Thea's POV

"Are you awake?" A voice whispered softly to me.

My eyelids crack open slowly, and I blinked a few times to try and adjust to the brightness as sunlight fills the room. I find myself staring into hypnotizing amber eyes shining with love and adoration as they held my gaze.

My lips quirk upwards in response and I hum happily, "Mmm..."

The light reflects off his sun-kissed skin, highlighting the curves of his muscles on his arm and bare torso. While the covers obscured his lower half, a tantalizing peek of his V-line was left visible.

The man was almost too enthralling to be real... like I was lying in bed with a Greek god or figure from a myth. I couldn't believe my eyes.

But he was here... with me, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear to tenderly caress my cheek with his thumb.

"I love you..." He told me and I knew without a doubt that he meant it.

It filled my heart with warmth that made me smile. I reached out to his disheveled hair; long, dark tresses that flowed just below his shoulders, framing his handsome face.

I tread my fingers through them, enjoying how soft they felt to touch.

"I love you, too." I confessed to him. And I meant it with all my heart. I love this man, even though... Even though I can't seem to remember who he is.

The man's face broke into a wide, beaming smile. "Do you really mean that?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with genuine happiness. I couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through my own chest in response to his infectious joy.

"Yes. I really do love you." I affirmed, smiling happily as my hand now rest on his face, his stubbles tickling my palm.

I expected him to jump from joy at my declaration of love - I don't know why but it felt like something he'd do - but instead, my profession was met with a frown.

The man no longer looked bright and cheerful. His eyes no longer looked at me like I was the most precious being on earth, and his features hardened, seeming almost expressionless.

This sudden change had me confused. In a second, the atmosphere had shifted from warm and affectionate to dark and detached.

My hand slid down from his face. Something's not right. I went to call his name but I can't seem to remember what it is.

"If you love me then how come you can't even say my name?" He asked, sounding heartbroken.

I opened my mouth to speak. I wanted to say something, anything, to assure him that I really do love him but I couldn't find the words; my mind was blank and that made my heart ache for some reason.

"I... I..." I stuttered, searching for words to say.

The man grew impatient and in a second he was on me, pinning me down against the mattress. "Say it." He growled out, anger burning in his eyes. "Say my name!"

I looked up at him, not sure what I was feeling. I should be scared, trembling and demanding he let go of me. Instead, my heart continued to break.

Why does it hurt so much; the fact that I can't remember who this man is or what he means to me? I know him. I know I do. Yet, as he stared down at me, seething with rage and betrayal, I can only stare back at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I... I don't remember..." I told him, tears forming in my eyes.

There was a look of realization in the man's eyes after I said that. He appeared to study my face, eyes softening until they looked just as heartbroken as mine.

"You have to remember." He begged, voice barely audible. "Please... You have to."

I wonder why it was so important to him that I remember. He could just tell me himself but he seemed almost insistent that I remember for myself, as if his name was a crucial piece of information that would unlock some deeper truth.

So I nodded in agreement. This seems to put the man at ease, and I felt his grip on me loosen.

"I love you. So, so much," He whispered the words against my lips before pressing his lips against mine and I sighed contentedly as our kiss deepened, passion building between us.

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer, not wanting this moment to end. In his arms, I felt safe and whole, as if all the pieces of my life were finally falling into place. It was as though we were the only two people in the world, lost in the intensity of our desire, and I never wanted to let go.

But the reality about dreams is that we all have to wake up from them eventually...

==========

I woke up, my eyes groggily opening to the sight of my ceiling covered with glow-in-the-dark stars, which had been left untouched since my childhood. The air was heavy with smoke, and the fan whirring overhead didn't do much to help the stuffiness in the room.

"Sh*t! I forgot to open the windows. How long was I passed out?"

I thought.

I took a glance at the alarm clock. Sitting next to it was a bottle of vodka, its content all gone.

F*ck!... It feels like I got mowed by a steamroller and then ground into mush. My head is pounding and I feel like shit. It was an all too familiar feeling but damn... hangovers are the worst.

It's 3pm on a Saturday and sleep, drink and wallow in self-pity were the only thing on my agenda for the day. So I just laid there, staring blankly into space as the dream from earlier kept replaying in my head.

I've been having the same dream for a couple months now. Though, I have no idea why I would ever dream about something so sensual. I've had my fair share of weird and majorly f*cked up dreams but this... I can't explain it.

The mysterious man in my dream: he seems older than me but I can't say for sure. I don't think I've ever seen him before, not in real life. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew him.

And the room we were in? Yeah, definitely never been there before. Nothing about the dream made any sense. Like I'd ever be so disgustingly lovey-dovey with a complete stranger.

I've tried brushing it off as some random, weird dream but random dreams don't reoccur so frequently.

With a deep sigh, I forced myself out of bed, grabbing my pack of cigarettes on the way. I knew a good smoke would help to settle my nerves. Also, my stuffy room was starting to make me feel a bit claustrophobic. I had to get some fresh air.

I stumbled my way to the window, nearly tripping over clothes and random objects thrown haphazardly all over the floor. I made a mental note to clean up my room, but I knew I'd probably just forget about it again.

The window leads out to the roof, which is the ultimate spot to chill, smoke, and feel like you're on top of the world. Bonus: it's an awesome spot to flip off the nosy neighbors who always give me disapproving looks when they walk by. So, cheers to me for getting the best room in the house!

As I sat on the roof, a lit cigarette wedged between my fingers, I noticed the U-Haul trailer attached to an SUV parked outside the house next door.

"New neighbours?" I wondered aloud.

The house has been sitting empty for about half a year now. It used to belong to a young woman who had a serious thing for cats - she kept a bunch of them as pets.

Those damn felines kept me and some of the other neighbors up at night with their loud cries. I was so relieved when the cat lady decided to move out, offended that we weren't big fans of her furry friends.

Anyway, this new neighbour had a dog. A Border Collie from the looks of it. The dog was super energetic, running around the front yard and barking excitedly. Its owner was a petite, bespectacled, middle-aged woman with red hair who was attempting to carry a box out from the trailer.

With the way she was struggling to lift the box, it was obvious it was too heavy for her. Still, the woman stubbornly refused to put it down.

I turned my attention away from the woman, taking a drag of my cigarette as I silently wished her good luck with her task. But just then, a boy walked out of the house.

"Mom, I told you not to strain yourself with the heavy boxes," He said, rushing over to the woman who was still exerting herself to carry the box.

My eyes were probably as wide as saucers as I watched the boy. He was tall and muscular, probably around my age, with short, dark tousled hair. But his good looks weren't what had me so surprised.

"No way..." I breathed out, stunned by the boy next door who bore an uncanny resemblance to the man I was intimate with in my dream.