f*******n love

Chapter 3

He closed his eyes and tried to push away the pain. But there was no way out of this now, because she was here, in his life again. And no matter how much she had loved him a century ago, whatever she had said to him, it was all gone from her memory. She loved him now only in a dream. No more.

And he could do nothing about it. He closed his eyes in torment, and slowly descended onto the ground, his wings arched behind his back. He slipped them back inside his shoulders and looked around him.

His companions slowly moved into view. A guy, the same age as him, a girl, and a young man. They moved noiselessly towards him, the young man extended his hand.

"Alexander."

His voice was syrupy, and full of remorse and sadness. Strangely, it disgusted Alexander. He ignored the man's outstretched hand and looked away, up towards the window, up at... her. "Look, there is no way you can change my mind, Master Holland."

The man's lips curled up into a small smile.

"That was not my intention. You, of all people, should know why I am here."

"Well, forgive me." Alexander turned his hard gaze on Holland. 'I am not as clever as you think, it

seems. I have absolutely NO idea what you are doing here. In fact...' His gaze roamed over to the boy and girl. "Why are you here when they are here with me already?"

The boy shrugged. "Don't look at me, Alex. I play absolutely no part in this. Ask her." He jabbed a finger at the girl.

The girl looked outraged. "Me? ME? James Armstrong, you were the one who told Holland about HIM. I didn't say a freaking word about anything, you stupid jerk."

"Yeah, but you did sort of tell Holland that you are worried that he would be suicidal and reckless and stupid and-"

"But that's obvious, I am just telling the truth-"

"Enough already, the both of you." Master Holland held up a hand.

They both clamped their mouths shut and bowed their heads. In any other occasion, Alexander would have laughed at their fake remorseful faces.

He shifted his gaze unwillingly to the young Master. "Okay. What do you want?" Holland took a step closer to him. "Alexander, I want to help you."

"Yes, I can figure that out myself, thank you very much. All you do is HELP me." Anger boiled insider Alexander. He clenched his fists. His wings felt as if they were burnt, trying to get out. "You HELP me do everything. You are going to HELP me forget her, or are you going to help me KILL her once and for all, so she would never know-"

"Alexander, if you don't let go of your anger, it will take over you." Holland cut him off softly.

Alex squeezed his forehead together, and wished everyone else would just leave him alone. Why, oh why, did he bring Armstrong and the Carter girl with him? What was he even thinking? He knew they would tell Holland about where he is going. And yet... he chose to trust them.

Well, that was the biggest freaking mistake of his life.

A hand laid on his shoulder and he flung it back almost immediately, his eyes turning red. "Don't... touch me." He growled the instant he knew whose hand it was.

Holland looked defeated. He looked at James Armstrong for help, but James shrugged helplessly. It was the girl... Josie Carter, who spoke up next.

"Alexander, you know what my brother will do to you if you go on like this." Alex raised his eyes at her, and narrowed them at her confidence.

"I don't give a damn about Roger Carter, and what he would do to me. After all..." His lips curled up into a bitter smile. "What more can I lose?"

"You would lose HER." Josie pointed to the window.

Alexander wanted to defend himself, to tell the bitchy Josie Carter that he already lost her, and nothing could be more terrible than what he is going through now. But somehow... he knew who is tormenting him more than anyone else...

It was himself.

He was damned, cast down by Heaven. His wings, his looks and his body were the only things he brought with him. And, of course, his immortality.

He drew a deep breath, and looked at Holland. "What do you want with me?"

Holland took a step closer to him, and extended his hand.

"Come home."

The answer was so obvious, and so hard to obey.

"I can't." Alex whispered, his eyes gazed painfully at the yellow window.

"Listen to me." Holland grasped his shoulder and spun him around to look at him. "You can't keep watching her and do nothing. If you want to be together with her again, you have to come up with a plan to break the Oath you made. You swore you would never appear in her life, and you are stuck with your promise. I can help you, Alexander. I only wanted you to come home, and see some sense."

"There is no sense without HER!" Alexander cried. "Do you think what is between her and me is only a game? Do you think that I would forget her... even if I made the Oath? She is everything I am living for. And I would die a thousand times for her, if it means I am getting her back."

"Would you stop behaving like a lovesick jerk, Alex?" Josie snapped. "We only wanted to help you. Remember, Anastasia is also everything to us. You can't do this by yourself, Alex. You need us. You can't do anything here. So come home, and we can think of something to bring back Ana."

Alexander glared at her. But he knew she was right.

He wrenched his shoulders out of Holland's grip and turned away. After a minute of silence, he spoke.

"Fine." He gritted his teeth. "Fine. But..."

He stared daggers at the twenty-year-old Master Holland.

"That does not mean I am leaving her. If you can't give me a plan, then I will come back and do things my way."

Holland nodded.

"Just as you like, Alex."

Anastasia. Ana, wake up."

A gentle hand was shaking her, and she opened eyes sleepily.

And was taken aback by the gorgeous face looming in front of her. "God!" She cried, scooting her legs back under her chin. "You scared me."

"Sorry." Louis muttered, studying her with concern. "I didn't want to wake you. But I cooked breakfast, and you have slept so much. I just thought... you know, you might be hungry."

"What time is it?" She asked, feeling around her bedside table for her clock. Louis handed it to her.

"It's 8 am." He added for good measure. "I went jogging at 6, and when I came back, you were still sleeping. I let you sleep as long as I could."

She nodded, and sat up, her fingers running through her hair. It was as though only five minutes have passed after she fell asleep for the second time. No dreams. No memories of... of HIM. In fact, she slept so perfectly that it was as though she had never dreamed before. Then she realized she was hungry as hell.

"I don't know why I slept so long." She said, as if Louis needed her explanation. "The dream last

night completely ruined me." "Ana, it's just-"

"-A dream." She cut him off, good-naturedly. "That's what you always say after I have those dreams."

"What else could I say?" He asked, staring at her.

His stare made her uncomfortable. That was odd. He had never made her feel uncomfortable before. But these days... it felt as if her cheeks burst into flames whenever he was close to her. She took a deep breath, and shrugged. "I don't know. Come on." She pushed off from the bed and grabbed Louis' hand. "I am starving."

At least that side-tracked Louis for a moment. He nodded, and allow himself to be pulled into the living room, his eyes still darkly curious. But all the storm and curiosity faded from his green eyes as she opened the fridge for milk. "Hey, no drinking before you try my absolutely fabulous omelet."

Ana closed the fridge, and ignoring him, took a swig of the milk she grabbed from freezer. "You know I can't live without milk." She said, between gulps.

Louis was at her side before she could blink, and had snatched the carton of milk from her hands. "Living room. Sit. Now!" He uttered out the four words with authority.

She shrugged a second time, (it seemed she was going to do a lot of shrugging today), and turned on her heels and did as he told her.

Within five minutes, she was digging into the gorgeous ham and egg omelet, hating herself by drinking milk earlier, hating herself for not being able to get a fourth helping, hating... oh, just hating herself for ruining her own appetite.

As she finished, Louis leaned back in his chair, and studied her with a teasing smile on his face. "Looks like someone should listen when I give advice. Don't you think so, Ana?"

"Oh, shut up." She wiped her lips and stretched her arms over her head. "I was hungry, okay?" "Sure, you were." He nodded, and then leaned towards her. "So what now?"

"What... now?"

"Come on, focus." His hand shot across the small table to grab hers. Before Ana could take her hand away, Louis had already grabbed it. "Do I have your attention?"

"Jeez, chill." Ana looked at their entwined hands, and raised her eyes in confusion to his face. "What is it?"

"I want you to come to the Lounge with me."

She froze. The Lounge... where a trashy s**t had stole her father from her mother. She never wanted to set foot there ever again.

But she did set foot there. Several times.

Because Louis had begged her, he said he needed her there to fend off the sluts who crowded around him.

Now, she wasn't so sure that was the main reason. "Right. How about no?" She answered.

"Why not?" Louis squeezed her hand, as if that would change her mind.

"Buddy, you need to find yourself another girl to keep you from the sluts. I am not gonna help

much longer. Seriously."

"And what would the Lounge think if I bring another girlfriend there? It's a small city, you know rumors fly. What if they say you dumped me, or vice versa, but we still live together?"

"Then I can go and find another-"

The hand on hers became a tight grip. She looked up at Louis in alarm. "You are not going anywhere." He set his teeth.

He looked as if he would kill anyone who dared speak otherwise. His sexy green eyes were so dark... so... dangerous.

But Ana wasn't frightened. She snatched her hand back and shoved it under the table.

"Look. It's not that I don't want to help you, but... I can't be the controlling, jealous girlfriend for long, okay? They know what I can do and couldn't do. And the girls there... they are so much more attractive... it would make sense if you go near them. Would you like me to be called the jealous and abandoned girlfriend who had no idea what is going on with her man?"

"No, that's where you are wrong, Anastasia." Louis folded his arms across his chest. "They respect you as the girlfriend of the bartender at the Lounge. It seems so much more endurable when you are with me."

"Endurable? Look, it's your business that girls crowd around you. I did my best, Louis. But I can't fend off any more of your admirers for you. Seriously."

"Then come with me to have fun." Louis shot at her. "I can show you what the Lounge can do. And you might even enjoy yourself. Screw the girls who come around me. Just... just relax and chill with me."

"Louis-"

"Seriously, Ana. Would it kill you to have one crazy, carefree... morning at a bar?" She studied his face. His eyes looked bright, and even eager.