Chapter One

Aurora's POV

A wave of nerves and excitement washed over me as I stared at the beach waves.

The night sky, a canvas of shimmering starlight, casted a hypnotic glow i n the rhythmic crash of the waves. A soft smile touched my lips as I remembered what happened here ten years ago.

Ten years ago, on this very beach, a shy, sixteen-year-old me had accepted Mark's proposal to be his girlfriend. I'd adored him since we were children, our houses were just a few feet apart.

And now, today, our tenth anniversary feels like a dream. Clutching my purse, the secret of my three-week pregnancy nestled within.

I stood there, waiting for Mark. He'd said he had something important to share. My nerves fluttered, fueled by anticipation and the lingering hope of something more- probably a proposal...

But thirty minutes had already passed.

Why wasn't he here? He said he had landed two hours ago, so why was he taking time?

We haven't seen each other for almost a year, he travelled to Europe to stay with his mother, and now he's back. Exactly on the day of our anniversary, I couldn't help but blush.

Just as I was about to lose hope, I finally sighted him from afar. He wore a sweatshirt and blank pants, his tall frame loomed ahead. 

I smiled as I turned and began to walk towards him. "Mark!" I shouted, he raised his head, I was expecting a warm smile on his face as usual, but instead he had a sour expression on.

Immediately I became worried and rushed towards him, holding his hand as I stood in front of him. "Mark..what's wrong?"

He said nothing and just looked around, eyeing everyone who passed. "Let's not talk here," was all he said as he grabbed my arm roughly and began to walk away. I was dumbfounded, but still followed him until we left the beach. We stood outside a restaurant where he let go of my arm, his breaths now uneven.

"Mark?" I asked in a worried tone, my brows furrowing as I stared at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Fuck!" He cursed as he ran his hands through his hair, the sudden outburst from him earned us weird stares from passerbys but I paid no attention to them.

"Mark?" I called out softly despite the rising panic in me. "Talk to me please."

"Aurora," he began, his voice low and strained. "I have to tell you something... I can't keep it hidden any longer,"

The slight terror in his voice made me scared, I had never seen him like before. "Hide what any longer, Mark?"

He sucked in a deep breath and stepped closer. "Aurora. I'm getting married to someone else."

"What?" I breathed, taking a step back. "What do you mean 'getting married to someone else?' I don't understand."

He rubbed his hands together as he closed his eyes, then opened them slowly. "I know, it's like a rude shock to you. But it's the truth, Aurora, I only came back to end things with you and let you know why. I met someone else in Europe and-"

I raised my hands in the air, unable to believe what was spilling from his mouth. "You're trying to say that-" the words caught in my throat as the tears began to stream down my face. "That- you're leaving me?"

He sighed, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry Aurora, but I can't keep on pretending that I'm not tired of you."

His words felt like a physical blow. Ten years. Ten years of love, sacrifice and longing for a future that was never going to happen.

"You have to understand," he said, stepping back. "And I'm so sorry," I watched as he unclasped the sliver chain that hung around his neck. My breath hitched as I realized what he was doing. The customized necklace- the one we made on our fifth anniversary, he tossed the necklace to the floor. "I'm sorry, Aurora." 

He turned and walked away, tears steamed down my face as my hands went to my still-flat stomach, I sank to my knees, sobbing out loud.

I never expected it would end like this- especially at a time like this.

He doesn't even know that I'm carrying our child.

~

I don't remember anything that happened after Mark left, all I knew was that I found myself in a bar, drowning a shot of whiskey down my throat.

I shouldn't be drinking since I'm pregnant but hell- I needed a distraction, I needed something to take away this aching feeling in my chest before I did something stupid to myself.

I ordered drink after drink, dismissing the worried glances from the bartender. The alcohol burned, but it did little to subside the pain that kept on growing inside.

Everything else around me was disoriented, only the pain remained. Constant, sharp and intense.

"Are you alright?" A deep voice from behind startled me, I jolted up to see a tall figure staring down at me with curious eyes.

"Do I look alright?" I snorted with a slur as I waved my hand dismissively at him. "Please go away," I muttered as I sat back on the stool, my back facing him.

I expected him to walk away, but hell, he took the next seat close to me and ordered a drink for himself. My eyes raked over him.

He was extremely handsome, like the type you see on magazine covers. His dark hair framed a face carved with sharp angles.

"Staring?" He asked without even turning to face me.

"In your dreams," I retorted, clearly embarrassed that he caught me staring at him.

"I'm Zane," he says, taking a sip from his drink. "You are?"

"Aurora," I replied in a soft tone.

"That's a pretty name for a pretty lady,"

I rolled my eyes at his compliment, but to my shock, I felt a brush creep up my neck. For some odd reasons, I found his presence entertaining and safe.

"So," I said, turning to face him, my legs dangling back and forth. "What's a man like you doing in a place like this?"

"I'm running from something," he murmured in a soft tone, his eyes flickering away for a moment. "You?"

"I...got out of something," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

He ran his hand over his hair, his eyes still fixed on me. "It's bad, isn't it?"

A chuckle escaped my lips. "You can't imagine. I don't even want to talk about it."

He seemed thoughtful for a while, then spoke up. "Seems like it's about a guy. You got what you didn't expect, am I right?"

When I kept silent, he nodded and then stretched out his palm. "Well, since we both have some realities that are way too painful to think about, how about we escape from them just tonight?"

I raised my head up to see him staring at me with an unreadable expression. I couldn't decipher

it, but it eased my tension. "Sure," I smiled, taking his hand. "What's the worst that could happen?"