A Total Stranger

Owen shook her head and answered immediately, 'No, I have not seen him!

Kira wasn't surprised

She had gotten the same answer so many times, she was no longer disappointed

'I see. Sorry to have bothered you. I'll see myself out.

She opened the door.

And walked straight into a man who was just on his way in

The two collided.

hit her nose on the man's broad, muscular chest.

she caught a whiff of his cologne.

Something citrusy

The man's low vole in her like a bolt of lightning.

It was the voice in het dreams.

"Kina, don't cry"

That was the last thing he said to her four years ago.

He was shot, bleeding, in pain, and falling into the river that would carry him far, far away.

But he wasn't armed about himsel

He loww she would cry.

He knew she would be heartbroken.

He spent his last bit of energy comforting her.

"Kira, don't cry."

Kira heard his voor every time she closed her eyes.

Now the same voice told her, "Excuseme,

ira's mind snapped back to the present.

The man had strolled past her into the ward.

Kia whicled around

He was walking up to Gwen, who

Ther

got up trim the hospital bed and threw herself into his amms.

man lowered his head and sed Owen's forehead.

Then he whispered something in her ear

Kira's gave moved up to his face.

The eyes hooded by long, thick lashes, the high and straight nose bridge, the thin lips habitually passed tightly together, the sharply defined jawline. It was Austyn's face. But those eyes were staring lovingly at another woman

Those lips had just planted a kiss on anther woman.

That low, baritone, reassuring voice was uttering sweet nothings to another woma

Kirs couldn't tear her eyes away from his face.

"Austyn "she muttered.

The man moved like Austyn, smelled like him, look like him and talked like him

Kita knew in her beam of heams that it was Aust

It was the man she had bestandlung for over the past four years

She walked up to him in a date

'Miss Hewitt!"

Owen's irate voice jerked her back to reality.

She looked down and realised he'd placed a hand on the man's

He was staring at her ith displeasure will large on his handsome, clean-shaven face,

His bere knitted.

A familia furrow appeared in the middle of forehead.

Kila open

He took a step back, keeping his distance from Kira.

Then he turned to Gwen. 'I didn't know you have a twin sister'

Kira and Gwen shared a lot more than just a passing resemblance.

"I don't!' Gwen said hurriedly. 'She's not.. She's.."

Gwen fumbled for words.

Kira stared down at her hand.

Then she took another, more careful look at Austyn's face.

His eyes were cold.

They showed no signs of recognition.

He didn't know who she was

That realisation hit Kira like a ton of bricks.

She staggered backwards.

"A-Austyn:

The man narrowed his eyes. "Are you talking to me?"

"You don't..you don't recognise me?"

"Have we met before?' He examined her face. 'I have no recollection of you."

Kira heard blood pounding in her ears

What was happening?

He didn't recognise her?

Had she made a mistake?

Was this man just another look-alike?

No.

Kira shook her head.

She was a hundred percent sure that he was Austyn McCarthy.

It wasn't just the face.

His height, his gait, his mannerisms, the way he talked, the way he sized up a stranger...

It was Austyn!

But why didn't he recognise her?

Gwen finally got her voice back

She gently drew Austyn to the side and whispered something to him.

He nodded.

Then Owen came up to Kira, gesturing towards the door.

'Miss Hewitt, can I have a word?"

followed her out of the room like an automaton

Gwen was talking a and gesticulating

All Kira heard was an indistinct buzzing sound,

Her mind was still whirling.

she couldn't shake of the way Austyn looked at her just now.

It was so aloof, so distant.

The only other reaction he showed was a trace of surprise when he took in her face, which was almost a carbon copy of Gwen's.

He'd even asked Owen if Kira was her twin sister.

Kira had searched for him for four years.

She dreamed of him every night.

He was constantly on her mind

She took the job of a field correspondent just so she could travel to different places and look for him.

In the thousand and four hundred days spent without him, the only thought that got her through the night was seeing him again one day.

A Total Stranger

But now that her dream had come true, it wasn't the tearful, joyous reunion she had envisioned.

He didn't even recognise her.

The more Kita thought about it, the more depressed she became

Then she broke down in tears.

Gwen was flustered. 'What did I do?"

Kira didn't hear her.

Gwen clenched her hand.

'Stop crying! You're making it look like I'm bullying you!'

Nurses in the hallway stopped to gawk

Gwen's face was flushed scarlet with embarrassment.

"Will you please stop that? People are staring!

'What's wrong with her?' Austyn had come out of the room. Gwen snorted. 'How should I know? She just burst into tears. 'You should go inside. I'll talk to her."

Gwen frowned.

Austyn glanced at her. 'Did you hear what I said?"

Gwen was reluctant to leave, but she had to do what he asked.Material © of .

Austyn was not one to tolerate disobedience.

Besides, now that Kita was here, she and Austyn would ha It was best to just get it over with.