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Selina and Aaron both lay in their beds in their rooms sleep deprived. Turning and tossing as the moon shone through the windows. Their minds were too complicated with the obvious things they were thinking about…why?

Aaron felt bitter disappointment, his hopes wash away when Selina had walked away from him again. He finally began wondering if anger could last for such a long time.

When the sun rose up into the sky they ate breakfast separately looking like a couple that had argued the previous night.

They were assigned to go visit another company executive. The silence between them became cold and Selina didn’t speak to Aaron who was to hesitant to talk. They toured the company and watched a presentation then returned to the hotel for lunch. The driver had told them that the bus would depart that evening, but the rain that had been falling all day might cause a problem for the bus. Aaron and Selina were too busy lost in their own worlds that they had not heard him.

They both met down in the lobby to check out and hailed a taxi to the bus station where it was empty. Confused they walked around to look inside the empty buses. Not one person was there.

“Hey come back!” the taxi driver shouted after he’d scrolled down his window.

Selina and Aaron turned around to see the driver beckoning for them. They looked up at the huge clouds overhead, the rain pouring on the ground finally became clear to them.

“What is it?” asked Aaron from under the tall shelter that the station provided in case of storms.

“There’s been a news report of flooding! All buses will depart tomorrow afternoon!” he shouted through the sounds of the rain clicking against the cement.

Selina frowned and looked at Aaron for the first time that day. Aaron turned to look back at the empty buses then grabbed Selina’s hand and ran toward the taxi hoping to avoid getting wet. He closed the door of the taxi soaking wet and turned to look at Selina who wasn’t any better. He rummaged through his bag for a sweater and handed it to her. Selina took from him with a quiet thanks.

“Do you know of any place we can stay during the night?” asked Aaron.

“There’s a cheap inn around the street over there,” the taxi driver told. “If the rain dies by tomorrow morning the bus will depart, but if it doesn’t then you’ll have to wait for further news. You two don’t look like you’re from here.”

“We’re from Taipei,” Aaron replied almost shivering from the cold rain.

“Are you two here for a honeymoon?” asked the driver.

“No, we’re on a business trip,” Aaron answered.

“I was wondering why such a pretty lady was with you,” the driver said, “turns out you two have no relation. If someone saw her walking down the street alone they would have snatched her by now.”

Selina gripped onto Aaron’s arm hiding her face behind him suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

“Is this the inn you were talking about?” Aaron asked as the taxi crossed the street turning the corner. “Thanks.”

Aaron handed the driver money and rushed out of the taxi with Selina still gripping onto his arm.

“We have customers again.” they heard a voice from behind the counter call to someone else.

A girl turned around from a shelf and walked toward the counter, “It’s like a flood out there isn’t it?”

When she finally mentioned it Aaron could feel that his shoes and even his socks were soaked. He glanced down at Selina’s tennis shoes to find that she wasn’t any better either.

“We had a group of tourists here just a moment ago.” the woman said.

“You have no more rooms?” asked Aaron.

“Oh…no that’s not what I meant. All rooms are rented out already and there’s only a one bed room available.” the woman explained.

Aaron and Selina turned to look at each other.

“It’s just for one night.”

Selina gulped.

“We’ll take it.” Selina told when she imagined more footsteps coming in from outside.

Selina slowly opened the door with the key to find the bed against the left wall and two long rectangle windows with the curtains closed. She could hear the pounding of the rain against the windows and glanced at the bathroom to the left. It was a simple small room, the simplest anyone could imagine. She slightly turned her head back to look at Aaron who was busy locking the door behind them.

It was strange how different it felt to be in a room alone with him. She would have just laughed it off 3 years ago. For once she could feel the 3 year effect wear down on her, it had been 3 years, the fact slowly and clearly appeared in her mind for the first time ever. It hadn’t been long, but the torture she’d felt from it had become everlasting. It had been such a long time and by bottling everything up in her she felt drained. Selina headed toward the wall ahead and slid onto the sofa holding her bag.

“If you don’t feel comfortable we can go somewhere else,” Aaron offered looking at the windows.

“It’s just for a night. Forget it.” Selina replied.

Aaron set his bag down on the ground.

“Are you angry?” he asked.

Selina was silent.

“The night you were drunk you told me you never cried.” Aaron said.

The words seem to slip out of his mouth so easily now that they were really alone and away from public eyes. It was so easy to talk to her, why hadn’t it been this easy before?

“Graduation day I looked for you frantically,” Aaron told. 

Silence grew among them.

“When I said I want to be your friend I really mean it,” Aaron continued, “but when you told them we never talked when we were still in university, why did you lie? We were something, you remember there was ‘us’? Selina can’t you say something?”

Selina who had been sitting silently suddenly got up and tossed her bag at him, “What do you want me to say?! Yes, I left Taiwan so I could escape you! But it’s not my fault! You hurt me first! You betrayed me! I told them that we never talked because we never did! You know clearly from the beginning I was the only one who was sincere! Why do you keep pressuring me with your damn questions?!”

“It’s not like that…” Aaron said. “I did love you. When I told you I love you, I meant it! I loved you so much I couldn’t do anything but hide it. It was hard for me too Selina! With you like this makes it even more painful for me.”

“You’re a liar,” tears erupted in Selina’s eyes. “I hate crying for you. You and your lies.”

“So you never cried? You’ve never belted out your anger?” Aaron asked. “Is that why you refuse to talk to me because you’re feeling so angry? How can you be so foolish? You’re not even a kid anymore, bottling up your anger won’t make it all better. You don’t need me to tell you that, do you?”

He could only hear Selina’s wrecked sobs. Feeling tired and exasperated he walked toward her and put an arm around her in a tight hug.

“I’m sorry, I really am. If you want to hate me go ahead. You can vent your anger on me.”

Aaron didn’t know how it happened but once he kissed her he couldn’t stop. His hand crawled from her face to the back of her neck while his other hand pressed her firmly against him. It was a sensation he had missed when he felt her lips reply with his. They turned into deeper kisses before Selina found her hand climbing under his shirt and up his as she felt the bed beneath her.

||||||||

Hebe lie on her bed awake staring into the night running her fingers across her lips. She didn’t know why she’d done it. Was this what Ella had told her about? Had she really placed her hopes high on Jiro silently? During that moment when he’d brought her to her parents she had thought for sure he’d lied to her and only brought her to the wedding to see her parents. That no feelings had lied behind the reason to ask her to go with him, but he actually danced with her and even held her hand. Was she deceiving herself? No, Hebe was sure of that one word. This was not just infatuation.

Hebe closed her eyes and felt a sweet happiness grow in her. That glow beyond that blank wall was growing bigger.

||||||||

Selina awoke once the sun had dominated the whole room. She could feel his warm breath of his continuous breathing land against her neck in a pattern. She felt scornful and there were many things running through her mind. The night of his skin against hers stood out so clear in her memory. She got up, grabbed her clothes, and stepped into the cold shower feeling sick to the core, feeling so much hatred for herself. Why had she let it happen? Wasn’t she aware of the fact that he had children and was married? Why had she stooped so low? Selina wanted to cry some more now that she was awake. Everything was messed up now and her life would never get back on the same track that she’d stepped off yesterday. Selina lowered her head under the shower and cried all she could before she stepped out to find Aaron still asleep. What a baby he looked like. Selina grabbed her bag that she’d tossed on the ground yesterday. She didn’t want to face him…at least not yet.

“I’m not going to run away,” Selina said in a quiet voice. “I’ll see you back in Taipei.”

It was exactly as the taxi driver had said yesterday. If the rain had stopped by morning the bus would leave at noon. Selina turned to look back once more before boarding the bus. She sat by the window to sort her thoughts while on the way back.

What a lie it was to say that he still loved her even when he was married. Selina smiled to herself to help cheer herself up then took a deep breath.

“I’ll believe you though,” Selina thought to herself, “because I’d rather believed you did love me.”

“Miss, would you like a sandwich?” a woman asked bringing Selina out of her thoughts.

“Thank you,” Selina thanked taking the sandwich.

Some people remained so pure throughout their lives...Selina felt a bit envious about that.  Selina pushed her thoughts aside and felt thankful for just being alive, being there to live those regrets thoroughly. Turning to look out the window she could see the fields of green grass, cows sitting lazily under trees or grazing around. Lonely looking farmhouses here and there, and soon the sun had began to descend from the sky.

It wasn’t until it had gotten dark that the bus had stopped at Taipei where she got off. She seemed to look around at the happy couples and their children. Selina walked toward the curb and hailed a taxi.

While in the taxi Selina looked at her cell phone. Her mother had left her a message and while listening to her message Selina felt weak. If her mother were there she’d sink into her mother’s arms and cry to her heart’s content. However, that was not possible because her mother was in Shanghai and she was an adult now. Selina needed to depend on herself.

“Mistakes happen…things like these happen but you need to learn to forgive and forget. Not everyone is perfect,” Selina tried to imagine her mother’s voice in her head telling her those words, “it’ll be ok. I know you can do it, I believe in you.”

Her lonely apartment waited for her when she returned. After pouring a cup of water for herself Selina sat down to watch some TV without even paying attention to whatever was on.

||||||||

Aaron woke up to find the space next to him empty and Selina’s bag gone. It was as he had feared and expected. She’d leave without a sign again…has that become a habit for her now? Aaron glanced at his watch, already noon. He got up, showered, and checked out. Since the next bus to Taipei wouldn’t depart any time soon Aaron decided to stop for some breakfast at a bagel shop.

He promised himself to re-gather his thoughts and decide what to do next once he returned to Taipei. After wandering for some time around the streets looking at window displays he made his way to the bus station. The ride back didn’t seem as long as it had been going to Chunan. It was very dark by the time he returned and hailed a taxi to his place. Had Selina done the same thing? Had she just hailed a taxi and returned to her place? It was much easier for him to connect to her than to Hebe, whose feelings were too complicated for him to understand. Hebe…she suddenly came to him. Maybe there was something else he wanted to do.

||||||||

Jiro was sitting at a café waiting for Reeve to arrive. He’d already ordered two cups of espressos for them and two large cookies. Reeve finally arrived through the white door 10 minutes later.

“I think you’ve landed on something,” Reeve complimented as he handed Jiro a large orange envelope.

“What kind of things did you find?” asked Jiro.

“It‘s pretty interesting. I don’t know what this guy’s got though,” Reeve told. “Check it out for yourself.”

Jiro pulled out some papers and glanced through them. It had the same dates as Jiro had read off the records a few nights before.

“His address is written at the bottom of the sheet, but I don’t know whether he lives there anymore,” Reeve explained. “He moved around a lot and that was the last spot where he’d lived for a year.”

“Thanks,” Jiro thanked. “I’ll check it out and get back to you.”