Anna hurried out of the room, her breath coming in short gasps as she tried to steady her racing heart. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Her dreams, her reality, her feelings for both Tristan and Jace—they were all tangled up in a way that felt impossible to untangle.
The only thing she knew for sure was that she had to make a choice. And that choice would change everything.
Later, when everything felt too heavy, Ana made her way to Jace's apartment. Her steps were hesitant, but her knock was soft—like a whisper looking for comfort.
Jace opened the door with a flood of warmth. "Hey, my baby. Where have you been? I was worried," he said between tender kisses that rained across her face.
Ana forced a small, cold smile. "Let me in, Jacy. You've got the whole night—maybe even a whole lifetime—to kiss me."
She slipped off her shoes and stepped inside. But before she could go far, he scooped her into his lap like she was something fragile he had missed too much.
His lips found her skin again and again, desperate and sweet. "I love your smell, my baby girl, Anna. I'm starving. Can't you see how hard I'm trying to hold myself back?"
And this time… she didn't stop him.
Maybe it was longing. Maybe it was pain. Or maybe, it was revenge—for the man who left her hanging in dreams, asking her to wait.
And right now, Jace was real. And present. And hers.
Even if only for tonight.
Anna sank into Jace's arms, not resisting this time. Her heart was tired—tired of being torn in two directions. Maybe this was the only way to silence the chaos inside her.
Jace buried his face into her neck, his warm breath sending chills through her spine. "You smell like dreams, Anna. Like peace. Like the reason I wake up every morning." His voice was thick, shaky, almost desperate. He held her tighter, like he was afraid she'd vanish.
Anna whispered, eyes half closed, "Then never let me go, Jacy."
He kissed her cheek, then her jaw, then her lips with such longing it made her tremble. He wasn't just kissing her; he was pouring every drop of his love into that kiss.
"You're mine, right?" Jace breathed against her lips, his hands gently cupping her face.
"Tonight, yes," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jace paused, just for a second, reading her eyes, sensing something beneath her words. But instead of asking questions, he kissed her again, longer, deeper.
He stood up with her in his arms and carried her to the couch. "I've waited for this moment for so long. For you to want me… not just because you're running from something, but because you're running to me."
Anna closed her eyes. She wished that was true. Maybe a part of it was.
But deep down, somewhere she wouldn't dare admit out loud—Tristan's voice still echoed in her mind, "He is just a chapter… but I, am the whole book."
She blinked it away and looked into Jace's eyes. They were full of warmth, full of truth. She didn't want to hurt him. Not now. Not again.
She ran her fingers through his hair and said softly, "Don't ask me to explain anything tonight, Jacy. Just love me like I'm your everything."
He nodded, pressing his forehead to hers. "I don't need reasons. I just need you, Anna."
Anna pulled Jace closer, her lips crashing into his with a storm of emotion—not just love, but defiance. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she kissed him deeper, her heart shouting silently, "This is my choice". In that moment, it wasn't just passion—it was revenge. Revenge on Tristan for showing up too late.
Jace's cold fingers traced slowly across Anna's skin, igniting shivers that had nothing to do with temperature. Her body trembled, not from desire alone—but from the storm raging inside her. Every kiss, every caress, was tangled with emotion… and revenge.
"Jace, Jacy…" Anna breathed, her voice barely a whisper, unsure if she was calling him back to her… or grounding herself in the present.
"Yes, honey. My baby girl, my everything," he whispered against her skin, voice thick with hunger and love, "Don't stop me tonight."
His lips found her neck, his arms wrapped around her with a desperation that mirrored her own need for escape. "Please…" he whispered, "Melt in my arms, Anna. Let me make you forget everything but me."
Anna closed her eyes, letting the present blur the past—letting Jace's love try to heal the wounds Tristan had reopened.
But just as his kisses deepened, and the space between breath and body blurred, Anna gently pulled back. Her fingers slid through his hair, soft and trembling.
"Jacy…" she whispered, eyes searching his face. "Are we doing the right thing?"
Her voice wasn't cold—it was quiet, caught between guilt and longing, between two worlds she couldn't untangle.
He leaned into her touch, forehead resting against hers, but said nothing at first. Just held her tighter, as if afraid she might vanish too.
Jace looked up at her, his eyes still burning with affection but now shaded with softness. He cupped her cheek gently, his voice low and sincere.
"Anna," he said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, "I don't care what's right or wrong anymore. I just know what feels real—and this, you and me—it feels like the only thing keeping me sane."
Anna let out a soft breath, her fingers still tangled in his hair. "I just… I don't want to hurt anyone. I feel like I'm standing between two worlds, Jacy."
He leaned his forehead against hers. "Then let me be your world tonight. No dreams, no ghosts, just us."
A silence fell between them, heavy with emotion—but safe. Jace wasn't rushing her. He was there, warm, patient, and real.
"I'm tired, Jacy… I just need to rest a little," Anna murmured, her voice soft as twilight. She leaned in and kissed him—slowly, gently—like a promise wrapped in exhaustion. "Don't take it to heart," she added, her fingers brushing his cheek, "I just need some sleep tonight."
Jace smiled softly, brushing his thumb along her jawline. "Mind? Never. You're here, and that's enough for me."
He pulled the blanket over her gently, wrapping his arms around her as she nestled close. "Sleep, baby girl. I'll be right here when you wake up."
Anna closed her eyes, the warmth of his embrace calming her restless heart. For the first time in days, her mind didn't race with confusion. No prince, no dreams—just Jace, breathing softly beside her.
(To be continued...)