1 Chapter 1

April 15, 2017

New York

"Hello Nikka..." a deep male voice greeted her as she gripped her phone. The same familiar voice she recalled years ago was in the other line and for once she didn't know what to do.

That call had frozen her from where she stood in the kitchen. She was not expecting it. She thought she would never hear from him again but here she was, listening to the voice of someone she vowed never to speak again nor see...

'How did he get this number? Why now? Why?' the questions continued to linger in her head and she wanted to scream at him... tell him everything she felt but then...

"Can... can I see you?" he asked.

She did not know why but she agreed to meet him. Perhaps part of her wanted to know everything... To answer the question in her head. Questions that had long linger in her head.

She tried to escape this moment. Tried very hard to forget everything... forget about him... and yet her he was, after three years... he came back.

She sighed as she continued to walk towards the path to pass the time... and possibly ease the tension in her muscles.

It was a cold spring morning, and Nikka was wearing her marbled yoga pants, black top, and grey Nike rubber shoes. Although it was about sixty degrees and sunny, she still felt a little cold so she wore her yellow hooded jacket on and started walking along the pedestrian path in Central Park.

Central Park had been one of the main attractions in the city with its vast acres of land that covered mostly of trees and grass. It was situated right in the middle of Manhattan, dividing the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side. Residences of high rise buildings were consisted of diverse people, mostly locals while others came from different parts of the world who decided to settle in one of the richest cities in the States, New York City.

The park had hidden gems inside of it that most tourists would be willing to find such as a fountain, the Belvedere Castle, and a small manmade lake that both locals and tourists enjoyed as they rode on a canoe in the summer.

Locals usually sprawled themselves on the lawn in the warm months while most tourists would go for the ice skating rink in the winter. It was also a place for families with young kids that climbed the big boulders and ran to the playground all season long, while their grown-ups enjoyed live concerts or the outdoor theater.

Music was also the main attraction of the city, so musicians would never stop performing to thousands of people that visit it every day. Artists of every kind would also try to showcase their talents and asked a small fee to passersby.

Subway trains that ran deep into tunnels could be heard rambling down below, rattling people of the busyness of the City that Never Sleeps.

Nikka's hair bounced on her shoulders as she walked briskly among the tall trees that covered the path. Most people would either jog along with her or walk. Others biked along with the old-time carriages that have an open back which most romantics would go for, not minding the forty dollar fee, as vehicles ran alongside them on the road.

The park had been Nikka's sanctuary ever since, and whenever she needed time to relax and think things through. Today was the perfect time for it all as the cool breeze brushed her face, and she breathed in the fresh air, filling up her lungs.

She needed this more than ever... to get away from the upcoming meetup she will have this morning. She tried to shove it away from her mind as she passed by the pond where the ducks waddled uncaringly in the water.

Her apartment was just a block away from the park at West 51st street. It was one of the busiest streets in the city. Every year, people crowd up those streets, rummaging through the stores to obtain the next big trend of the season. Restaurants and hotels were filled up with tourists and locals, who loved to dine and stay closer to the museums.

Most people could not afford a one-bedroom apartment near that park and she was one of the lucky ones that were able to obtain one. The owner of the building gave it to her as a gift for her on her birthday.

"Take it, Nikka. It's the best thing I could do," he told her when she tried to refuse it. Her father was an architect and that building was one of his designs.

Jones Towers have been one of the luxurious buildings in the city. With its unique design, it attracted many residents that were either nurses or doctors and still others were Wall Street moguls. It was unusual to have someone like her who rents one of the apartments there. As she, however, was a daycare assistant. Her father had always wanted her to be like him, but she never really had the passion nor the interest to design buildings. She would rather be with a bunch of little people than be in an office drafting the next tallest tower in the city.

She stopped at a pond in the park to watch the ducks. She was standing behind a small wooden bridge with a rickety wooden handle. The pond was surrounded by large rocks and the grass was starting to show as the spring season starts. Watching the ducks in the park made her forget everything once in a while. The ducks waddled slowly in the water and her mind relaxed along with it.

'Is there a chance to escape this?' she thought and sighed deeply. Her mind traveled again to the call this morning.

"Nikka... It's me, Marcus."

She looked at her watch. It is nine o'clock. In about two hours she will be meeting him again...

'Do I really have to go?' she thought as she caught herself drifting off to where it all started...

If only she could stop time... if only she could stop herself remembering but then...

Her heart raced rapidly as she remembered everything...

Every memory that she tried to bury years ago flashed before her eyes like an endless film slowly rolling...

She sighed as her mind unwillingly led her to a place she once had those memories...

Three years ago...