Forgive me.. My Love

Anthony’s POV

I had just gotten back after walking her home. The only sound in the apartment was the hum of the refrigerator, but inside my head, it was pure chaos.

I leaned forward and buried my face in my hands. My calloused palms scraped against my cheeks, brutally reminding me that none of this was a dream. Anna had been there, right here. In this bed. Under these exact sheets.

Four years. Four years of pretending not to notice her. Four years of playing the loyal, harmless best friend while my chest burned every single time some arrogant high school jerk even dared to look at her.

And tonight, she had looked at me with her big, sincere eyes to tell me she wanted me.

A short, strangled laugh escaped me.

State university, in two months.

We had already chosen our apartments. We used to talk about it like a distant project. But now? Now, the mere idea of moving in with her sent an intense, electrifying wave of heat coursing through my veins.

The heavy sound of leather shoes on the hardwood floor outside my bedroom broke the silence. The door swung open abruptly, and my father appeared in the frame.

His gray suit fit him perfectly, and his cold, calculating gaze did not bode well.

"Pack your bags, Anthony," he announced coldly. "We're leaving for the European headquarters in Milan next Sunday."

I frowned and sat up on the bed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've finalized the transition plan with the board of directors," he replied, crossing his arms over his tailored suit. "Your training at our international subsidiary will begin in two weeks. It's time for you to officially take your place as the heir to the Vance empire."

A chill ran through me.

"No. I told you three months ago that I wanted to start with a junior position at State. Anna and I..."

"Anna?" His gaze hardened. "You still don't seem to understand your place."

He paused, then added in a glacial tone:

"And that's not all. You're also going to get engaged."

I froze.

"Engaged?"

"Exactly. You will marry the eldest daughter of the Sterling family."

"Out of the question!" I sprang off the bed. "I won't marry her."

My father didn't flinch. He stepped closer to me, his hazel eyes locked onto mine.

"Anthony, we have a debt to the Sterling family."

I clenched my fists.

"Seven years ago, when our estate caught fire, Mr. Sterling risked his life to pull me from the flames. He almost lost his own." His voice was low and cold. "At the time, I promised him that our families would one day be united by marriage."

He paused before continuing firmly:

"The reputation of the Vance family is at stake."

"So you're willing to sacrifice my marriage for that?"

"If that's the price to pay to protect our family's interests, then yes."

"No, Dad. You can't..."

"Wake up, Anthony!" he yelled. "There is nothing to discuss!"

He turned on his heel and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

I let myself fall back onto the bed and buried my face in my hands. The pain in my chest was so intense it stole my breath away.

How could I leave after finally holding Anna in my arms, after she trusted me enough to give me her first time?

But what did I actually have to offer her?

She was an extraordinary girl...

The next morning, the sunlight filtered through the large windows of the amphitheater.

Graduation caps bobbed around the crowded room, but I spotted Anna the moment she pushed through the double doors.

My breath caught.

She was wearing a navy blue form-fitting dress beneath her unzipped graduation gown. Her long dark hair cascaded in soft waves over her shoulders, and her skin glowed in the morning light. She was breathtaking. Soft, radiant, entirely real... and completely mine.

Every instinct pushed me to cross the room, wrap my arms around her waist, and kiss her until I lost my breath.

Instead, I slid my hands into my pockets and put on an impassive expression.

"Anthony!"

Her soft, slightly breathless voice reached me.

She hurried toward me, her cheeks flushed with a mix of shyness and hope. She stopped right in front of me and looked up into my face, her lower lip trembling slightly.

"Hi," she murmured, searching my gaze. "I... I tried to call you this morning."

I looked down at her, forcing every ounce of warmth out of my eyes.

"I was busy."

Her smile slowly faded, and her brow furrowed.

"Oh. Are you... are you okay? About last night..."

"I don't feel like talking about last night, Anna," I cut her off in a cold, distant voice.

I took a step back to deliberately put space between us.

"It's graduation day. Can we just enjoy it without making things complicated?"

A sharp pain flashed across her face, but she swallowed her emotions and nodded.

"Alright. Yeah, of course."

Throughout the entire ceremony, I sat three rows behind her, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. Every time I caught her confused, hurt gaze resting on me, I felt like a part of me was dying.

When the diplomas were handed out and the caps flew into the air, the courtyard turned into a joyful chaos. Parents, students, and professors mingled to take pictures.

Anna broke through the crowd and grabbed my forearm, dragging me aside to the side of the gymnasium, far from prying eyes.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes. "You've been so cold to me all day! Did I do something wrong?"

My chest tightened so much I couldn't breathe. Her lower lip was trembling, and her big dark eyes searched mine with a vulnerability that tore me apart.

"What happened?" she murmured, taking a small step toward me. "I thought... I thought last night mattered. I thought everything was fine between us."

I stared at her, blood pounding in my temples. The pain in my chest was so intense it felt like my ribs were about to snap. Yet, I swallowed the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, wiped all emotion from my face, and clenched my jaw.

"Last night was a mistake, Anna," I said in a flat, distant voice.

She recoiled, as if I had just slapped her.

"Anthony..."

"We were drunk. After four years of friendship, we let our closeness trick us into thinking we were more than friends," I continued, stepping back to pull my arm from her grip. "It never should have happened. We're best friends. Crossing that line was a huge mistake."

"A mistake?" she repeated in a whisper, her face suddenly turning pale. "You said... you told me to look at you. You said there was no turning back."

"I lost my head," I lied, digging my nails into my palms behind my back until I felt my skin about to break. "I'm getting engaged soon. I don't want what happened between us to cause problems with my fiancé."

Anna froze, the breath knocked out of her.

"What are you talking about? What fiancé?"

"Yeah, that's right," I replied, shrugging with feigned indifference. "The official announcement is next week. She's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Anna looked at me in disbelief. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes before spilling over.

"You... you're getting engaged to someone else? After what happened last night? And what about us?"

"Everything is settled, Anna. You're the one making things complicated. What happened last night changes nothing," I replied, turning toward the parking lot so she wouldn't see the agony tearing up my face.

A raw sob escaped her. She pressed a hand over her mouth and stumbled backward, as if she'd just taken a violent blow.

"You used me."

"Anna, you deserve someone better," I forced myself to say, choking back the urge to scream.

"Don't look for me anymore. Just go on with your life."

Forgive me, my love...