LOGIN“There is not much to say. Same dream I always have– happy memories from when she was alive.” He swallows hard, forcing himself to meet Anna’s concerned gaze. “Waking up alone afterward is the worst part. Reminds me how long it has been since anyone was there to hold me when I am scared.” The confession slips out before he can censor it, raw and vulnerable in a way he rarely allows himself to be. His grip on her waist becomes firmer, pulling her flush against his chest as if seeking physical
“Hey, Anna,” Zack says softly, waiting for her to look up before continuing. “Thanks. For earlier. And for breakfast.” It is a rare moment of vulnerability for him, stripped of all the usual posturing and bravado. He does not linger on it, though– he opens the door and steps out into the hallway, his voice returning to its casual confident tone. “Earlier?” she asks as she rushes to join him. “What part?” Zack stops in the hallway, turning to face her with a half-smile that is more amused than anything else. He can see the genuine confusion in her brown eyes, and it makes him want to laugh. “Everything,” he says simply, his voice dropping low. “The way you looked at me. The way you said my name. all of it.”Zack reaches out, his hand finding the small of Anna’s back and pulling her just a little closer as they head toward the stairs. “Don’t act like you don’t know exactly what
“If you are so worried about making a mess, maybe you should sit on the floor like a kid,” Anna joked before taking a bite of pancake herself. Zack nearly chokes on his mouthful of pancake, a startled laugh breaking through his throat. He points his fork at her, his dark green eyes sparkling with mick indignation. “Sit on the floor? Like a kid?” he repeats, shaking his head. “You are lucky you are cute, Anna, because that is low even for you.” He takes another bite, chewing slowly as he watches her eat. The morning light is getting stronger now, filling the room with a warm, golden glow that makes everything feel softer, more real. The tension from his dream has completely dissipated, replaced by this easy, domestic rhythm.“And for the record,” Zack adds, his voice dropping into that lazy confident drawl again. “I do not act like a kid. I am a grown man. I deserve a seat.” He nudges Anna’s shoulder with his ow
“What did you get us?” Zack asked hoping to distract her. “Pancakes. They did not have blueberry pancakes,” Anna said as she moved to place the takeaway package on the bedside table and cup then turning to him, cupping his cheek. He leans into her touch instinctively, his eyes closing as his palm rests against his cheek. The warmth of her hand is grounding, pulling him further away from the coldness of his dream and back into the reality of this room, this morning. “Blueberry or not, I am not complaining,” he murmurs, his voice low and sleepy. He reaches up, covering her hand with his own, pressing her palm more firmly against his face. He does not care about the pancakes right now. He just wants to stay in this moment, where the only thing that matters is the weight of her hand and the way she looks at him like he is something worth keeping.“You are too good to me, Anna,” Zack said, opening his green eyes to look at her. There
A dream settles over Zack, quiet and suffocating, like frost creeping across the glass. He is small again and the world is too big, the house too hollow. Even the air feels wrong, as if something essential is missing. The warmth that once lived in the walls is gone, replaced by a thin, biting cold that seeps into his skin and stays there. He wakes in the darkness. For a moment, there is nothing– just the faint hum of the house, the distant creak of settling wood. Then he hears it. A noise downstairs. Soft. Irregular. Real. Hope ignites in him so fast it almost hurts. He is out of the bed before the thought can catch up to him, bare feet hitting the hardwood with small, quick slaps. He does not feel the cold floor. He does not feel anything except that fragile, desperate certainty blooming in his chest.It is her. It has to be. Mom? The word rises, but it never makes it out. it sticks somewhere deep, like even now he knows better than to say it out loud– because sa
In the background the movie comes to an end and the song ‘Let it show! Let it snow! Let it snow!’ starts playing:Oh, the weather outside is frightful. But the fire, it’s so delightful. And since we’ve no place to go. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!“God,” Zack breathes out, the word barely a whisper. His voice is completely drained, stripped of all its usual edge. He does not pull away. Instead, he shifts slightly, rolling onto his side and pulling Anna with him so she is tucked against his chest. “That was…” she began and took a sharp breath. His chest is still rising and falling in heavy, uneven beats. He does not move, just lies there with his arm draped heavily over her waist, his fingers tracing idle, lazy patterns against her skin. The intensity of those last few minutes has left him physically drained, but his mind is still buzzing, still reeling from the sheer closeness of it. He turns his
Anna moaned as Zack rubbed against her from behind. The sound of her moan– soft, breathless, and entirely unguarded– hits him like a physical weight. His jaw tightens, his teeth grinding together as he fights the urge to lose that promised control. “You sound so good,” he rasps, his voice barely a whisper against her skin. “Do that again.” He does not rush. He keeps his movements slow and deliberate, just like he promised, but the rhythm is heavy, intentional. His hands stay anchored on her hips, guiding her, keeping her steady as he maintains that agonizingly slow friction. His other hand reaches around, fingers splaying across her stomach, pulling her back against him so there is no space left between them. He can feel every vibration of her moan through his own chest.“I have got you, just breathe. I am right here.” Zack murmurs, his lips grazing her shoulder blade. “Ah, God. Zack,” Anna moaned sweetly. “I w
Zack’s hand slid from her hips to her thighs, pushing them apart. He settled between them, the rough fabric of his wet jeans rubbing against her bare skin. “This is who I am,” he murmured, his lips trailing down her neck. “A selfish bastard who takes what he wants and right now I want you.” Anna fin
“You really are naive, aren’t you?” Those words make Anna flinch, and another bad memory resurfaces. “Love you? You are so naive,” Anna shakes her head, trying to chase away the memory. “It was never about hating you. It was about wanting you so fucking much it drove me crazy,” Zack continued. Anna
The way he focused only on Anna, the way he seemed to care about nothing else, mirroring Anna’s desire, made her shiver and excited her. But the thought of having someone else see her naked... Made her uncomfortable. “Besides,” Zack added, his voice dropping to a whisper, “You are the one who is soa
“Do I seem like I don’t like you right now?” he asks, his voice a low growl. “Look at me, Anna. Look at how hard I am for you.” Anna’s head starts spinning slightly, unable to process the current events. Zack’s hand slides up from her hip to the small of her back, pressing her body firmly against hi







