The Memory Keeper: The Sin In Our Name

Chapter 20: Loving Rain

Her words took me by surprise. "Honey." It felt like a sweet, gentle jolt in my chest. I froze for a moment, unsure of what to say next.

I had meant to tell her everything—about my true identity, my role in the company, the looming move to Canada. But the moment she said "honey," something inside me hesitated. I couldn't bring myself to burden her with the truth yet—not when things felt so perfect between us.

I swallowed hard, forcing the words back. "Never mind," I finally said, brushing it off with a forced casualness.

Rain didn't seem to notice the shift in my demeanor. She sat up and stretched, her face lighting up with a sudden thought. "I have something to tell you too." She stood up, her words lingering in the air as she walked toward her room.

I watched her go, a strange knot forming in my stomach. What did she have to say?

The thought of her getting closer to me, of us possibly being on the same page, filled me with both hope and fear. Would I ever be able to open up completely to her?

A few minutes later, Rain returned, carrying a stack of journals. She plopped them down on the coffee table with a soft thud, the sound somehow drawing my full attention.

I glanced at the pile, my curiosity piqued. "What are these?" I asked, scanning the journals scattered across the table. Each one looked well-worn, like it had been carefully held onto for years.

She sat down beside me, picking up one of the older journals from the top of the stack. "These are my journals," she explained, running her fingers over the cover with a sense of reverence. She held up the oldest one, the corners of its cover faded with time. "This one," she said, her voice softening as she looked down at it, "is my very first—my lifeline."

I could feel the weight of her words, the way she treasured this simple book. It wasn't just a journal; it was a part of her, a piece of her past that she held dear.

My heart tightened as I watched her, a quiet understanding between us. She had her own secrets, her own stories—ones I hadn't yet heard. And in that moment, I realized that maybe, just maybe, we both carried things within us that the other didn't fully know.

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Rain's POV

I handed Khai my very first journal, the one that had been my lifeline for so many years. "I want you to read this," I said, my voice gentle but firm. "When the time is right, I want you to read it."

She took it from my hands, her fingers brushing against mine as she carefully held the journal. There was something so vulnerable about sharing this with her, but in that moment, I knew it was the right thing to do.

I grabbed another journal, one with an amber-colored cover that had always stood out to me. "And this one," I added, holding it up for her to see. "This is for you—when the time comes. This will remind me of you."

She looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and tenderness in her eyes, her gaze never leaving the journal I had given her. There was something unspoken between us now, something deeper, a connection I couldn't quite put into words. But I hoped she understood.

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before continuing. "These journals are some of the most important things in my life," I said softly. "I want you to keep them."

As I looked at Khai, I could see the mix of emotions in her eyes—confusion, surprise, and something else, something I couldn't quite place. She didn't speak right away, her gaze flickering between the journals and me. It was as if she was trying to understand the weight of what I had just said.

I could feel the tension between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable—it was real. I had never shared something so personal with anyone, let alone her.

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Khai's POV