The Masked Feelings

*** Tasha's POV ***

After a week of being imprisoned in the uncomfortable hospital beds, being fed by plastic food and dishonesty, I was finally allowed to leave. Cristiano had offered to let me stay at his house, but Sergio and Pilar suggested that it was best that I stayed with them. I had been given some privacy to get changed and pack my bags, with the promise that Pilar would return in 15 minutes to take me home. I took the spare change of clothes that she had brought me from the duffel bag and began getting changed into them. It was only a simple black tank top, with an off shoulder tee and grey sweatpants paired with coral converse. Once I was changed I put my hair up into a messy bun on the top of my head, and decided not to put on any make-up despite the foundation and mascara that Pilar had packed. I then began to pack away the things that I had in my hospital room. I had put away a few books and my laptop when I came across a ring. But not any ring, an engagement ring. It had ruby in the centre with 3 diamonds forming a triangle either side. Suddenly an image of a man down on one knee, proposing to me flashed through my mind. I picked up the right and inspected it closer, recognising the ring. I slowly placed the ring on my finger when a flashback of me wearing this ring went booming through my mind. I was engaged.

Just as the realization became clear Pilar came in through the door, and I turned to face her with my expression no doubt looking shocked. "What's the matter?" Pilar asked immediately. I didn't answer, but instead simply raised my left hand in the air, showing off my engagement ring on my finger and Pilar let out a short gasp.
"I'm engaged aren't I?" I asked, and Pilar closed her mouth and began nodding as she walked over to my packed bag, picking it up and throwing it over her shoulder as she directed me outside of the room. However she was wearing a pleased expression, and her eyes began to twinkle with glee.
"how much do you remember?" Pilar asked and I tried to think of the man bending down on one knee, but the face was blurry.
"Not much." I replied shyly and Pilar sighed as we finally made it to the exit, when I was greeted by hundreds of flashing cameras. It was crazy. My breathing began to intensify as Pilar and I began to weave through the crowds as they all shouted out questions that I couldn't quite make out. My breath hitched in my throat as a hand grasped my arm with tight grip which I tried to wriggle out of but failed. Pilar then noticed my struggle and walked towards me calmly and freed me from the death grip. I sent her a grateful smile as we finally made it inside where I started breathing deeply, trying to catch my breath which had been stolen by the crowds.

"You would have thought that they'd let you have some peace when you've just come out of the hospital wouldn't you!" Pilar complained and I pretended not to notice how she had changed the subject from my engagement.
"Why were they all so interested in me?" I asked, and Pilar glanced at me in the corner of her eyes while driving.
"You're a big icon to many people Tash." Pilar explained I furrowed my eyebrows, letting out a forced laugh.
"Me? Why would I, of all people, be an icon to people?" I pushed and Pilar once again glimpsed at me in the corner of her eyes, but this time refused to comment, clearly holding back something.

The car journey continued with talk about my daily routine and how it would help my recovery. I just nodded along as Pilar emphasized that I had to eat 3 meals a day without fail, and was to get at least 8 hours of rest. Once we pulled up to the familiar house, I got out of the car and Pilar carried my stuff to the door of the house where we were met by Sergio who gave me a kiss on the cheek. I had been seeing Pilar, Sara, Iker and Sergio everyday for the past week however Cristiano only showed up once claiming that he was busy. I went upstairs and began unpacking my stuff, when half way through I began feeling rather tired and so decided that it was best to take a nap. I had been warned by both the doctors and Pilar that my medication would make me rather sleepy so I wasn't surprised. I took off my tee leaving me in a tank top and sweats and began placing my toiletries in the en suite bathroom. While I was in the bathroom I re-did my hair, where I saw my gun shot wound and the chilling memory of the gun ringing and the bullet flying straight into my shoulder at great pace filled my mind as a shiver ran down my spine.

After a two or three hour long nap, I walked down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I had since removed my engagement ring from my finger, however it felt naked and exposed without it. However, I refused to wear it when I couldn't even remember who I was engaged to. I had been feeling so guilty that I couldn't remember my own fiancé, but I just couldn't. My sleep had been haunted by my blurry faced fiancé. I was staring at him. Staring right at him, but I couldn't make out his features, all that I could make out was his dark brown hair and tanned face, the rest of him was a mystery to me. As I made it to the bottom of the stairs I noticed Sara and Iker sitting down on the sofa, in a deep conversation between Sergio and Pilar. I tip-toed towards the wall and pressed my ear to it and tried to make out their muffled voices.

"So, she's remembered that she's engaged but doesn't know who to?" Sara summed up and I felt slightly offended that Pilar was discussing what I told her with other people. Admittedly, the people that she was confiding in were my 3 of my four closest friends (excluding her). But still, I felt offended that they were all talking about me without including me.
"Yeah, luckily I managed to avert the conversation to a new topic but still, I think that she may remember him soon." Pilar answered.
"Well, she's got to remember him soon, I don't know how long we can keep on lying to her for." Iker stated, and Sergio added,
"or Bella" which was greeted by a chorus of sounds of agreement. Who was this Bella girl? Why did she keep on coming up? Cristiano spoke of her so fondly that I was sure that she was his daughter but they spoke about Bella and I together as if I was supposed to remember her, but that's the problem; I just couldn't.

I sighed internally before making my presence known as I walked into the room, pretending not to have heard any of their conversation. "Hey" I mumbled and sat down next to Pilar who smiled warmly at me, wrapping her arm around the back of my neck in a friendly gesture.
"How're you feeling?" Pilar asked and I shrugged.
"As well as I can considering the amount of drugs that I'm on right now." I replied gruffly an Sara and Sergio let out a quiet chuckle at my grumpy mood.
"Someone's feeling chirpy!" Iker enthused sarcastically, and I shot him a sarcastic smile in return.
"Well, would you like to dry being under seven different types of drugs right now?" I questioned Iker in an annoyed but not actually annoyed voice. These guys knew me well enough to know that I can be in really grumpy moods (like a teenager) at times, and that when I talk like that it's not me being rude; it's just me being in a bad mood.
"I guess not" Iker chuckled, when Pilar's phone started ringing, the caller ID reading 'Cris' accompanied by a picture of Cristiano. The name hit home as I recognised the name. Pilar walked off to take the call and I noticeably stiffened, before claiming that I wanted to put the rest of my stuff away and excused myself from the room. In reality, I didn't actually want to unpack the rest of my stuff, I just wanted some alone time to figure out why that name had meant something to me.