5. Dream or Betrayal

It was a little past midnight, Anna’s slumber broke and she looked around, feeling confused. She looked around and found herself still on the floor. She slept while crying which immediately brought back the memories from the past hours of how Nick rejected her. She felt terrible. 

She remembered the dream she just had, it felt too real to be just a dream. She gulped and her mind cursed herself for having a dream like that. She didn’t know when she became so sexually frustrated that she imagined herself with her boyfriend’s father, Will. But for some unknown reason, it didn’t feel wrong when the thought itself was wrong. 

Anna decided to speak to Nick one last time before she made the decision of her future. She certainly couldn’t live like this. This needed to end somewhere. She couldn’t live like this. 

She took her car keys and drove to Nick’s apartment. She sighed seeing his car there that he was home at least. As she walked inside, the first thing she noticed was a pair of heels and it wasn't hers. 

The guilt Anna had about pushing Nick’s limit and about desiring another man disappeared all of a sudden. As she walked further inside, she could hear some noise coming from Nick's bedroom. 

The noise cleared as she stood in front of his room and hesitantly she pushed the door open and found Nick fucking another woman. 

“Nick!” Anna gasped audibly. She was on the verge of breaking down, but somehow she gathered herself, not wishing to become weak in front of him.

Nick's demeanor startled as Anna’s voice hit his eardrums. He turned around and his face went pale, looking at Anna standing there with a stunned expression. As their gazes met, she ram out of the room while he kept calling her name from behind.

As she descended through the stairs, tears started to flood in her eyes. It was the second time she cried that night but she was never broken like this before. 

She had almost reached the exit, when Nick came running to her with only his dressing gown on. 

“Anna, I'm….”

“STOP! I don't wanna hear anything.” She screamed. 

But it didn't stop him. “I'm sorry, baby.” 

“Why did you have to do this to me, Nick?” She pushed him away as he tried to hold her hand. “Actually, don't say anything. I don't even need your explanation. I’m just leaving.” 

Nick tried to stop her once again. “Please, let's just talk.”

Anna nodded her head frantically. “There's nothing left to talk now. Earlier there was a room for discussion, but you walked out, leaving me behind, now nothing is left. This time I'll walk out and I'm done with you, Nick.” 

Nick tried to stop him but Anna was long gone.

As she stepped out of Nick's place, Anna started to feel terrible about her life. She needed to see someone, she needed someone by her side to vent out everything she had bottled up inside her. But she didn't know who to go for support, she feared everyone might judge her for her choice. 

Before she knew anything, she found herself outside Alexa’s flat. As soon as she opened the door, Anna hugged her crying. 

Alexa was flabbergasted by Anna’s sudden appearance. Also the way she was crying, she immediately knew something was wrong. She gently wrapped her arms around Anna’s shoulder and rubbed her back. 

“It's okay, babe. Calm down.” 

She didn't know why Anna was crying and it mattered the least to her. She almost had to drag her inside and make her sit on the couch before giving a glass of water to her. 

When Alexa felt Anna had calmed down a little, she decided to speak. “Do you want to talk about it, Anna?” 

Anna just shook her head negatively, not ready to open up yet. She herself had things to figure out first. 

“No problem. But whenever you feel you’re ready to open up, I’m always there.” 

Anna tried to smile but failed. “Can I stay here for a few days? I’m resigning from this job and I also have to look for a new flat.”

Though Alexa was curious to know what happened all of a sudden that Anna was so keen to change everything. Still she chose not to ask anything, knowing it was not the time. 

“Sure. You can stay here as long as you want to.” 

“Thank you. I need a shower.”

She nodded and Anna walked to her washroom. She turned on the hot shower and the tears started to flow once again, only to get hidden in between the shower water. But the water helped to sooth her burning skin. 

Amidst all this, she couldn't help thinking of the little dream she had. She wondered why she couldn't stop thinking about Will when she just had the worst night of her life. After thinking for a lifetime, she came to the conclusion that she was sexually frustrated and that led her to think of Will. There was no feeling evolved. 

Anna’s thoughts were broken by the knock of Alexa who told her that she had kept her change in the cabin. 

Finally, she turned the shower off and put the clothes on. Then when she walked into Alexa’s room, she was already there on the bed watching her favorite show. She too slipped inside the duvet and laid her head on the comfortable pillow. 

None of them spoke for a long time. They just kept watching the show silently. 

“How can he die? What! He was my favorite.” Alexa screamed, seeing her favorite character dying. 

Anna couldn't help giggling. “Wait till the last episode, babe. There’re more twists waiting ahead.”

“When did you watch this one? It just came out last week!” She looked at her best friend through the corner of her eyes.

“I just took out some time to finish this one.”

Then they kept watching it until they both fell asleep.

Next morning, when Anna woke up, she found herself alone on the bed. Thinking of last night, she just sighed and stepped down off the bed. She freshened up and walked directly to the kitchen. 

Alexa was already there, doing something on her phone. She sat next to her while Alexa put her phone down.

“Are you okay now?”

Anna smiled nodding her head in yes. But she was sure Alexa didn't believe her. “I caught Nick cheating on me last night.” 

Alexa looked towards her with pure disgust in her eyes. “I’m going to kill that bastard!” 

“Calm down. It's over now. I’m not going back to him ever again.”

“You shouldn't either.” After a brief minute of pause, she spoke again. “So, what are you going to do now?” 

Anna shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I need a break. I want to explore things around for the better.”

“As you wish.”

That evening, Anna finally decided to return home and have some alone time even though Alexa was not ready to let her go. But she couldn't stand her logic either.

Anna didn't have the heart to return to her flat but she didn't know where else to go. She knew Alexa wouldn't stop her from staying with her for a few days but she didn't want to bother her. She also didn't know where else to go. She was just so tired with the recent events. She was still having a hard time believing that Nick could do this to her.

A   WEEK   LATER

Anna was packing her stuff as she was going to shift her flat when her phone buzzed. Huffing a sigh, she got up to find her phone which was lying carelessly on the couch. She was taken aback to see the call was from Will. 

The flashes of the dream from that night came into her mind once again. Unconsciously, she picked up the call. 

“Anna, flower, are you doing fine?” She heard Will’s concern filled voice from the other side. 

“Of course, why wouldn't I be?” She cleared her throat before speaking to sound a bit confident while her heart was pounding roughly against her chest.

After a few seconds of pause, he spoke. “I just wanted to make sure you’re doing well.” 

Anna became quiet for a while, feeling shy all of a sudden. She found him acting indifferent. But she was unsure if it was only her who felt it or it was always like this. 

“Is there anything else?” 

“No, I just heard you broke up with Nick. A few days back, you were not even ready to see anyone else, also you both were consulting the therapist. That's why I only wanted to check on you.”

“I’m fine, Will. I don't wanna talk about it. Nick is a closed chapter now.”

“As you say. Take care.”

“Bye.”

Her mind was diverted again with Will’s phone call. Eventually, she had to gather herself back and get ready to leave. She thought Will wouldn't be knowing anything but he knew it all. She wondered if it was Nick who told him or it was someone else. But no one else knew, right?

A sigh escaped her mouth as she opened the door of her new flat. It was a one room cozy apartment with only necessary things. She kept the key and the box aside to have a proper look. 

She had shifted from her old flat, now she needed a job. She couldn't go for a long time with her savings. Anna made herself coffee and opened her laptop to find some vacancies. She dropped her CV as well to some firms before she saw a pop up on her screen and opened the link that led her to a whole different world.