The tension in the car was tense. He was quiet and I didn't know what to say. I looked out the window staring at the city as people walked around the place rushing home from work or going with their love ones until the image started to get blurry as my head became fuzzy with thoughts then suddenly everyone disappeared and I was drowning, lost in my own thoughts with no one.

This dreadfulness was not what I had in mind when I agreed to have dinner with him after days of bearing with the distance between us. He was an arm away from me sleeping in the same bed, he was with me and yet he felt so far away liked there was an ocean standing in between the two of us.

My mind wandered to the possibilities of what could have happened to make him act like this. Because I refused to believe it was stress from work.

" We're here. " he announced breaking me out of my thought.

I smiled taking his hand as he helped me out of the car like a gentleman he was. He tucked my arm under his and walked us into a fancy looking restaurant just twenty minutes outside of the city.

" Reservation under Salvatore. " he said when we reached the front the desk.

I could feel the waiter's eyes on breasts as he led us to our table and I squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. The high school boy looked like he wanted his eyes gauged out by my acrylic nails.

Nick pulled my chair out for me before going over to his own in the seat across from mine. The waiter handed us our menus and got his notepad out, ready for our orders but his eyes never left me.

" Stare longer if you want your body to be found tomorrow, dumped in the dumpster behind the alley outside. " Nick said calmly without taking his eyes off of his menu.

I snorted silently in delight, at least he was still a little bit of his possessive self. We ordered our food and the waiter basically raced away from our table.

Then he finally started a conversation telling me about his hectic days at work these past days.

I didn't believe a word he said but I listened to his every words even when I knew he was hiding something.

Nicholas was a determined and hard working guy making him an amazing heir to the Salvatore's clan. He might be a trouble maker and a player but I knew he would never mix his work up with alcohol no matter how serious things got. There had to be something way much deeper that make him this way.

But, I didn't question him. I wanted to enjoy this version of my boyfriend, the cheeky guy I fell in love with. Especially after days of him not being himself.

" More wine? " he asked. I shook my head smiling.

This was the first time I saw him sober in five days. I wouldn't risk getting him drunk again. Not when he just got back to being his old self.

After dinner he drove us farther out of the city claiming he wanted to go for a late night stroll in the nature, just like we used to.

He had his arms wrapped protectively around my waist holding me closer to him liked he was afraid I would disappear into ashes any second now. I leaned my back against his shoulder, my body relaxed into his familiar embrace as we walked along the small pathway.

The air was chilly making me colder than usual despite the thick coat I was wearing. I laced our fingers together looking for some sort of warmth his body usually radiant and he didn't disappoint, he was warm as always.

" Are you planning to dump my body in this forest, Nick? " I murmured as I kissed his knuckles.

His chuckles rumbled into the night. " Maybe. "

I glared at him playfully before punching his stomach causing him to stop immediately. He muttered a small sorry after leaning down to plant a light kiss on my cheek, making me melted into a pool puddle.

Damn him for softening my stoned heart. I thought mentally rolling my eyes.

The tall trees on the sideways seemed to be growing taller and taller in the never ending path as we strolled farther and farther into god knew where. I closed my eyes inhaling a deep breath of the country refreshing breeze, the smell of dirt lingered in the air and the musky oak nearby calmed my soul in such way. It was peaceful.

He led me farther into the deepest end of the forest before we finally came to a stop in the middle of a small meadow. I scanned the area before I looked up at the starry night taking in our new found place that resembled the first meadow he took me to months ago.

A smile formed on my lips as I recalled our memories while starring at the dark night filled with twinkling sparks, counting the stars.

" Look at all those stars, so beautiful. " I beamed at the sky.

" You are the only star in my eyes. " he whispered softly making me tore my gaze off the sky and stared at his eyes.

He looked at me. His chocolate brown hair turned into a golden mess standing beneath the moonlight. His eyes shined with glinting stars and suddenly I regretted ever admiring any other star. He looked even more handsome than the last time and tended to get more and more beautiful everyday.

" Dance with me and pretend the world doesn't exist. " he pleaded taking my hand into his and arm wrapped around my waist.

And then we closed our eyes dancing to sound of leaves crashing into the wind alongside the swaying trees under a billion stars as we drank in the night. There was no music but our souls danced together the same moves spinning freely around with the world.

His lips caught mine in a slow passionate kiss. It was a soul shattering kiss, his mouth melded into mine our tongue danced together in perfect syncs. I felt the trees shaken aggressively against the wind before falling to the ground and the forest trembled before suddenly started to disappear into shards.

He took my face between his hands as I slid my hands under his jacket pressing him closer.

Everything in my head exploded into pure white then I saw my whole life flashing before my eyes. I could feel the pain he was feeling between the kiss we were sharing as a single tear dropped down his cheek, and the dark curl of sadness began to twist inside of me, snapping my veins, crashing my bones, breaking my heart.

With every bit of resistance in me, I broke the kiss pulling away to look in the pool of grey surrounded by the sea of red searching for other emotions rather than that but, nothing. He was in pain and somehow I knew it was because of me.

" No. " he whispered, bringing my lips back to his and this time I cried with him.

Low groan escaped from the back of his throat as he felt water running down my cheeks then a small pleading noise silently begging me to stop, the kind of noise that made my skin burned in fire.

Shaking violently between in his embrace, I choked failing to hold myself together. He wrapped his arms around my hips tightly and in that moment I tried to remember every kisses we shared every memories we made, waiting for the pain and torture to begin.

His lips never left mine, tongue explored every inches of my mouth and his hands roaming all over my body liked he was trying to remember all of it and I did the same.

Because I knew this was goodbye.

" I love you. " I felt a light kiss on my forehead and everything turned into darkness.

I drown my sorrow into the bottles of scotch whiskey. I tried to drink her face away but the only thing I forgot was how to think straight when those hazel orbs flashed before my eyes. I wanted alcohol so strong that it burned her name out of my brain.

Hard liquor burned my throat but the memory of her hurt my head so I would rather black out than let the thought of her clouded my mind. I would rather be drunk than stayed sober trying to forget what it was like to touch her, to have her wrapped between my arms and to feel her skins against mine.

" I shouldn't have tasted the forbidden flower, should I? You have me fooled, Anastasia Petrova. "

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