We sat in silence for a moment. There was a tension in the air that seemed to strangle me. I longed to break all these barriers and take him in my arms. Why was life so complicated? Why couldn't things just be like it was five years earlier in school? Why was fate so elusive? I had no answer.

"What did he say?" I finally managed to ask.

"Roza," Dmitriy turned and looked straight at me, "he said that you had lost your memory of that incident and that you didn't remember me anymore..."

He choked on the last word and this time I could see the tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I didn't know whether to be sad or relieved. You didn't remember me. I couldn't be the cause of you pain anymore but I couldn't bring happiness to you anymore too. I was confused with what I felt at the moment. Finally I decided to meet you once before we parted ways. But..."

"I had moved to California by that time," I completed his sentence.

He nodded. I knew he longed to hug me and feel if I was real. But like me, he was in a dilemma too.

"I completed high school and moved to St Petersburg, to join the Maly Drama Theatre. I made my first performance there and then after two more years I came to Moscow. I got the role in cinema and now I am where you see me. But all these years I never forgot you. I never could move on. It was as if my time had stopped, just the years had passed. Nothing changed inside me. I still loved you and longed for you."

I involuntarily moved closer to him and took his hand in mind. He didn't draw back. I realise how much he had craved for this one touch all these years. I realised how lonely he must have been. I was such a freak. I was such a girl. I never should have come in his life. But I did and left him wounded for life.

His hands felt the same, rough, calloused with long fingers and I felt the old familiar desire burning in me. The desire had been strong all these years. Only I never knew it. I realised suddenly how much I needed him in my life. But that was not to be. He could never be mine again.

Nevertheless I took his hand and placed it on my cheek and held it in place, feeling its warmth against my skin. I never wanted to let go. I wanted to stay this way forever but he had something else in mind.

"Then I even contacted Sam and knew at once that you were never with him," he continued, "I got the shock of my life seeing you here today. I realised that it was not a coincidence that you were here at the same place and the same time. I realised that you had remembered me and came to search for me. I wanted to come to you then and there but my work restricted me. When I looked again you were gone. I just couldn't lose you again. So I took up the disguise, hired a car, kidnapped you from the alley and here you are. Finally with me."

His hands stroked my hair. He had always loved their feel. I used to sometimes tickle his neck with my hair and he used to roll on the grass with amusement. Remembering those moments brought back a lot of happy memories.

Out first meeting, our secret getaways, parties and meetings, dances and studies, how he sang for me and listened to books I read for him.

I looked at him and I could see my memories being reflected in his eyes.

His liquid eyes glazed over as I gently moved my hand to his face, tracing the curves of his cheeks and stroking his soft hair. It was as if I was still unsure if he was a dream. I was still unsure if he would disappear into the air suddenly. His hands caught mine before I could draw them back.

"Roza," he said, "Roza, I can't lose you again. I just found you."

Then the reality of what he was saying sank into me.

Immediately I jerked back my hand and moved as far away from him a possible.

I could see the hurt on his face.

"Rose..."

"No," I cut him off, "You have moved a lot ahead. I won't come again to cast my shadow in your life. I won't pull you down again. I can't hurt you again. I can't bear to be the cause of sorrow and depression in your life again. I am weak Dmitriy. You need someone bolder, someone who can look death in the eye, and someone who can be your equal. I am not that girl."

"Isn't it for me to decide if you are that girl? You can't say you don't love me because you just admitted what your main concerns are."

His question was well structured. I had no answer. I had slipped up again. I, instead of denying my love had confirmed it. I was such a naïve girl.

I looked away instead of replying. He gently toughed my chin and lifted my eyes to the level of his own. His eyes bore into me as if it could look into my soul. He studied me for a moment and without any warning touched his lips to mine. His lips were just the way I remembered, soft, hungry and passionate.

This broke every single chain holding me, and I found myself kissing him back. Desire lit up every nerve of my body, filling me with passion I never knew existed. The world ceased to exist around us. For a moment it was just me and him.

I clutched his neck to draw him closer and closed my eyes to enjoy that moment of pure bliss. I didn't know where I was, as love and longing raged through me like lava from a volcano. There was so much sweetness and bitterness, joy and sorrow that I lost track of the feelings eventually.

Suddenly I realised that I had given in to him, I had given in to my desires and that meant disaster in his life. I broke the kiss as suddenly as it had started leaving him dumbfounded.

My stupid heart yearned for more. His eyes mirrored mine. He had felt the same. But life wasn't a fairy-tale, not at least for us.

"Don't do that again," I said sternly.

A/N Thank you for reading. Hope you like it. Your reads, votes and constructive feedback are most welcome. Please share this story with your friends. Help me make this popular please.

Thanks MaryFahey for supporting me as always. teamhathaway Pipigrin my best readers. nana_gn my best friend. morema_m joharateregeyo wattpawormss thanks for reading. Best wishes to all this new year. Thanks you and love you all.