I laugh. "You know my car is more precious than Dumdum here."
Lonia pauses dramatically. "Oh, you're right!"
Kyle scoffs. "No, I'm not."
She just giggles, pats his head, and tells him to take care. Then I hop into Kyle's car and glance back at them.
"I'm still not in favor of you being with Lonia," I admit, honest. "But… you're taking good care of her. So I won't say anything."
He just smirks. "Thanks, cuz. But I'm not planning to hurt her. Not like those idiots did. As long as she's mine, she's safe."
I sigh, trying to ignore this guilty feeling twisting in my chest.
Sorry, Lonia. This is just my way of forgetting the past.
I really am.