A/N: As mentioned in the A/N of the previous chapter, this chapter will serve as the epilogue to this book and the prologue to the next one.

ONE YEAR LATER 

《Selena Arabella Calos》

"Hey, babe," Alex says, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"Hey, Lexi," I reply teasing. He rolls his eyes and I smile, loving how easily he gets annoyed.

"You should stop calling me that now- I am your boyfriend."

I smile in amusement. "Yeah, not happening."

"That's what you said about us dating and look at where we are now- celebrating our six-month-anniversary."

Alex asked me out again six months ago and despite not being ready to date again, I said yes. I was hoping dating Alex would help me get over Daniel- it did not work.

It may sound harsh but dating Alex to get over Daniel is like... using a Nokia phone after breaking an iPhone and trying to convince yourself it does not feel any different. Sure the Nokia would be more durable but that does not change the fact is a cheap imitation of the iPhone and is, well, trash.

Alex knows why I agreed to date him- not the iPhone and Nokia comparison obviously but the basics of it. He claims that the reason does not matter to him but I see how he gets when he thinks something reminds me of Daniel. I try to hide it most of the time because if Alex knew that everything I do reminds me of Daniel, I know he would be heartbroken.

I roll my eyes at him. "There's no such thing as a six-month-anniversary."

"There is for me," he replies and I shake my head in mock disapproval.

"You're impossible."

Alex smirks at me. "I'm your best friend would you expect anything less?"

"Jerk," I mutter, trying to resist the urge to smile and he laughs.

"Cheer up, babe. We are finally done with the semester."

I run my fingers through my hair. "God, you're right. But, you know, I will miss it."

"Studying?"

I smirk mischievously. At times it feel like Alex and I switched personalities when we started university. Because now I am the trouble-maker and he is the goodie-two-shoes.

"No. Me and Alessandro annoying the professors till they kick us out of class." Alex shakes his head, feigning disappointment, but there is a small smile on his face. I push him playfully. "Come on, you have to admit- it was funny."

His lips lift into a small smile. "It won't be funny when both of you end up failing."

"Oh, please. You're just jealous that even though we are having more fun than you both of us will get straight As."

Alex mutters something under his breath and I narrow my eyes at him. He better not be cursing at me and Alessandro.

"What did you just say?"

"I just said how lucky I am to have you, darling."

"Liar."

He rolls his eyes and kisses my head. "Remember when that waiter gave you his number and I destroyed it."

I try to ignore how my heart squeezes at the mention of that day. It was the day it all started- it was the day I met Daniel.

"Of course I do. You have always been a jerk."

He flicks my forehead. Ow. "Back then, I could never imagine us ending up here. So much has changed since then."

In ways, he is right. In others- not so much. One man occupied my mind then and the same man does so today. Except I did not know him as much as I do now. I did not love him as much as I do now. I had not had my heart broken by him then like I do now.

"Stop acting all cute and mushy and lets go and get some food!" Blake says, pouting as he marches up to us.

"I swear to God, I am going to kill him," Alex mutters making me laugh. This hasn't changed either.

Alex and Blake start fighting and I shake my head, laughing at their antics. They will never change.

I suddenly tense and look around when I feel eyes on me. My laughter ceases as soon as I find the owner of those eyes. God, those eyes. His eyes.

He is looking at me and Alex, staring at us. And I can tell he's trying to keep a blank demeanor but I can see through his façade. I can see his jealousy and his anger. I can see bits of pain on seeing me with Alex. His eyes are icy, hostile but I can see through them. He looks like he wants to hit Alex, or maybe kill him.

I don't understand his anger and jealousy. I am not his anymore. I haven't been for a while- at least that is what I tell myself every day when I daydream of him. The nights, however are a different story. He plagues my every dream and in my dreams we are together and happy. I wake up missing him. His voice. His laughter. His touch. I miss everything about him. It makes me feel like I am cheating on Alex because even when I kiss him, I wish it is Daniel.

Daniel messed me up- ruined me for anyone else and now that he can never be mine again, I resent him for it.

I gave him lots of chances, staying with him every time he would mess up, but I had to give up at the end.

I knew if I stayed in that apartment another day, we would get together again and the same cycle would repeat. So I made the decision to leave that place, despite my heart begging me not to.

I had to leave him to protect my sanity. The same couldn't be said for my heart which has only ever beaten for him. My heart shattered when I left him and I don't know if I can ever fix it again.

It feels wrong to be in Alex's arms when Daniel is looking at me, like I am committing some kind of crime- which I am not. I force myself to look away from the man who broke my heart. I lean into Alex and rest my head against his shoulder.

When I turn to look at Daniel again, he is leaving. I close my eyes, overwhelmed with emotions.

I can't cry over him anymore. I tell myself. I am not the same girl he broke. I am stronger.

-

《Daniel Nicholas Knight》

"What do you think?" Layla asks me. I tear my gaze from the window and look at her. She brushes a strand of her short blonde hair behind her ear and smiles at me. I try not to roll my eyes. She always puts to much effort into her smiles, which make them look fake.

"It's fine," I mutter, not in a mood for a conversation. I rarely ever am these days. I rarely have been for a year when I learned how much talking can fuck things up.

"Come on, Daniel," Layla groans. "Dad told me to bring you here so you could tell me if it made sense from a business point of view."

"Later," I reply and she sighs, giving up. I look around the coffee shop, freezing when my eyes land on her.

Fuck.

"Leave," I order Layla, my voice cold and curt. She raises her eyebrow at my sudden outburst, then she follows my gaze to her- to Selena.

Layla, with her short blonde hair and light skin, looks nothing like the girl I cannot keep my eyes off. Except her eyes. They have the same hazel brown eyes, but even though their eyes are practically identical, I have always found Selena's to be much more beautiful. I can never got lost in Layla's eyes like I could in Selena's.

There is a flicker of recognition on Layla's face. "Is that her?"

"Leave, now!" I snap at her, annoyed that she did not listen to me the first time around.

She looks at me for a moment but I am too busy staring at Selena to even bother looking back at her. Selena does not know about Layla, and despite everything that was said and done, I don't want her to find out this way. She would go insane if she knew who Layla was.

Layla shakes her head, as if she is getting rid of a thought, before collecting her things and leaving.

Finally.

"I'll see you later," she mutters but I don't reply to her as I try to keep my emotions in check when I see Chevalier put his arms around her body. I almost see red when he kisses her head.

Fuck.

I cannot believe how quickly she moved on. She had a boyfriend within six months of leaving me and I still cannot look at another woman without thinking about her. I can't even think about touching another woman. She ruined me for anyone else.

When she left, I thought we would be together in our heartbreak at least but she left me alone and moved on. Moved on with the man she promised she felt nothing for. She left me behind for him.

Suddenly she throws her head back and laughs, making my mouth sour. Whatever he said can't be that funny.

She suddenly tenses and looks around the shop as if she feels my eyes on her. As soon as her eyes meet mine and both of us freeze, taking each other in. Jesus, she looks more beautiful than I remember her to be.

I try to keep my expression blank, not wanting her to see how much I miss her, not wanting her to see how much it is bothering me that Chevalier has his arms around her.

With each second that I continue looking at her, my resentment towards her grows. I know the hate I feel for her can never exceed the love, but it can come close to it. It already has.

She looks away from me and leans into Chevalier. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. She is not mine anymore. I cannot do anything to Chevalier now. I mean I could, but it would be entirely pointless- it would not make her mine again. Unless... No, I cannot got there yet. I need a bit more time before I do that.

I get up and head to the door before I do something impulsive- like shoot Chevalier in the head in public for example.

I shake my head, trying to get rid of memories of the girl who left me. The girl who did not care enough to stay and fight for me.

I am not going to care for her anymore. I tell myself. I am not the same man she left. I am much worse.

-

SIX MONTHS LATER

"Hey, Daniel!" Layla says, greeting me as soon as I step into her parent's house.

"Layla," I say in return, walking towards her fathers office. I almost roll my eyes when I hear her following me. Not even my exes have been as clingy as this girl.

"How have you been?" She asks me.

"Well," I reply and I can feel her look up at me expectantly. Oh, for fucks sake. "And you?"

"Oh, I am well too. The shop I bought is keeping me busy, along with university, of course."

I feel her look at me again but I don't say anything. I already asked her how she is doing, I am not going to ask her about her university. I don't give a fuck if that makes me seem rude.

"Daniel, you are here early!" Vincente says as I step into his office. He looks behind me at Layla and smiles. It is not the same smile I often saw him give Selena. That smile was warm and fatherly- this feels forced. Of course, Layla does not know the difference.

"I have somewhere to be later. Do you have the signed contract?" I ask Vincente, curtly and he nods, pulling out a manila envelop from his drawers.

"Here," he says, handing me the envelop. I take out the contract and check if all necessary signatures are present.

"What's the contract for?" Layla asks me and I clench my jaw. I don't like people who unnecessarily interfere in other's business and this girl has stepped that line more than once. If she wasn't Vincente's daughter, I would have killed her for that by now.

"Marriage," Vincente replies, looking at me. 

"Does she know?" I ask Vincente, curiously.

"No. She said she did not care."

I rake my fingers through my hair in frustration. Jesus Christ, she signed the contact without even knowing who she was getting betrothed to? What the fuck is wrong with her?

"Who is getting married?" Layla asks expectantly. Vincente looks from me to his daughter.

"Daniel."

"To who?" Layla asks excitedly, and I can feel her gaze on me. I know what she wants his answer to be. She wants it to be her.

My eyes flicker to her, just in time to watch her face fall, when Vincente replies: "Your sister. Daniel is engaged to Selena."

-