Chapter 16

The next day, Remy was up earlier than Valentina, already calling room service to bring up their breakfast. He showered in the bathroom first and had a change of clothes.

Valentina was still fast asleep, but he knew when she had woken up in the middle of the night, her heart rate was high and she was panting heavily. He had been tempted to ask her what was wrong, but he didn't want to freak her out so he pretended to still be alseep.

Another nightmare then, she seemed to have one every night. Although the subject of her nightmare was not clear to him. She told him once that she saw a blond haired girl. Remy had no such memory of anyone like that. Maybe it was someone from her past, whoever she was and whatever was going on with Valentina, he was determined to find out when they saw the psychologist.

The doctors who recommended the specialist had said that there was a huge possibility that a part of Valentina's problems may be psychological. Since medically, there was nothing wrong with her, they had to explore other options.

After her nightmare she had tossed and turned for at least an hour before she finally went back to sleep. So he was careful not to disturb her. She remained asleep, till the hotel staff arrived with their breakfast, that was when she stirred.

She woke up from her sleep and rubbed her tired sleep filled eyes.

She looked really tired.

She swung her legs off the bed and walked straight to the bathroom, without even caring to say a good morning.

Remy looked at the breakfast tray. It looked decent. A plate of eggs, some toast, sausages and coffee.

That would do, they had to be at their appointment in the next twenty minutes anyways.

Valentina came out from the bathroom shortly after.

"Good morning."

She murmured.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

He asked and she nodded.

A lie. It was a big fat lie and he didn't even have to read her heartbeat to find out whether or not it was.

"What about you?"

Remy nodded his head.

"I managed to get some rest."

"I got you breakfast. We leave in the next twenty minutes."

Valentina nodded in agreement.

"Okay."

She murmured as she walked towards the breakfast table. She picked up the plate of eggs.

"And you? Is that what you're wearing?"

She asked and Remy did a double take on his clothes. A pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, she tried not to look at him too much."

"What's wrong with it?"

He asked and she sighed.

"Nothing."

It wasn't unlike anything he'd ever worn before. The man was always wearing informal clothes. Ever since she had met him. And they seemed to always fit him so well. Valentina noticed.

Especially with the way the jeans hugged his butt perfectly. She caught herself looking and quickly stopped herself. If he knew she was checking him out he'll never stop teasing her about it.

"So this woman, you really believe she can heal me?"

Valentina asked and Remy shrugged.

"It depends. But it's a good start, going to see her.."

Valentina nodded.

"The doctor who recommended her, he was the one who treated me right?"

She asked and Remy nodded.

"Yes. Dr Calloway,.He was. This was the same place you were found, this town."

She took a bite out of her eggs. It was scrambled and tasteless.

"No wonder."

"No wonder what?"

He asked and she shrugged.

"It felt familiar. "

Remy raised his eyebrows.

"Familiar?! Do you think you've been here before?"

"I can't say. If I have... I don't remember."

She murmured as she set down her eggs.

Dr Ramirez's office was a five minute walk from the hotel. So Remy had suggested that they walked to the place. Valentina didn't object, she wanted to see more of the town anyways. And the more she looked, the more familiar it felt.

She felt a sense of nostalgia, or was it deja vu? Whatever it was, she couldn't stop thinking about why the town was so familiar.

Why the cafe just across from the Doctor's office sold croissants that she felt like she had tasted before. She could almost taste it too. Or the arabica coffee smell that wafted through her nostrils.

Or why the signboards were vaguely ingrained in her memory, why she could look at one signboard and easily read out what it said without having to look at it twice.

She must have spent quite a while in the town.

They arrived at the office on time. The clerk made them wait in the waiting room while she called Dr Ramirez.

Remy excused himself to take an important call. Valentina wondered what it was all about as she watched him walk away with confusion etched in his face.

Few moments later a man walked in. He looked restless, short dark blond hair with tan skin, the kind of tanned that you would only get if you spend a lot of time in the sun. He looked troubled, his shirt looked like it might as well have been pulled from a dumpster, rumpled and filled with slatters of paint or dirt and his shoes were covered in dry mud. Even the clerk at the front desk looked displeased at the sight of him.

"Can I help you?!"

She asked sternly and the man shrugged

"Can I see Dr Ramirez?!"

"Do you have an appointment?!"

She asked and the man sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"No, but I was hoping I could talk to her quickly. It's quite urgent."

"No. I'm afraid you can't. Dr Ramirez is booked for the day. She's very busy and if you want to see her you have to make an appointment with her."

"No. No. Please you don't get it! I have to see her now! I'm going out of my mind here!!"

"I can see that."

The lady murmured under her breath as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I cannot let you see her Mr. Look, she has people waiting already."

She said as she pointed to Valentina. The man turned to look at Valentina, his eyes settled on her for a moment and she  shrank in her seat underneath his gaze.

"So, come back when you have an appointment."

She finally said and the guy scoffed.

Then he moved away from the desk and went to sit.

Valentina stole glances at him. She wondered what had gotten him so riled up. He really looked like he'd die if he didn't see the woman. And she suddenly wondered what was so special about the doctor that had her booked and busy all the time. Even Remy had said he had to call her and pull a few strings to get the appointment. But apparently the guy in front her needed it way more than she did.

Valentina stood up from her sit and went up straight to the secretary.

"Can you give him my spot?"

She asked and the lady blinked.

"What?!"

The man's ears perked up and he quickly stood up.

"No.. I wouldn't want to trouble you..."

He started murmuring and Valentina shook her head.

"Trust me, it's no trouble, I don't really want to be here anyways. So you can have my spot."

"Are you sure?! Are you really sure? I wouldn't like to impose or anything..."

The man started talking again and Valentina chuckled.

"Don't worry about it! It's okay!"

She turned to the clerk who looked at the two of them morbidly.

"Excuse me young lady, this isn't some line at the mall, you can't just swap your spot to someone else. So please take a sit and wait for Dr Ramirez to see you, I'll deal with this man."

Valentina shook her head.

"Let the Doctor see him. I'm leaving now, I'll reschedule. So you can let him see the doctor since she's going to be free now."

"Oh thank you. I'm serious..."

The man murmured and Valentina nodded her head.

"It's okay."

She smiled at him, now that she could see more of him, he looked really handsome and his shirt wasn't really dirty, it was just rumpled and slightly wet. His hair was slightly damp too, like he had just rushed out from the shower. She wondered what he was going through that made him rush to see the doctor in such a state.

What was so serious that made him act the way he was acting.

"My name is Colin. Colin Lockwood. Trust me I'm not normally like this..."

Colin?!

Colin?!

"Colin?"

She repeated and he nodded.

"Yes. You?"

"Valentina."

She murmured.

Colin. The way the name rolled off her tongue, it was as if she knew him, as if he had said the name before a hundred times.

It felt strangely warm and familiar.

"Are you okay?!"

Colin asked and she nodded.

She was jolted out of her thoughts.

"I have to go now."

She murmured as she left the office.

Outside she saw Remy screaming into his phone across the road. She wondered who he was talking to and wondered if it was a werewolf pack thing.

The minute he laid his eyes on her he ended the call and started walking towards her.

He was going to be pissed when he found out she gave up her spot to some person she had never met before.

"What's wrong? Why are you outside?! You should be inside with the doctor."

"Oh yea... about that."

She murmured as she scratched her head. Remy gave her a pointed look, his amber eyes narrowed at her

"What happened?!"

"I gave up my spot."

There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted about thirty seconds.

Then Remy blinked and said.

"You did what now?!"