Chapter 601: The Girl (Woman) He Should Have Rembered II
Orion started counting them on his fingers just for show. He didn’t have up to ten, but he counted up to that number just to boast to her.
"Ten," he said to her.
Her eyes widened in shock, and he saw sothing like longing in her eyes.
"That’s... is it fun?" she asked him.
Orion nodded. Then he sighed. "Honestly, I don’t have up to ten. I have four main best friends," he told her. "One of them loves food a lot. She even stole from her mother’s kitchen one ti."
Sophia frowned. "She wasn’t punished for that?"
Orion laughed. "Oh, she was, but then she was still allowed to eat what she stole. But back to you, why are you skin and bones?"
Sophia stared at him for a while, then exhaled. "I’m... I’m a picky eater," she told him. "My mother says I select a lot, and hence why I’m this thin."
Orion didn’t respond imdiately.
He just looked at her. He didn’t believe what she said, but he also knew that sotis when people were too picky with their food, they tended to lose weight and look less healthy. His father had told him that.
Adult Orion, watching it all unfold, felt sothing tighten in his chest.
He knew the truth.
But his younger self didn’t at that ti. From what he knew about Sophia’s mother now, he was certain she had not been eating well.
"You need to eat better," younger Orion told her. "If you don’t eat, you wouldn’t be pretty."
Sophia gave a shy nod.
"I can’t stay long," younger Orion said after a mont. "I have to go back soon, but I’ll be your friend—and not just for today. Forever."
Sophia grinned. It was obvious how happy she was from sothing as simple as that.
"Really?" she asked him.
Younger Orion nodded. "Really. Besides, my dad said to make friends with pretty girls."
Sophia laughed again. She threw her head back, but her hand was still over her mouth as she laughed, like she was trying to contain it. Younger Orion didn’t care—he was just happy he had made her laugh.
Then he reached out and took her hand in his.
He knew he had sothing to do, but he had to make that smile remain on her face for a while.
Sophia blinked at the sudden contact. His hand was warm.
"You are my new best friend now," Orion told her. "So let’s make the most of the few minutes we have."
Ti passed as they spent ti with each other.
Sophia felt less guarded, and she laughed at almost everything Orion did—even when he told her jokes he had heard from the adults in his pack. Jokes he had heard from Ronan—all because he wanted the smile to remain on her face.
Adult Orion watched his younger self with a small smile on his face.
They didn’t do anything except joke and play around.
He picked a flower and put it in her hair and told her how her hair colour was unique and she should never change it for anyone.
Eventually, the light shifted.
The mont thinned.
Sophia took note of the ti, and even young Orion did. He knew his friends would start searching for him too. They had promised to only stay for a while, after all.
He didn’t want to leave Sophia.
He wanted to tell her more jokes so she could laugh, but even he knew that all things must co to an end.
"I have to go," Sophia said to him.
Her tone was sad. It was like she wanted to stay more.
"You know, you can co visit at my pack, or I can co. I’ll talk to my father—he’s the Alpha of our pack. I’ll tell him about you, and I’ll tell my friends too. You’ll have more friends, not only for the day but forever," he told her.
Sophia stared at him with wide eyes.
"I can co visit?" she asked him, and he nodded.
She smiled, then nodded. "I’ll speak with my mother. et here in two days’ ti. I’ll tell you what she said."
Orion nodded again.
There was a pause.
Then Sophia looked at him.
"I like you," she said. "You are like the prince in the fairy tales I read."
Orion blinked.
Before he could respond, she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
It was brief and soft, but it lingered.
"I’ll find you," she added.
Then she stepped back.
Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes this ti.
"I have to go before my mother cos."
She reached into the folds of her clothing and pulled out a plant.
It was small and unassuming, sothing he had passed nurous tis.
"This will work," she said. "It’ll stop the plague."
Orion looked at it.
Then at her.
"...You’re sure?"
She nodded.
"I am."
He took it slowly. Their fingers brushed for a brief second.
Then she turned.
But before she could leave, Orion reached out and grabbed her hand.
She stopped.
"What’s your na?" he asked.
Sophia turned back to him.
"I’ll tell you when we et again," she said with a wide smile.
Then she pulled her hand away.
"Take the plant and go," she added quickly.
And then she ran.
She didn’t look back.
Orion stood there, watching her disappear.
He didn’t fully trust the plant to work, so he spent ti picking so others just in case. But when he returned and they tested them all, the one she had given him was the cure.
And that was all it took.
The next ti, he didn’t just go with friends. Other mbers of the pack joined in. Adults who would have reprimanded them joined in.
Adult Orion, watching all this flash before his eyes, wondered why he had forgotten Sophia—if she left such a mark on him that he even told his father that he had a bride.
And he later rembered the reason.
Two days later, he found Sophia.
But she had called soone he would later co to dislike and then hate ’mother.’
And the woman had seen Orion.
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