[Flashback]
Daniel woke with a throbbing ache pulsing behind his temples, the familiar burn of alcohol still lingering in his veins. He groaned softly, lifting a hand to his forehead… but froze the moment he turned.
Anna lay curled in his arms.
His eyes widened. Her bare skin pressed against his chest, her breathing soft and steady, her body instinctively seeking his warmth. The shock in him evaporated almost instantly, replaced by something warm and disarming. His entire body melted under her touch, the tension draining from his muscles as if she had unknowingly soothed a pain buried deep within him.
He closed his eyes briefly.
Last night… he had not drunk because of Katherine. He had not mourned the wedding that never happened or a love that never truly existed.
He drank because yesterday marked the anniversary of the night he lost everything.
The night his world shattered beyond repair.
