PROLOGUE
891 Words
PROLOGUE
The dim, intoxicating glow of the bar seemed to pulse with the rhythm of her heartbreak. Noxana slid into a corner booth, her trembling fingers tracing the rim of her half-empty glass. She had never been much of a drinker, but tonight was an exception—a catharsis for the betrayal she had stumbled upon just hours ago. Her fiancé, the man she thought she knew, had been tangled in another woman’s arms in the very home they were supposed to build together.
She tipped the glass back, the bitter burn of whiskey soothing and stinging her all at once. Her mind raced, alternating between fury and despair. She clenched her fists, her vision blurring slightly. *How did I not see this coming?*
Across the room, a man watched her with quiet intensity. Tall, with dark, stormy eyes and a jawline sharp enough to draw blood, Erydan nursed his own drink, intrigued by the woman who radiated both vulnerability and defiance. She was beautiful, even in her disheveled state—her long hair falling loose around her face, her crimson lips pressed tightly as though holding back a scream.
He didn’t know why, but something about her drew him in like gravity. Perhaps it was the way she was trying to drown her sorrow in alcohol or the way her fiery gaze threatened to consume her pain. Erydan wasn’t the type to meddle in other people’s business, but tonight, he couldn’t resist.
He approached her with quiet confidence, his voice low and smooth as he leaned slightly against her booth. “You look like you could use something stronger… or someone to talk to.”
Noxana’s gaze flicked up, her hazel eyes narrowing. “And you look like someone who shouldn’t be sticking his nose in other people’s problems.”
Erydan smirked, unphased. “Fair enough. But sometimes, a stranger is exactly what you need.”
She stared at him for a moment, sizing him up. He was handsome in a rugged, almost dangerous way, his tousled hair and dark shirt hinting at a man who lived unapologetically. Against her better judgment, she gestured for him to sit.
“What’s your name?” she asked, her voice hoarse from hours of crying.
“Erydan,” he replied, his eyes locking onto hers. “And yours?”
“Noxana.”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “Noxana. That’s a name you don’t forget.”
The conversation started slow, but as the minutes ticked by and the whiskey flowed, the walls between them began to crumble. Noxana found herself laughing at his dry wit, her heart lightening in his presence.
“You know,” he said, leaning closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “whoever hurt you is an i***t. But if I were him, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”
Her breath hitched. She should have brushed him off, should have gotten up and left, but the way he looked at her—like she was the only woman in the world—made her heart race.
“Why do you care?” she asked, her voice barely audible over the din of the bar.
Erydan reached out, his hand brushing hers. “Because you deserve better than drowning in whiskey and tears over a man who doesn’t see your worth.”
The heat between them was undeniable, magnetic. Without thinking, Noxana leaned in, her lips grazing his as a test, a question. When he didn’t pull away, she closed the distance, their kiss igniting like wildfire.
His hands found her waist, pulling her closer, while hers tangled in his hair, their desperation and longing spilling over.
“We shouldn’t,” she murmured against his lips, but the words lacked conviction.
“Then tell me to stop,” Erydan said, his voice rough with desire.
She couldn’t.
---
The hotel room was bathed in the faint glow of city lights streaming through the window. Their clothes lay discarded on the floor, a trail marking their path from the door to the bed.
Erydan’s touch was both possessive and tender, his lips tracing every inch of her skin as though memorizing her. Noxana gasped, her nails digging into his back as he whispered her name like a prayer.
“Mine,” he growled, his eyes blazing as he hovered over her. “Even if it’s just for tonight, you’re mine.”
Noxana didn’t argue. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt wanted, cherished. She let herself get lost in him, in the way he made her feel alive.
Their bodies moved in perfect harmony, the world outside fading away until there was only them.
---
The next morning, Noxana woke to an empty bed, the sheets cool where Erydan had once been. Her heart sank, but she reminded herself that it was just one night. She couldn’t afford to get attached, not after everything she’d been through.
But as she dressed and prepared to leave, she found a note on the nightstand:
“I don’t believe in coincidences. If we’re meant to meet again, we will. – Erydan”
She clutched the note to her chest, a strange mix of hope and sadness washing over her. Little did she know, their story was far from over.
—End of Prologue—
- Writer
