All Chapters of Pause, Rewind, Play: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

October 2026, Scars Bay, USA DimitriSipping on my morning coffee, I leaned against the window frame and watched Katerina look at her laptop screen intently as her fingers flew across the keyboard, creating a soft, rhythmic sound.The sunlight from the window pooled into the bedroom and sliced it in half, illuminating half of it and keeping the rest in the soft glory of muted morning light. Sunshine kissed the lower half of her body, painting over the olive skin of her arms and legs with a beautiful gold cast.Her eyes flickered to her phone lying next to the laptop and she tapped on the AirPods she was already wearing. "Cancel my meetings for the rest of the week."A woman's soft voice replied but I didn't care enough about it to actually listen to it. "Yes, even the one with Clarissa. If she throws a fit like last time, I give you permission to hang up on her." The woman s

November 2026,Scars Bay, USA Dimitri"You look absolutely stunning, Katerina" a guy complimented as he looked at her from head to toe and pressed his hand against his heart. "I don't know how those art pieces are ever going to compete with you for everyone's attention." Katerina laughed lightly. "Thank you, Tomas. I-""You will burn a hole through him if you glare at him any harder." William's amused voice distracted me from the conversation I was eavesdropping on. "I wouldn't recommend that. Kate has a huge savior complex. That might work against you." I looked at Katerina's brother. The two of them were polar opposites in almost every way - all the way from physical appearance down to basic nature - and yet, the two were very close. It would be good for me to be in his good books and not take his bait. "Good evening, William." I smiled. "Come, let'

November 2026,Scars Bay, USA KaterinaI called him again as I rode up the elevator to his apartment.In classic Jayden fashion, he did not answer.Rolling my eyes, I walked down the hallway and entered the pin to his apartment. The edges of my lips tugged up when the door unlocked. Jayden might not have come to tonight's gala but the code to his apartment was still Alya's birthdate. It always has been. He could say whatever he wanted but I considered this proof that he didn't completely hate her. Maybe, there was still hope.I opened the door and walked in. I didn't know what I had been expecting when I walked in but it certainly wasn't this.The apartment smelled fresh, there were no empty bottles of alcohol, takeout containers, or the stale smell of heartbreak. In fact, I spotted a vase full of day-old lilies in a corner. If this was any evidence, Jayden was doing a

November 2026,Scars Bay, USA AlyannaCold water hit my face and cascaded down my body. 'He didn't have the luxury of hope of a future together like you did.' Tears welled up in my eyes. Heartache formed a ball in my throat, choking me up. How could I have not thought of it? How could I have been so callous? How could I have been so self-centered in my misery that I failed to see how it would have affected the one person I cared about the most? I had hurt Jay more than I could have even imagined. I had hurt the one person I love with all my heart. The one person I never wanted to hurt. The one person I stayed away from by telling my broken and bruised heart that while he might be hurt, he was at least safe. Alive. But it seemed like he hadn't done much of living. Just like me. He had been hanging on to the past. Just like me. But unlike

November 2026,Scars Bay, USA AlyannaIt was still a couple of hours before sunrise so none of the house staff were out and about. Quickly and quietly, I navigated my way out of Kate's bedroom and to woods from around the gardens. I knew my way around the property very well, courtesy of Kate. Sometimes, she managed to drag me to parties with her that we had no business going to. To hide from Kon and her dad, she figured out a way to sneak out of her bedroom and pass through the grounds without being noticed or getting caught on camera. She also managed to create a way over the mostly impenetrable property walls. Kate was an unstoppable force when she put her mind to something. The route I was taking was the same. I, too, would pass through unnoticed if things had remained the same in the last five years. And I hoped I did. Because, I could not afford t