That night, Anna saw him again.
The air felt heavier, cloaked in sorrow. He stood beneath a sky of fractured stars, eyes dimmed with something deeper than sadness.
"Why did you leave?" he asked, his voice breaking like twilight.
"Can't you see? I am dying without you, Sunshine."
The name wrapped around her heart like a forgotten lullaby.
She froze, her heart racing in her chest. His voice was like a haunting melody, familiar yet distant, pulling her back to the dreams she thought she'd left behind. She saw him standing there, his face a mixture of sadness and longing, his eyes full of unsaid words. The man she had dreamt about for so long, the one who made her heart ache even in the waking world, was standing before her.
She took a step forward, her breath shaky. "I—"her voice faltered as she tried to speak, the weight of the dream, the reality, all colliding inside her.
His eyes locked onto hers, searching, as if waiting for an answer that would heal the brokenness in both of them. "Why did you leave, Sunshine? You promised you'd be here. I can't breathe without you," he said, his voice breaking slightly.
Anna wanted to run to him, to feel his arms around her again, to let the warmth of his love surround her. But there was Jace, there was the real, steady love she had in this world, and she couldn't bring herself to betray that. Still, the pull of this dream-world man was undeniable, like a gravitational force tugging at her soul.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. "I— I didn't mean to leave you," she whispered, her eyes welling with tears. "I thought you were just a dream, a part of me that didn't exist in the real world."
His hand reached out, touching her cheek with the gentlest of fingers, his gaze never leaving hers. "But I do exist, Sunshine. I'm here. I was always here, waiting for you. Why did you let me go?"
Tears streamed down her face, her heart caught between two worlds—the real one with Jace, the one she had chosen, and this dream, this impossibly real love she couldn't let go of. Her voice trembled, "I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to hold onto something that was just in my mind."
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his sorrow etched into every feature. "But you are my heart, my breath. Without you, I am nothing. Do you know what it's like to live without the one you love? I'm dying inside, Sunshine."
The words felt like a dagger to her chest, and she couldn't stop the flood of emotions pouring out of her. She felt torn, like she was being pulled in two directions, her body craving the warmth of his embrace, her soul yearning for the connection they once had. But in her mind, she heard Jace's voice, steady and strong, reminding her of the reality they had built.
"I can't stay here," she said, her voice breaking. "I can't live in a dream anymore. I have to wake up. You were never real in the way Jace is. I can't abandon him."
The dream-man's face fell, a shadow of pain crossing his features. "I'm sorry, Sunshine. I never wanted to make you choose. But know this—part of you will always be mine, no matter where you go."
With that, he began to fade, his figure slowly dissolving into the darkness. "Goodbye," he whispered one last time, the sound echoing in the empty space.
And just like that, he was gone. She was alone in the darkness, left with only the remnants of the love she had imagined, and the reality of the love I now had.
She woke up with a start, Jace still holding her close. His breath steady, his warmth surrounding her.
The dream-man had left, but his words echoed in her mind, leaving behind a sense of longing she couldn't explain. But Jace was here, in the real world, his presence grounding her in ways that she didn't fully understand.
She turned to Jace, his steady breath filling the room. He was still asleep, his face soft with peace, not knowing the chaos that had just unfolded in her mind. She ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the warmth of his body next to hers. There was a comfort in him, a reality that she had chosen, but her heart, still haunted by that dream, couldn't quite let go of the man who had whispered to her in her sleep.
She stared at the ceiling, lost in the conflict swirling inside her, "Why does it feel like I'm living in two worlds?" she whispered to myself.
Just then, Jace stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and when they met hers, she felt her heart skip a beat. "You okay, Anna?" His voice was thick with sleep, but his concern was clear. "You look like you've been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."
She hesitated, unsure of how to explain the storm raging within her. The dreams, the dream-man, the love she had imagined. How could she tell him she had been torn between him and someone who didn't even exist outside of her mind?
Instead, she forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... a weird dream. Nothing serious." She ran a hand through her hair, trying to make it sound casual.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "You sure? You can tell me, Anna."
She nodded, not ready to dive into it. "It's nothing, Jace. I just—"she trailed off, unsure how to finish the thought.
He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. "Hey, if you need to talk, I'm here. You don't have to keep things inside."
His words were comforting, and in that moment, she realized that no matter how confusing her dreams or feelings were, he was the real one who cared. The dream-man might have been a part of her, but Jace was the one who was with her in this world, the one who would stay by her side.
"I know, Jace," Anna whispered, feeling the weight of her emotions slowly lifting. "I think... I think I'm just figuring things out. But I want to be with you. I want to be here with you."
He smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Good. Because I want to be with you too, Anna. You don't have to be perfect. You're perfect to me just the way you are."
She felt a wave of relief wash over her. For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn't living in two worlds. She was here, with Jace, and that was enough.
(To be continued...)