FIRST CHAPTER

Anastasia let out a deep sigh, wrecking her fingers into her hair so she could try and stop thinking about anything. She had come here to free her mind, probably hoping that some loud music in the club would do, but was she wrong? Maybe that wasn't what she wanted at the moment. All Anna wanted at the moment was to stop her existence for just a few days, or rather to stop time so she could free herself from the torment she was going through right now!

Her heart was heavy, her mind filled with a lot of her past, and her eyes were swollen because she couldn't cry anymore.

James was cheating! Again!

Anna let out a small whimper. She had given her all to the man she never loved for a year, trying to make her marriage work out just well by sacrificing a lot, even her heart, but nothing was working. James wasn't going to change.

She averted her gaze to the drink still half empty in front of her and cleaned the tears that had managed to escape her eyes even when she didn't want it to.

It had been 12 years, 12 fucking years since Anna ever set her eyes on him, her childhood best friend and the only person that she had ever loved. While growing up, Anna did think that they would end up together, but after Dylan lost his parents in a tragic accident, he had to move into an orphanage in another country. Then Anna thought, maybe her life would have been perfect if Dylan hadn't left, or if it was Dylan she had married instead… Just the thought of that was enough to break her heart even further.

After she had returned from the United Kingdom one year ago, she was forced by her dad to marry James, and that was probably the beginning of her nightmare because although she never loved him, he made her feel completely worthless.

For the second time, Anna's phone rang, but she completely ignored the call. It was her mother, at least that was the only person kind enough to check up on her once in a while.

"Can I have just one more glass?"

The bartender stared at her but was also quick to nod his head at her request. If she drank to a stupor, then it was none of his concern. "Here you go." He uttered, dropping the glass on the table. "Perfect." That was Anna's favorite song because it had a deep meaning attached to it whenever she sang the song. Gulping down the previous glass of alcohol which was still on the table, Anna tried to stand up on her feet, but she staggered and landed in the arms of a kind stranger.

Slowly, she raised her eyebrows to stare at the person who had caught hold of her by the waist before she had fallen. A loud gasp escaped her lips, and it made her hold back the words that were going to come out. "Hey, are you alright?"

He seemed a bit drunk as well because as he spoke to her, she could perceive the strong smell of alcohol coming from his breath. Anna nodded her head in response when she realized she had been silent for too long, and then she cleared her throat, before replying, "Thank you."

As he let go of her waist, her cheeks flushed red and probably it was the first time in such a long time Anna felt her heart skip a beat at the appearance of whoever was standing right in front of her. She shyly took her gaze away from him, but then he spoke to her

"Wanna dance?"

Anna arched her brows.

Was this right?

She couldn't keep the young man waiting so she had to discard him immediately. Unfortunately, those words she badly wanted to say refused to come out and they were instead replaced with the word, "Yes."

There was no need to regret anything because it was just a simple dance and nothing more. After the dance, she would certainly go home. Again, he took her hand and led her to where they were supposed to dance. It was so surprising that he chose somewhere rather free from people to dance with her. Controlled by the drink, Anna had no idea when her body fell on his shoulders.

"Do you know what I wish for?" She spoke without caution, but maybe all Anna needed at the moment was someone she could talk to. "I wish to turn back the hands of time. I fucking wish I could see his face again, even if it's just for a second. Is he happy? Is he healthy? Is he living fine? Does he still think about me like the way I think about him? Does he still remember me? I ask myself these questions every day, and I have no one to give me a response. I feel hurt… maybe because he never came to find me after we parted, and…"

"You're in love with him." He spoke.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but it seemed Mr stranger here really understood her well. "Maybe you're hurt more because you think it's just you. You think it's just you who feels that way." Anna suddenly paused. Was it the effects of the alcohol? Because she had no idea why her heart was thumping fast as he spoke to her. As she stared at him, somehow, she felt they shared the same fate because he spoke like someone who was just in the same shoes as her.

Then his last words shocked her to the bones,

"Just for tonight, should I help you?" He spoke so softly, that it made Anna realize that no one spoke to her in such a calm, sweet, and soothing voice in a long time. Anna found peace, and for that reason, she nodded her head because she needed that help right away. He didn't react immediately but continued to stare at her in the eyes, then before she could process what was going on, he brought his face closer and kissed her.

Anna felt a sudden wave of electricity surge through her body as he did this, and instead of pushing him away, she pulled him closer to intensify the kiss. Damn, this was peace! It was so much of it. The next minute, she jumped on his body but he broke the kiss first and began to lead her towards one of the rooms. Thankfully, this stranger already had a room.

The bed was more like a king-size bed, so very comfortable, but she paid less attention to it as he dropped her on the bed and came closer to her,

"I'm gonna help you…." There was a pause, but he spoke again, "Let's help each other."

Before she could understand those last words, he kissed her again, slowly pulling off her clothes and making her lay on the bed. Anna drew her head back, watching him go naked as well. She stared at his bare chest, till her eyes found his cock, and for a second fear gripped her,

"I'm not gonna hurt you… have you…"

Sadly, she shook her head in negation. She had never been laid before, and it was quite shocking to this stranger because it meant he was gonna be the first. He reached for her earlobes and whispered into her eyes, "Close your eyes, I would never hurt you."

Those words! Anna couldn't comprehend what they did to her, but she trusted him. She lay down and closed her eyes, feeling his weight on her body even more. She felt the tip of his cock at the nudge of her vagina and held her breath because she could feel how strong it was. A short wince escaped her lips when she felt him tear her up a little bit, but that pain immediately faded because he planted a kiss on her forehead before going further. Another painful groan escaped her lips and finally, he was halfway. He had to take it easy, thrusting carefully not to hurt her, but for the first time in her life, all Anna felt was pleasure, pain, and an immense feeling that was unexplainable. Understanding that she might be able to take more of him, he thrust deeper into her.

"Goodness!" Anna exclaimed, parting her legs even more. She opened her eyes, and immediately her gaze met with his. Something was wrong with his eyes….. because as he thrusted, she could see someone else in those eyes of his….. She could see her childhood best friend and lover, she could see Dylan.