One Night with the Hybrid King

My breath is heavy, and I feel the strong, firm arms of Alexander beneath me, embracing me by the shoulders.

I rest my head on his chest, feeling safe and happy at this moment after sex. Nothing could be more perfect than this. The room exudes our passion, and I watch the afternoon light filtering through the curtains, dancing over the messy bed.

"Aria, I need to talk to you," Alexander suddenly says, his deep, hoarse voice laden with sorrow.

I lift my body and turn my head to look at him, noticing in his deep blue eyes, as dark as the ocean at midnight, something that seems to be haunting him.

"Yes, my love, what is it?" I encourage him, running my hand through a lock of his wavy brown hair, something that has always brought me peace.

But Alexander grabs my hand and moves it away from his face. He sits up in bed and takes a deep breath, and I look at him with concern, not understanding what is happening.

"This is not working, Aria," Alexander announces, his voice cold and serious. I raise my eyebrows in his direction, not comprehending what he means by that.

"What is not working, Alex?" I ask, confused. Alexander gestures between us, at the space that exists between him and me.

"This. Us. I thought it could get better, but it hasn't..." Alexander responds with a voice full of calm and coldness.

I sit on the bed and pull the sheet up, trying to cover not just my body but also my heart, which is breaking now.

"Are you breaking up with me? Why? What is wrong? What did I do?" I ask a lump in my throat, feeling my eyes burn with the tears forming.

Alexander gets out of bed, leaving me even more hurt by his withdrawal. He begins to put on his underwear, and I just watch, trying to process what is happening.

"Alexander, why? Let's talk, try to work out what's bothering you," I insist, getting up as well, and wrapping the sheet around my body.

"It's too late, Aria. We just do not fit anymore, I do not know, I just need you to go, okay?" Alexander replies, walking around the room, and picking up the clothes we had tossed aside with so much passion.

"Do you not love me anymore? Is there someone else?" I ask anxiety in my voice, my heart racing at the fear that there is someone else Alexander cares for.

Alexander hands me my clothes quickly, leaving me still stunned by the way he is handling the situation.

"Aria, do not make this more complicated, it just is not working, okay?" Alexander finally says, already fully dressed.

I stand in the middle of the room, holding the sheet and my change of clothes, not knowing what to think or say. Alexander looks at me with his deep ocean eyes, which I feel I could drown in. His expression is one of pity and compassion, but there is something more that I cannot decipher.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask again, unable to understand. We just made love, something that had always been amazing for both of us.

"Because it is not working anymore, this happens, Aria. People break up and move on," Alexander replies, avoiding my gaze and shrugging. "I will leave you alone to change. When I come back, please... just do not be here anymore, please."

I open my mouth to argue, to insist, even take a step toward Alexander, but he steps away and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. I am left alone in the room, not knowing what to do. Tears start falling down my face, and everything around me seems to shrink and blur. I put on my clothes amidst sobs and trembling throughout my entire body.

My world seems to be falling apart, and I do not know what to do. I look around at the small bedroom in Alexander's apartment, seeing the photos of us scattered around, and I am tempted to throw them to the ground. Eventually, not knowing how much time had passed, I decided to leave the room.

Alexander's small loft is empty; he has left without saying where he was going. My keys are on the kitchen counter, along with my purse. I take one last look around the place, trying to memorize everything before I leave. The blue couch where Alexander and I spent so many nights just snuggled up watching a movie, the kitchen where I prepared most of our meals. Everything starts to turn into painful memories, a mix of longing and farewell that cuts deep.

I take only my purse and leave my copy of the key where it is. I close the door behind me and feel a wave of confusion wash over me. What do I do now?

The night is already falling outside Alexander's building, and I do not want to go back to my house. My mother will ask questions, and I do not want to answer them because, in reality, I do not know how to answer them. I walk along the sidewalk automatically, with no destination in mind, bumping into people in a hurry, and I realize that the tears have stopped falling, and in their place, my body declares that I need to eat something.

Without paying attention, I enter the first bar I find open and order a portion of fries and two full mugs of beer.

"Tough day?" the bartender asks, and I simply nod in response.

I rest my arms on the counter, feeling the urge to cry returning, but I hold it back. I will not be the needy girlfriend who got dumped and cries in public places. I will keep the little dignity I have left.

The bar starts to fill up, the music gets louder, and I get drunk with each mug I finish. The alcohol begins to numb my heart, and gradually I start forgetting the reason I began drinking in the first place.

"Are you alone?" a deep male voice suddenly asks.

I look up in the direction of the voice and see a tall man, over six foot five, with dark blonde hair slicked back that aligns with a full beard two shades lighter than his hair. His green eyes look like precious stones, staring at me with desire and curiosity.

"Luckily for you, yes," I respond, perhaps a bit too cheerfully.

"Two shots of tequila," the man orders to the bartender, who promptly serves him. He offers one to me, and I gratefully accept. "What are you doing here alone?"

"I am waiting for you, handsome! Took you long enough to get here, huh?" I reply with a playful tone, which makes the man chuckle.

"Sorry, traffic. I got here as fast as I could," he plays along, and I feel happy about that.

"I will only forgive you if you keep me company until dawn," I suggest with a mischievous tone in my voice.

I want to forget Alexander-his defined abs, his silly smile, his ocean eyes, and the way he kissed me. I want to forget everything about him, and this man in front of me can definitely help me with that.

"Challenge accepted," the guy responds with a mischievous smile on his lips. His presence stirs up desire and lust in me, mixed with the high level of alcohol already coursing through my veins.

The conversation flowed with flirtation and a lot of drinks. The hours passed until the bartender announced he needed to close the place.

"There are still a few hours until dawn. Do you want to come to my place?" I invite him.

"Absolutely, gorgeous! I will even pay your tab!"

"What a gentleman!" I respond with a laugh as I stand up. The world spins for a few seconds until I feel the guy's large, firm hand hold me by the waist.

"Everything okay, princess?" he asks in a low voice near my ear, sending a shiver through my entire body.

"Perfect!" I respond with a naughty smile at him.

My house is silent; my mother must have already gone to bed. As soon as we reach my room, the man who looks like a Greek god moves in to kiss me. His lips are thin and soft, and I feel the roughness of his beard against my skin, but it does not bother me. My hands move quickly, and I soon start removing his shirt, feeling the muscles of his chest with my nails. The Greek god kisses my neck, and his large, soft hands move quickly, lifting me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, feeling the strands of his silky hair entwine with my fingers.

As soon as he lays me down on my bed, I have a night that is both confusing and incredible. The thoughts of my broken heart disappear when the Greek god's lips kiss every inch of my body. The way he brings me to climax is sublime. During the hours before dawn, the Greek god and I explore each other's bodies, making me feel like I am on a cloud.

But the day finally arrives, and when I wake up, the Greek god is already gone, leaving only a note that reads: challenge completed, princess.

The hangover, along with the longing and pain from Alexander, settles in like a new tenant. A night with a stranger only served to delay my post-breakup pain. The memory of the previous night starts to become hazy, and the man's face is already beginning to blur in my mind.