Prologue

A long, long, long time ago, that wasn’t that long ago after all, something that people call by different names, be that fate, destiny or coincidence, brought two strangers together.

It pushed them towards each other with every given opportunity.

It kept nudging them in the shoulder, like an old friend teasing them about their crush. It whispered to the rain to fall in the afternoon, so the two of them would be stuck in the same bus station. It pushed them towards the same places, so they would meet again and again. It told the time to slow down when their eyes met.

It sparked a love so beautiful and comfortable, it couldn’t be any more perfect.

Then as it watched these strangers slowly and willingly fall deeper and deeper in this drowning feeling called love, it pulled them apart just like it brought them together.

It told them that it wasn’t the right time, the right place... It gave them a taste of what they could be and robbed them of it.

The strangers became lovers. And the lovers became strangers once again.

What once was there, was now forgotten, breaking one of them into pieces like shattered glass and erasing everything from the other. And it waited... and waited... and waited... 

******

---Wrong car-01

There's nothing better than getting in trouble first thing in the morning to start the day.

At least that's what Nyx sarcastically thought as she got out of the car and looked at the tall building in front of her, snickering like a gremlin.

Inside the car, Lucy looked at her and vaguely felt some fear bubbling in her heart. Nyx had called her early in the morning, asking her to drive her to the company she works in. At first glance, such a request is simple and innocent, but nothing is like that when it comes to Nyx.

Lucy might not know much about Nyx's job, but she knows one thing for sure.

She wasn't allowed to go anywhere near it. Her grandfather had kicked her out two months ago.

So, the question was... Just what the fuck was Nyx Letti trying to do?

"Nyx, why don't we just leave? You know you're not allowed to come here. Your grandfather will be pissed." Lucy tried to persuade her, but it was in vain. "Wouldn’t it be easier if you just went on the blind date, found yourself a boyfriend and legally return to the company? Isn't it just dating?”

"No."

"I told you I found you a cute guy." Lucy whined at Nyx.

"Your 'cute' isn't the same as my 'cute'. You think just because a guy can flirt, he's cute. That’s why you married my brother last year." Nyx rolled her eyes.

"But you promised!”

“I had no other choice! Mom wouldn’t shut up about it. She has been nagging me for a month now.”

The truth was actually that Elinor had been nagging her daughter to get a boyfriend for years, but since Nyx lived in her own apartment until two months ago and only called home three or four times a week, she could only use that call to nag her. Now that Nyx moved back in her house, she could nag her every time she saw her.

Lucy still didn’t want to give up. “Of course, she will nag you! You're twenty-eight years old, still single, moved back in with your parents again and your last boyfriend…"

"No need to remind me of how pathetic my love life is." The grin on Nyx's face didn't fade away, but it didn't reach her eyes anymore. Suddenly, she felt wronged. Memories of five years ago flashed through her mind, and her mood was successfully ruined. Even though it was all in the past now, it still hurt.

"It won't be that pathetic if you go on this blind date." Lucy insisted. “You remember Nick from college?”

The look Nyx gave her made it crystal clear that Nyx remembered shit about the guy. “You think I remember anyone’s name from college? You know I'm terrible with names.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, not minding Nyx’s attitude at all. Her hand rubbed the huge belly as she talked, a habit that she developed ever since the baby in her started to grow. “Well, the dude whose name you don’t remember and I met a few days ago and we went out for coffee to catch up.”

“The doctor said you can’t drink coffee. Are you trying to harm my nephew?” Nyx narrowed her eyes at Lucy, interrupting her mid-speech.

“I drank tea! The point is, he told me he had a friend who wanted to start dating again after a bad breakup. He assured me that he was handsome, smart and cute. So, I told him that I also had a friend that wanted to start dating...”

“I never said I wanted to go on a date.” Nyx interrupted her again.

This time it was Lucy’s turn to narrow her eyes at Nyx, clearly annoyed by being interrupted again and again. “It has been five years. Are you planning on dying alone? Yesterday your mother told me that she had made a list of the men she had found for you to go on blind dates with and you know I can find you a better man than your mother who thinks that high social status and money are the top two qualities a man should have. I’m literally doing you a favor with this.”

Nyx bit the corner of her lower lip, moving the black piercing there with the tip of her tongue, something she did every time she was thinking.

Lucy actually had a point. Someone her mother chose for her would never be better than some guy Lucy found for her. After all, Lucy has been her friend for years. She knew her better than anyone else. Well… she and her brother, Owen, actually. But since they’re married, they count as one, right?

Anyway, the problem was that… Nyx didn’t want to date at all! She decided that she didn’t want to find another person to spend the rest of her life with years ago. It’s not like it is mandatory to have a lover.

"Why is everyone so interested in my love life so suddenly? It's none of your business." She huffed, now a look of annoyance appearing on her face.

"BECAUSE YOU GOT SUSPENDED!" Lucy threw her arms in the air, frustrated. "You can't go in there. The security here is scary, Nyx! They carry around guns as big as me and will literally tackle you down on the ground. Please, let's just leave."

Nyx still couldn't be convinced. "No."

"I just need to take my jar. I forgot it there yesterday." Nyx said, the grin on her face showing up again. Then she bowed down to look at Lucy flashing one of her charming smiles at her. "Drive the car near the road and sit in the passenger's seat. Wait for me to come back. And keep the engine on."

This list of instructions made Lucy’s heart tremble. Scared to know the answer, she asked Nyx anyway: "Why?" Her voice trembled a bit, which only made the gremlin-like grin on Nyx's face bigger.

Nyx patted the fluffy curls on top of Lucy’s head. "Because the security will chase after me, and you suck as a getaway driver. Plus, you’re pregnant, so it’s better for me to drive. Grandpa instructed the security guards to get me arrested for trespassing, and I can't let that happen."