The heart ache
"Anna..... Whatever it is, I can say this ring must have cost a fortune to your man..... it's beautiful and so extravagant." Stella could not help and voiced her thoughts as she again glanced at her ring.
"Yes it is. He always wanted the best for me." Anna half heartedly smiled and replied softly but it was enough for everyone over there to hear. She seemed to be quiet low in her spirits. It was a long day for her. Time and again, her mind was drifting to the memory lane that was once her source of exuberance but now it was all agonizing which made her realize his truancy in her life. Firstly, the news which hooked her and Regan together and now..... all of this, she wanted to avoid the questions and dart away from there but how could she? She knew that her denial for the dinner has already hurt Grace and then the way Regan behaved... She didn't have the impudence to aggrieve anyone with her actions anymore.
She felt strikingly drained out and her emotions were haywired. She was frequently glancing at the staircase waiting for the arrival of Regan so that she could escape before she lose herself in front of them.
However, when Stella asked her about the ring and what she answered was clearly heard by him as he was standing right behind her. He frowned on hearing the word 'wanted' but did not pay much heed to understand the pain behind it.
"And how I thought you were different?" Regan's cold voice startled them all.
Anna turned around to find him standing behind her looking at her intently. She could not understand what he said, so she asked, "What?"
"Women and their love for diamonds..... I thought you were someone different, not among them, but I guess you proved me wrong..... Miss Prescott." He said in a mocking tone, void of any emotions. He didn't intend to, but it came out too cold for his own liking.
Anna was taken aback by his formal addressal and cold tone. It was the first time when she found Regan in such an annoying state for he was always calm and composed around her. She didn't understand the reason behind his changed demeanor. Her heart was already in a mess and she was not in a state to take another blow...
Regan felt as if he saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes but he was too consumed in his own thoughts to judge his actions and their effects on her.
Drake was right beside him. In order to remove the awkwardness around, he suddenly laughed and exclaimed, "Oh Reg... common buddy! You and your cold humor. Anna, don't mind him, for you never know when Regan Knight would use his extraordinary punches on anyone and everything around him."
Anna stood there not knowing how to react and simply nodded her head. She then looked towards Regan and said, "I think it's quiet late. I should head back to my place."
"Sure....."
"Ummm... why don't you come with me and Stella Anna? We'll drop you. Anyways, we are leaving soon." It was Drake who did not find it right to send Anna back with Regan, especially after his outrageous behaviour just a moment before.
Regan frowned upon hearing him and shot him a meaningful glance. "Don't worry about her Drake..... I am heading out on the same way so I'll take care of that. You can have some time with your girl."
He then turned around and asked, "Shall we leave Anastasia?"
"Yeah" She then thanked Grace and Nathan for their warm hospitality and gently hugged them. She bid them adieu and left with Regan.
The whole ride was unpleasantly silent as both of them were occupied with their own thoughts and the events of the day.
On one hand, Anna didn't want to face more questions so she decided to shut her eyes close and eventually dozed off while on the other, Regan kept his eyes straight on the road without uttering a word or peeking towards her. When he finally looked at her, he found her soundly sleeping like a baby.
Soon the car reached her hotel but she was still sleeping. He didn't have the heart to wake her up. She looked so pure and innocent in her sleeping state that he couldn't help but caressed her face lovingly with his hand. His heart ached on the mere thought of someone else touching or admiring her the way he did.
Back then, he denied them about him liking her, of him being affected by someone else's presence in her life, but sitting so close to her, surrounded by her mesmerizing scent, he lost all his power to control his feelings for her. He knew, it was more than liking for what he now has started feeling for her. He always wanted to stop himself to move further on the bumpy road of this so called affection... but one look at her... and he felt all helpless. He indeed knew her since two weeks but felt as if he knew her since ages and has just started feeling that she was the one for him. He found it too early to name his feelings and that's why he wanted some more time with her to understand his heart better. But the revelation about her love made him numb to the extent that for a time, his mind went blank and he felt nothing.
By this time, he realized that he would never occupy a special place in her heart and decided to let go off his feelings for her. He didn't know what came up to him, he lowered his head and kissed her forehead tenderly pouring all his emotions in the moment with the intention to leave his growing feelings for her, silently wishing her all the happiness of the world. But his heart skipped a beat when he realized that Anna was clutching his jacket, still unaware of the situation they were in due to her slumber.
She was speaking some coherent words in her sleep. But then, he felt as if his heart was stabbed with thousands of knives when he heard her speaking, "Ashton". The name of that special someone in her life who was the reason of his sufferings.
However at that time, he didn't know that it was just the beginning as it was the same name which would time and again test the depths of his love and affection for her in the future and explain him the meaning of true love and pain.