The slow piano in the background was the only sound I could hear above the rapid thump of my heart. Florian had his eyes on me, boring straight into the crevice of my soul.Slowly, I turned away, grabbing the glass of wine and bringing it to my lips. He said nothing still, and once my glass went empty, I reached for the bottle again.My eyes were starting to rapidly fill either tears, and I started to regret telling him. Had I ruined everything? Have I broken the attraction he seemed to have to me? Have I destroyed whatever we had going on for us? Have I broken whatever this... could have led to?I donned yet another glass, and I started to feel lighter, my chest heaving. I sighed and reached for the bottle again, but he held it, his fingers wrapping around mine, stopping me from pulling the glass to me. I hated how all of my body immediately responded to his touch, my heart beating wildly, my blood burning on the promise of a touch that I used to love, my spine conveying electricity
"I am sorry," Florian said, his voice low. "The brothel is the other way."Damien gave a drunk laugh. "For real? My bad. I thought this was the brothel cause I saw a slut right behind you."I felt Floriam stiffen. "Could you say that again to my hearing?"My brows furrowed. I was almost sure Florian had heard it. I mean, I did, too, so there was no way he couldn't have heard it.Damien walked to Florian, his eyes looking up to Florian, who was much taller. "I said, I thought that this was the fucking brothel, since I can see a stupid slut right behind you."The words had barely left Damien's lips when Florian landed a deafening slap on his right cheek, forcing to the floor. I flinched as the sheer force and the sound of the slap, my eyes widening. Damien was now on the floor, blood trickling from his forehead where he had hit the floor, and the edge of his lips from the slap. "If you weren't too busy burying your head in so many pussies instead of focusing on being a man, you could
My eyes widened slowly as my brain immediately picked up on the aroma and the delectable plating. It looked like something straight out of a three star Michelin restaurant, which was exactly what The Continental was, but it somehow still looked better than the one I had seen in the restaurant."Oh my God," I finally blurted out as I left my seat, then went around to where Florian was standing.He had a small proud smile, and he gently kept the lid on the work table, and he watched me through his thick lashes."You made this for me?" I asked, my hands still clasped on my mouth, my eyes wide.He didn't reply and simply leaned, his fingers pointing to the side of the round plate. Right on the side was an elegant cursive that read simply, Rox.I broke into a laugh and turned around, blinking as I met his eyes."It's beautiful."He leaned one hand on the work table, his eyes taking me in. "Is it?"I nodded. "Can you close it back? I want to take a photo so badly, but I broke it the other
I stood in front of a mirror and took in my appearance. I was wearing a black pencil skirt with a short skit behind and a red turtle neck shirt. I smoothened the skirt around me, then turned to zip it up. It was, however, a bit too tight, and I started to move it up in order to get the zipper up.A knock suddenly came on the door, and I turned letting go of the zipper. The skirt was thankfully tight enough to stay on me."Come in," I said, and Florian slowly stepped in.My eyes widened a bit as I took him in. He was wearing a full suit, his hair slightly ruffled and falling above his forehead in curled waves."Hey."I bit down on my lips, then turned back to the mirror. "You look like the Florian I imagined right now."I turned to see his expression, but he had none. Like always. "And who is the Florian you imagined?"He moved away from the wall, then slowly came behind me. I watched him through the mirror as he leaned to keep his phone on the dresser in front of me."Let me help you.
Florian had been waiting downstairs like he always did, and I slowly walked down to him, my smile small. He was a little distracted by something, and I came in front of him, my eyes taking a bit of time to watch him. His eyes were thin, and his brows slightly furrowed as he spaced out.He turned to me fairly quickly, however, and I gave him a small smile."What were you thinking about?" I asked, turning to the TV he appeared to be watching.Right as I turned to it, he turned the TV off. My face dropped, and I turned to him."What's it?"He shrugged. "It was nothing. Just a...""Are you watching adult stuff?" I asked, my eyes thin."I do adult stuff, sweetheart."My eyes widened, and I turned red as extremely clear flashbacks of our first night together came to mind. I instinctively brought my hands to cross over my chest, and he gave a small chuckle."Let's go. I will drive."I swallowed, then nodded, hoping he would leave so I could fight against the demons in my head, but he didn't
The tension the car thickened, and I found myself looking between Florian's lips and his eyes, my chest heaving hard, my body trembling with anticipation. He gave a small smirk before he started to pull away. Disappointment washed over me, and I blinked rapidly, trying my best to hide just how much I had needed him to go through with it.Give me his taste as punishment for disobedience, and I am forever stamped to he a bad girl. "Florian, I..." I trailed off, then shook my head.His eyes moved to something behind me, and for the first time in so long, I saw the same blinding wicked smile light his face up.His sharp canines came on display, his eyes thinning, the red lights of wickedness splashing through his orbs.My brows furrowed, but I didn't have much time to contemplate before he covered the distance, his left hand wrapping around the nape of his neck, the thumb of the same hand coming below my chin to raise my face up, at an angle that would give him the sort of space he want
"A heart attack?" Florian said before I could get my mind to boot and process the words Ronan had just spoken. "How very convenient, right, Ronan?"Ronan turned to Florian, his head slightly raised, his brows furrowed. "Why? Are you going to stop your little cum bucket from seeing her mother in what could very well be her last moments"Florian sucked in a sharp breath, and took a step towards Ronan. Florian easily towered above Ronan, and I remember back then, whenever Ronan would go looking for trouble, Florian's imposing height was good enough to scare the opponents away.The opponent was now Ronan, and even though he stood his ground, I could see a wave of fear flash through his eyes."And if I do?" Florian asked, in a tone that told both of us that he wasn't asking. He was daring Ronan to any sort of foul play. "If I do stop her, what would you do, bestie?"The entire area went quiet, and my mind registered it. It would be very convenient for Ronan to just say that my mother had a
"He is using you," Ronan said once we got out of the driveway, his brows drawn, his eyes fixed on the road."You don't know that," I said, my voice so low it was almost a whisper. I felt horrible for just letting go of Florian's hand when he was the only one to extend a hand to me when I truly needed it. I felt like a traitor, just like Ronan and Damien, and it didn't help matters that I was in Ronan's car like he hadn't shown me utmost hostility ever since it happened."Oh, I do. You are naive. Dumb. Unintelligent. A fucking typical girl who wants to jump ships and run towards any man who offers her a...""Don't you fucking say that about me! You aoded Damien to cheat, a day before our wedding.""And what if I did?" He asked, turning to me briefly. "For goodness fucking sake, he was going to have to listen to your stupid whining and deal with whatever boring sex you bring to the table. You couldn't even offer him one night of freedom?"My chest heaved, and I turned, searching for so
FLORIAN'S P.O.V I took a deep breath and looked down at the suit I was wearing. It was the same one that dad had kept to attend my wedding in. It was Roxanne who had suggested it, and now that I am, I felt it all the way to my bones.I looked around. It was just me and the officiating priest, waiting for Roxanne.I have dreamed of this day my entire life. Watching her walk down the aisle to me. Her dress. Her smile.The door cracked open, and I straightened even more, my heart pounding hard as I watched the door. It opened wide, bathing the church in sunlight. I kept my eyes on it till I finally saw her. She was standing there, like she had materialised out of my most ambitious dreams. My heart pounded in my chest, and I found myself reciting the vows I had memorised ever since we started wedding planning. It's not like there was a lot to plan.She looked up to me, and even through the veil, I could see her smile. It reminded me of the reason I had never even looked at another wom
ROXANNE'S P.O.V I woke up with a start, my heart beating wildly in my chest. I immediately turned to the left side of the bed, already preparing my heart for the ultimate fuckery that it had all been a dream. The hugs, the kisses, the tears... that it was all nothing but me yearning.To my surprise, Florian was already awake, his body half covered by the sheets, his hand holding up his chin as he watched me, a soft tender look I his eyes.I let out a sigh of relief, my eyes slowly blinking as I savoured his presence.He gave me a smile, then reached his other hand out to me. "Did you wake up to check if I was real?" I nodded truthfully, then adjusted, so I was lying next to him, my eyes taking his. "I think I would really die if you weren't."He smiled, his hand reaching up to gently caress my face. "You are just as beautiful as you were a year ago."His voice was a small whisper, and I drew even closer."You are going to have to promise me something."He laughed, then brought my ha
I sat on the edge of the same hotel suite we had stayed in the we came here together a year ago for my birthday, my heart feeling rather heavy. I could hear the sound of the bath, and even though I had promised myself to be calm amd stay in here, it was hard to not want to barge in there just to make sure he really was back. To make sure my Florian really was alive.I took in the hotel room. It looked like he had been here for a while. Probably not the entire year, but still a bit of time. I walked to the dresser, and my heart felt even heavier. My pictures were sitting in glass frames all over, adorning the dresser.I swallowed, tears stinging the back of my eyes. There were lots of books to the side. Mostly about healing. Forgiveness. I wondered just how much he believed he needed to work on himself just so he could love me.I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, just as the sound of the shower stopped. I held my breath, then slowly turned to him, my lips parting. He was by t
The kiss was slow, and I felt all of the parts of me that had broken over the last year slowly come together again. My mind fought the possibility that this man was really Florian, but my stupid, stupid heart was already fluid for him. Like he wasn't gone for a whole year. Like he didn't disappear for a whole year.When he broke the kiss, I found myself leaning towards him, needing more, begging for more with everything in my body except my voice.His thumb ran across my face, wiping the tears away. He then leaned close, kissing those tears away, like I always imagined he would during those late nights when I lay in bed, missing him."I am sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I am sorry I put you through that. I am sorry, Rox."I opened my eyes, my chest heaving. "You... Are you really Florian?"He nodded slowly, a single tear falling off his cheek. "I am sorry."I swallowed, reaching for his hand. Like I needed to make sure. Like I needed to know. "You... you died.
I have asked the question several times. How would it feel for time to stop? How would it feel if... for a second, for a minute, time stops, and we breathe?I just realized that I was wrong about being able to breathe. Time froze in place for me, and so did everything as I know it. My tears, my trembling fingers, my beating heart, my breath.My fingers dangled off the door knob, and I just stood there, unable to think. Unable to do a thing. I swallowed hard, then blinked, a long tear running down from my left eye. Is it that I had been bestowed a minute from the heavens? To hear that voice before I go back to the emptiness that I am still learning to embrace?I bit down on my lips. That voice, that name... it belonged to a part of my heart that will probably forever carry pain. Probably forever, carry regret.I closed my eyes and took a step forward. My imaginations now have voices. Very beautiful voices, but I knew I wad going insane.I turned the door knob just as a small snicker
EXACTLY 364 DAYS LATER"You became an international violin sensation in such a short time. Of course, we know you have been playing ever since you were a child, but how are you coping with being a celebrity and also the CEO of a multitrillion dollar company like the Hunt group?"I nodded slowly to the last question of the interviewer. My eyes focused on her. The question reeled in my mind, and I blinked fast and hard in order to make sure the tears wouldn't come falling. I played around with the ring on my finger, then broke into a small laugh. "Trust," I said finally. "There is someone who trusts me, and even though I have let them down once, I am determined to never do it again."She smiled. "There has been gossip around the...""You said that was your last question."She smiled a little shyly. "How about one more?"I bit down on my lips. I knew what she was going to ask. Everyone knew Florian had died a year ago. Everyone knew I was here because he handed everything to me. And the
My eyes opened to the dim lights of a painfully familiar hotel room. My lips parted as a silent tear ran down the edge of my left cheek. I sat up slowly, my legs drawn to me. The room felt so ghostly. So empty. Like it had been stripped of everything that ever made it come alive. Like it had been stripped of what it used to be.I looked around. On the dresser was Florian's phone, a bouquet of flowers, a wrapped item, and his gun. I swallowed hard, my heart breaking all over again.Seeing the gun reminded me of just how real this was. That my Florian was truly dead, and I was the reason for it. That my Florian would never come back, and it's all because of me.I stumbled out of bed and walked towards the dresser, my eyes falling on my reflection. I looked like a ghost of myself. Nothing like the woman who had been so properly loved just hours ago.My knees felt weak, and I grabbed the edge of the dresser to keep stable, my heart pounding in my chest.I reached for the flowers first,
My world crashed and burned right in front of my very eyes. I leaned to Florian, my mind knowing exactly what had happened. He was gone. The bullet of my betrayal still embedded in his chest, the tears that I put in his eyes forever there.But my heart... my heart refused to believe me. We shared a kiss in bed just hours ago. He lay hid head on my lap and laughed like the entire world was beautiful. He told me that he loved me. That he always wanted to lay on my lap.I doubt this was how he wanted it to be. I doubt he wanted to be on my lap, dead. I doubt he wanted to see me cry."Florian?"There was no answer. The night was quiet, like even the world knew I had lost my heart. Not just a piece. Now, just a part of me. Roxanne, as I knew her, was dead with Florian. "We were going for dinner, remember?""Miss?" One of the doctors said, and I looked up, shaking my head. "Shhh, Florian hates noise. He also hates my tears, so why is he letting me cry?"I looked down at him. He looked
I gasped, my breaths stopping in my throat, my eyes flying open. Florian was still standing in front of me, his hand wrapped around the gun, his eyes wide. I almost didn't want to look down. Hell, I hated that it felt almost compulsive for me to look down.My chest heaved, and I felt my heart strings pull farther than I ever expected. I could feel the sticky wetness on my face. I could feel it on my hands, but hell, I hoped something had spat on me, and it wasn't what I was thinking.I slowly looked down, and I gave a small yelp, my eyes immediately filling with tears. I shot Florian. I really did shoot him.I slowly looked back up, and he was still watching me, his eyes darting across both of mine."Florian," I managed to say, taking a step even further. As if that was all he needed, his hands let go of the gun, and he fell to the floor at my feet."Florian!" I screamed, my hands immediately letting go of the gun too.I went on my knees, my hands cupping his face, the blood stains