The Name From The Past
835 Words
Chapter Four: The Name From the Past
(Anna's POV)
The birthday celebration of Levi's evening was something I never witnessed. The beautiful chandeliers were glimmering like diamonds, the smooth music was playing in the background, and there were aromas of luxury perfumes and colognes in the air. It was a world different from what I was used to—a world of power, influence, and luxury.
Despite all these lavishness surrounding us, my attention was drawn towards only Levi.
After the shocked moment when he openly announced me as his girlfriend, the night dissolved into a haze of congratulations, curious stares, and subdued whispers. Some smiled at me with formal courtesy. Others stared at me as if I were some inexplicable mystery.
Levi didn't care.
He had kept me in his arms all night, his hand on my waist with a possessive grip, his low voice mumbling words I alone heard. And now, as the party was fading, we were finally alone.
We stood on the balcony, city spread out before us, lights twinkling like starry cascades. The night was cool, but Levi's warmth was a burning fire beside me.
He hadn't spoken in a long time. His thumb traced lazy circles on my palm, his gaze locked on me with a ferocity that made my heart stumble.
Then he spoke.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted this," he whispered.
I swallowed. "Wanted what?"
"This. You. Us." He reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "I've been waiting for you to look at me, Anna. Really see me."
His words, his voice, the look he gave me—it was too much. Too overpowering.
"I know you were married," he continued, tracing along my jaw with his fingers. "I know you struggled to make it work. But I also know that he never loved you half as much as I do."
I let my eyes drop, the heaviness of the past pressing against my ribs. I wasn't prepared to talk about Charles—not tonight.
Levi seemed to understand. He sighed and leaned in, his forehead against mine. "I don't want to talk about him either," he whispered. "I just want to focus on you. On us."
His closeness made me catch my breath. His warmth, his smell—clean, male, utterly intoxicating—surrounded me like a warm blaze.
"I don't want you to love me immediately," he announced, his fingers tracing patterns on my arm and sending shivers down my body. "But I want to show you what it is to be truly loved."
The sincerity in his voice made my chest feel tight.
"Levi…," I panted, unsure what to say.
He didn't need a response. He simply smiled, lightly following his lips against my forehead and reaching for my hand.
"Come with me."
I protested. But then I slipped my hand into his, and he drew me inside.
We walked through the darkened halls of his mansion until we reached his bedroom. It was beautiful, but understated—elegance at its most basic level. The windows, floor-to-ceiling high, overlooked the twinkling skyline, the city below a maze of lights and mysteries.
Levi regarded me, his expression neutral. He moved his hand to the pin in my hair, pulling it out and letting my curls cascade over my shoulders. His fingers brushed against my neck, and I shivered.
"You're beautiful," he breathed.
His voice was low, reverent, as if he were seeing me for the first time.
He stepped closer, his hands at my waist. "May I kiss you?"
I barely had time to nod before his mouth closed over mine.
The kiss was torturously slow, deliberate—like he was consuming each second, each sigh, each pulse between us. His fingers roamed my back, tracing every curve as if recalling me. My hands were tangled in his hair, pulling him closer.
When we finally broke apart, our breathing merged in the silence.
Levi laid his forehead against mine, his thumb brushing my cheek.
Then, in a whisper, so low it felt almost unreal, he breathed—
"Teevee."
Every muscle in my body tensed.
The mood in the room shifted, the air becoming heavy with something smothering, suffocating. My breath caught in my throat, my skin growing cold.
I winced away, but my heart was thudding against my ribcage. No. No, this wasn't possible.
That name—that name—had been uttered by someone else. From another life. Another day. Another person out of me that none of these individuals should remember.
But Levi had said it.
And now he was looking at me.
Quiet. Steady. Immobile.
His lips rising up into a slow, knowing grin.
Dark. Mysterious.
As if he knew he'd done what he'd just done.
As if he'd waited an eternity for it.
My heart racing in my ears as I forced a breathless whisper.
"…What did you just say?"
Levi didn’t answer. He just stared.
The silence stretched.
And then—
Blackout.
- Writer
