I Hate That I Love You, Mr Anderson.

The Unnaturally Beautiful Man.

Ashley's point of view.

>Ashley Relaxation Center<

“Jeez, business is too slow today” I grumbled mentally as my eyes glanced at the wall clock right above the entrance door.

My café was eerily quiet this morning, with only the soft hum of the air conditioning breaking the silence. The clicking of the clock seemed to echo in the space, annoyingly reminding me of the passing time.

My eyes narrowed as some wicked thoughts crossed my mind – could it be the man I saved last night brought bad luck to me? Is he the reason people aren't trooping in like every other day?

But I quickly shook those thoughts off and scolded myself for being paranoid. Tiredness from last night kicked in, and I released a yawn, not getting a good sleep last night is telling on me because I'm feeling quite sleepy right now.

As I leaned against the counter, my mind wandered back to the injured man and I gasped in worry. I had completely forgotten to check up on him, what if he's up and thinks he's gotten kidnapped?

Without hesitation, I rushed to the entrance door and hurriedly turned on the close sign, before making my way to the back room to check on him.

*********

The man held up his hands in a defending stance and frowned as he gave me a questioning glare, immediately I stepped foot into the room. He looked kind of scary with the bandages wrapped around his face and body, and I couldn't help the fear that gripped me.

I don't know whether I'm just being paranoid or not, but looking directly into his eyes was giving me an eerie feeling, like there's something dark about him.

Trying to push my fear aside, I let out a nervous laugh and took a few cautious steps forward, but still made sure there was a safe space between us.

“You're awake,” I stated, my voice barely above a whisper. “How are you feeling?”

He didn't say anything in response, he simply lowered his hands when he realized I'm not a threat, and began looking around curiously.

I cleared my throat and introduced myself.

“Well, my name is Ashley Peterson” I reached my hand out with a smile, but I quickly withdrew it when he didn't take my it.

I stepped forward to examine his shoulder wound, but he flinched back a bit as if he didn't want me to touch him, so I just examined it without getting too close to him.

“Your wounds are still fresh, so you can't take a real bath currently” I paused and clapped my hands softly. “But I'll get you a bowl of warm water and a towel, so you can just clean up, yay?”

I was expecting some reactions from him, but he didn't give any, he simply started buttoning his shirt instead – well, it's one of my big shirts, though. I set my lips on thin lines and inhaled deeply, then continued talking.

“I'll quietly get you the water, and prepare some breakfast for you” and without waiting for his response, I left the room – not that he's going to reply anyway.

*********

My feet stopped moving the moment I stepped into the room. The air seemed to grow heavy, and a strange sensation washed over me. My brows furrowed slightly as I watched the man in front of me, trying to make sense of the situation.

Where was the man I saved last night? The one who was heavily wounded and needed my help? Because this man I'm seeing in front of me right now, is as beautiful as Lucifer himself.

His jawlines were sharp and defined, perfectly accentuating his chiseled features. His thick eyebrows were flawlessly curved, framing his piercing eyes that seemed to hold secrets untold.

And those lips… oh, those lips. They were so inviting, so perfectly shaped, that an uncontrollable desire to reach out and touch them overwhelmed me. I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to kiss them, to taste their sweetness and softness against mine.

As I continued to observe him, I couldn't help but notice his flawless skin. It was so smooth and radiant, making me question myself as a lady.

How could a man possess such impeccable beauty? It seemed unnatural, almost otherworldly. Was he truly human, or was he a divine creation sent to tempt me?

But after staring at his face for a moment, my brows knitted together and my eyes squinted as I started observing some familiarity as if I've seen him somewhere else before. I couldn't help but wonder where I had seen him.

I wanted to convince myself that I was mistaking him for someone else, but the more I tried to convince myself, the harder it became to believe. His face didn't look regular at all; a face like his always left an impression on others.

The lines etched on his forehead, the sharp angles of his jaw, and the intensity in his eyes were all too familiar. It was as if I had encountered him in a different time or place.

The clearing of his voice pulled me back to reality. I realized I had been lost in my thoughts, lost in the mystery of his face.

“You've been staring” he said in a nonchalant voice. “Is there something peculiar about my face?”

Why does he sound sinister? I'm his damn savior for crying out loud, shouldn't I get the benefit of staring at his face all I want?

His eyes narrowed, and his lips twisted into a scowl. “You're still staring,” he snapped, his voice now filled with anger.

I coughed lightly and continued my journey to him with a smile on my face, although my heart was still racing because even though he's handsome, he's still scary, he's still oozing that dangerous vibes.

“I'm sorry for staring like that” I apologized as I near him. “But it seems like you protected your face so well, huh?”

He didn't respond to me, but nodded at the small bowl of water sitting on the table, indicating he's done cleaning up.

“Great, here is your breakfast” I said and placed the tray of food on the table. “I'll go to the pharmacy later to get you some drugs”

He still didn't respond but started eating right away, so I just let him eat first.

I watched him eat in silence, then he's almost done eating, I broke the silence.

“I know you don't trust me right now, and you don't wanna talk to me, but I still have to ask you a few questions.” I paused as though waiting for his approval, then continued when he nodded. “What is your name?” I asked.

His hand stopped midway to his mouth, and slowly lowered until it dropped on his lap. His brows furrowed as though he's thinking about something, like he's finding the answer to my question.

“You know who you are, right?” I asked again.

“I…” he started but trailed off, looking confused.

“You…?” I encouraged him to continue.

“I don't know” he replied.

Oh, my world! He didn't say much, but what he said was enough to get me melting for his voice. I know I heard him speak earlier, but I was too lost in his beauty that I didn't pay attention to his voice. He looks like a Greek god already, and still got a voice as sweet as chocolate.

I was still fantasizing about his voice, when the reality of his reply dawned on me.

“You don't know your name?”

He shook his head slowly. “I don't think I have a name” he said.

My mouth curved into an “O” shape as I stared at him in dismay, wondering what he meant by saying he doesn't have a name. I mean, who on earth doesn't have a name?

“You don't have a name, or you just don't want to tell me?”

“I don't have a name” he repeated.

Hold on a second, don't tell me he's having a memory loss right now.

“Do you remember how you got these wounds?” I asked, hoping he'd say yes, and my thought will be proven wrong.

His brows furrowed even more, and he looked even more confused than before.

“Do you remember?” I asked again, giving him a hopeful look.

“I… I…" he trailed off and slowly shook his head, making my shoulders slump down in disappointment.

He's got memory loss, it's over – I cried mentally.