Page 23 of Sapphire

Tomas nods.

“Are you an actor as well?”

This makes Tomas chuckle again.

“I leave the dramatics for Mateo. I’m a property developer: hotels, luxury homes, commercial buildings, those sorts of things.”

Ah, that explains a lot. “That’s why your phone is glued to your ear.”

“You sound like Mateo,” he says with a smile.

I like seeing Tomas like this, relaxed and carefree. He hasn’t really shown that side of himself to me yet.

“You’re so young.”

He gives me a devilish smile. “Youngest luxury property developers in Europe. I own the business with my brother,” he says proudly.

That’s impressive.

I wonder if I have a sibling but when I push my mind back to find them nothing but darkness appears.

“Do you remember what you did?” he asks.

I shake my head as nothing springs to mind.

Tomas nods in understanding, and I can see the frustration he’s trying to hide over my answer.

Then a flash of something filters through my mind, giving me pause as images of brick buildings, chairs, and books shuffle through my mind.

“What is it?” Tomas asks.

“I see something. I might have been a student. I see books and desks, a library.”

“Can you tell where?” He looks at me hopefully.

I shake my head as disappointment slides across my body.

Tomas then jumps up, grabs a picture frame off the TV cabinet, and hands it to me.

“This is my graduation photo.”

I look at the photo of a fresh-faced Tomas, with what looks to be his parents and his younger brother. His parents are both stony-faced, but Tomas and his brother have wide grins. I study the photo, willing it to reveal some secrets of my own past.

“That is my parents, we don’t get along. And that is my brother, Dario. We run the company together.” He points out.

Hot tears prickle my eyes.

What about my family? Do they know that I’m missing? Do they even care? What happens if there’s no one looking for me? Am I an orphan? Am I all alone in this world?

A sob catches me off-guard, then I feel Tomas move and wrap his arms around me, surprising me.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” he whispers into my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin.

I look up from the wet patch I left on his shirt where I buried my face into him. “I wish I knew who I was.”

Tomas’s hazel eyes soften upon hearing my words.

“I wish the police would hurry up and find me,” I grumble.

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