Holding on to Hope by Sid Love Page A

“Please, try and remember me, Brad. Last night, when we made love, you said it had been your first time.”
    “Yes,” Brad whispered, staring deeply into Ronan’s blue eyes. “I also said it was worth it. That you were worth it.”
    Leslie perked up, realizing Ronan was actually making it happen. Brad was seemingly recollecting pieces of their night together. She noticed everyone shared the same reaction as hers.
    And Ronan looked like the happiest man in the world. Tears were freely flowing down his cheeks. “Yes, yes! And I will still say that I am not,” he sobbed, ducking his head in shame. “But you, Brad—you are precious to me, and I don’t want to lose you.”
    “You said that too.” Brad smiled slightly. Leslie had seen that look on his face once before. It was when he was telling her about Ronan that morning. But then something changed. “Ah!” He cringed and then groaned like he was in some kind of agony.
    “What’s wrong, Brad?” Leslie asked worriedly.
    “I—my head… ugh!” He held his head with his hands and closed his eyes.
    “Damn it! He is bleeding,” Ian said and looked up horrified. “He is bleeding through his ears.” Leslie noticed it too, and her heart raced.
    “His brain can’t take it anymore,” Kol said, bending down too. “I think the memory alteration is taking its toll on him. Now that he is remembering bits and pieces of what actually happened, it is creating a paradox inside the brain. It’s getting too much for him to handle.”
    “What do we do then?” Leslie demanded, feeling helpless on her side. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”
    “Well, there is one thing….” Kol spoke.
    “No!” Ronan interrupted him. “Anything but that.”
    “But there’s no other way, Ronan. You know it,” Kol said. “I can do it for you….”
    “No!” Leslie watched, totally clueless, as Ronan shook his head vigorously. He looked extremely vulnerable at that moment. “You know a lot of things, Kol. You should know some other way.”
    “Ronan, whatever it is, just let him do it!” Leslie desperately yelled. “It’s Brad’s life we are talking about here.”
    “But you don’t understand, Leslie.” Ronan looked at her through his glassy eyes. “He is suggesting that we should wipe out every memory in his brain that is even remotely related to me. I don’t want to do that to him again. You were right before. I was playing with his life when I compelled him to forget me.”
    “I don’t care anymore, okay?” Leslie said, simply irritated by his stubbornness. “Just do it. I want his life saved, don’t you?”
    “But… I don’t want him to…. he’ll forget me.” Ronan held her by her elbow, a bit too tightly, and it ached. She hissed.
    Leslie looked at him sadly and wondered where the stiff, no-nonsense bar owner had gone. All she could see at that moment was a man so desperate for love that he didn’t have sense of anything else.
    Kol palmed his shoulder. “Maybe this is the way it is supposed to be, Ronan.”
    Ronan turned his gaze to look at him, then looked down at Brad. He was still holding his head, making agonizing sounds.
    Ronan brushed his finger against his jaw. “Do it, Kol.”

Epilogue
     
    “Y OU ORDERED coffee?” Leslie was amused. “Seriously?”
    Brad smirked. “I know, right.” He took the cup that the barista had brought for him and took a sip. “I do crave for it at rare times. And today is a rare time.”
    She laughed. “Cravings! Did you miss your period, Brad?”
    “Oh shut up!” Brad chuckled.
    They’d chosen to sit at the counter. The barista brought Leslie her cup of cappuccino and she thanked him with a smile. “So what’s rare about today?”
    “I don’t know,” Brad said between his sips of coffee and frowned. “This morning I just woke up and felt calmer in my head. It was like I had the sleep of my life last night. And still, I feel damn exhausted.”
    Leslie was about to take a sip from her cup but