Author's Note: I do not own Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Naberrie or any other characters. It's all Lucasfilm property: I write stories for fun, for free.

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

Chapter 15

All Fall Semester exams close before Christmas, so after Thenksgiving, it was time to study hard. Anakin wanted to finish semesters good and worked hard, he even took time to invest in his body a little, going to the gym regularly. And again, many people there recognized the ex-NFL football player, although he always tried not to attract attention. He always wore jeans with hoodie or sweatshirt and sneakers. He was a student again. When he went to nightclubs like Tunnel, from time to time, he wore jeans, a shirt and a jacket, he never wore a suit and tie. In such nightclubs he could meet young women who were willing to spend the night with him. Afterwards he felt bad and avoided such places for a long time. His heart told him he had betrayed the love for Padmé, his body said something else.

At Christmas 2015 he treated himself to a skiing holiday in Europe. He could ski but not that well, used to be on the lookout for injuries because of football. It was a beautiful journey, but he made it alone, he was alone. He thought about Padmé a lot, actually every day ….but she didn't want to talk to him, didn't want to let him explain.

Sometimes he felt powerless, without drive, this agony of memories, this love that would not fade away, paralyzed his mind when he was not bussy.

I don't want to move on….
He didn't want to move on, he couldn't move on...

I don't wanna know what it's like when you're gone for good
...but now he knew what it likes when she was gone forever...terrible and...lonely. Will it ever get better?

Padmé graduated as the best, it was expected. She spent Christmas with family and New Year's Eve with Dormé and Sabé at Blue Midtown. On the first day of 2016, she went ice skating with her friends at Rockefeller Plaza. After a few days, she drove to Boston in her Q5, in fairly cold temperatures.

Spring semester started and she wanted to be the best of the year again, like always. What was left but to stick her head in the books of what she has been doing for years. She no longer played tennis, but kept her body fit in a gym.

She still met Satine and Ben, just the two of them, she didn't have any other friends, didn't want to make friendships either, it would only distract her from her studies. Satine told her by the way, that Anakin is also in Boston, studying at MIT. She didn't react to the information, she pretended, she is not interested in.

In early February 2016, just before Satine and Ben had to vacate their apartment, Anakin invited them to The Oceanaire Seafood Room for dinner. It was an expensive restaurant, Satine and Ben rarely went to places like this. They were not poor, their parents were upper-middle class, but Anakin was rich now, could easily afford to eat there every day, even though he didn't.

The table was reserved for 9:00pm. The waiter, who was responsible for them, showed them to the table and they made themselves comfortable in the semi-circular abbey, which shimmered blue and black in the blue light. Anakin sat on the other side of the row, his back to the aisle. They had just started to dip the lobster meat into the garlic butter, when Satine and Ben raised their heads and looked at each other with wide open eyes. On the other side, from the depths of the room, passed Padmé, accompanied by a young man. Anakin noticed their surprised glances.

"What?"

He turned in that direction. ...and then he saw her...Padmé. She looked stunning, perfect as always, her hair bond in a chignon, full makeup, wearing an surely expensive blue dress with a jacket, high heels and Prada bag. Her companion was a good-looking young man, dark-haired, styled just as well, leaving a yards-long Blue de Chanel trail behind him. They walked towards the exit, he held his hand on her lower back. At that moment, Anakin felt such pang of jealousy that he wanted to cut off the man's hand with a saber.

Whether Padmé saw them, Satine wasn't sure, probably not. After a few moments, as they quietly refocused on the food, Satine looked at Anakin and said:

"He's just a call boy."

Anakin and Ben raised eyebrows.

"How do you know that?" asked Ben.

"I googled."

"What?! You search in internet for call boys? Is there something wrong with me?"

Anakin watched the interaction wide-eyed, wondering how it would turn out.

"Oh don't worry Ben, you're all right. The thing is, I've seen Padmé with a young man before and he didn't look like a student either... and then I had a perverted idea. ...I thought our Padme would sate her needs with call boys and I looked for this face on the appropriate internet portals and I found him. That man from few minutes ago, was also on this website. So Anakin, no need to be jealous, he's just going to fuck her...no feelings, all physical."

"Satine!" Ben protested.

"What? Anakin, you do the same, or are you trying to tell me you've lived by your hand all these years?"

"Satine, don't be so tasteless." Ben admonished again.

"Tell me, since when did you become so prudish...is that the requirement for the LL.M?"

Anakin almost laughed.

"No Satine, I haven't been living by my hand all along."

"Well then, but I know you still love her and I know she loves you, even though she would never admit it...and I hope with all my heart, one day you two get back together. Don't give up the hope, Anakin." She began to wipe the tears from her face. "Shit, I smear all my makeup."

Her right hand was clasped with Anakin's and her left with hand of her boyfriend. That was support of her friends.

The actually joyful occasion Anakin's invitation ended with a small dose of melancholy ...nevertheless they went to Nightclub Bijou together. Anakin danced with a young woman twice after midnight and said goodbye to his friends.

"And now it's time for fucking..."

"Tell me Satine, do you always have to be so vulgar?"

"Tell me Ben, since when did you become so stuffy?"

As soon as the kind words were exchanged, they saw Anakin come back.

"What's up lover boy? Didn't she suddenly want to?"

"What can I tell you Satine, she reminded me of Padmé for a little moment, so I put her in a taxi and sent her home."

"I'll bring you a Whisky." Ben said.

"But first you dance with me, nothing can go wrong." Said Satine.

"May I, Ben?"

"Yeah, and like you said once, but don't hold her too tight and keep your cock limp."

"We're not eighteen anymore, Ben."

"Precisely because."

And it went on like that until two in the morning, then they went to Anakin's for the last Whisky.

"You have a beautiful apartment Anakin, there's only one thing missing..."

"She's in my bedroom."

Satine walked into his bedroom, without hesitation and saw a large framed photo of Padmé standing on the bedside table.

"Oh Anakin, you'll never get over it."

"No."

And that wasn't a lie.

The month of May is dedicated to the final exams. Anakin did well as always, he was always a good student. Satine and Ben were already in New York, licensed attorneys now. They also had other plans, but they haven't told anyone yet...they wanted to get married. They wanted to announce that and celebrate the engagement with their friends.

It wasn't that far, it was vacation time.

Satine and Ben flew to Miami for a week, Dormé and Sabé stayed in New York, Padmé flew to Acapulco, and Anakin had shipped his old Mustang to San Francisco, planning to take Route No.1 toward L.A. When the weather was beautiful, he drove off, rolled down the windows and let the wind blow in his face. He wasn't in a hurry, he didn't set stages, it didn't matter how far he got in one day.

On the way he met many hitchhikers, but he didn't want to take anyone. In his mind she was sitting next to him, on the passenger seat. He looked down at his hand, with this hand he touched her for the first time, on this seat, on this finger she had reached the peak of ecstasy. He rubbed his fingers together and felt himself getting hard. Oh, dear God, he thought, what he wouldn't give just to hold her in his arms again. Tears filled his eyes and he pulled off the highway, stopping somewhere in a parking lot and looking far out over the horizon. The beauty of the landscape can also make you sad when you are alone, when you have no one to share these impressions with.

Anakin decided to make a stop somewhere nearby. The next hotel maybe, where he can stay a day or two. That random hotel was Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Overlooking Big Sur Coast & Highlands Inn. It tempted him to stay for three days, relax, eat well, swim, go to the gym, watch those amazing sunsets and maybe... to be sad...

Starting to feel like you don't need me
he still doubted that...

Wanna believe it's all for the better
better, for whom, for what?

It's getting real, I'm missing you deeply
it's long been the reality, but he still missed her...very, very much.

Sometimes he wondered if his torment would ever end. It wasn't like he was always thinking of her, a lot of time had passed, but when he thought of her, it still hurt. Sometimes he would take his iPhone and dare to call her only to find out, for the thousandth time, his number was blocked.

I didn't know that loving you was the happiest I've ever been
he thought it went without saying, but now he sees it's not. You should capture every single moment of happiness, enjoy and be thankful for it.

So I'm just tryna hold on
yes, he does, but somehow it doesn't work ... after such a long time.

Anakin made two more stops, one at El Colibri Hotel & Spa for three days and one at Santa Monica at Rosewood Miramar Beach, just his taste.

He spent the whole week in L.A. , there was a lot to see. Then he had his Mustang transported to New York and flew home. The rest of the time leading up to the start of Fall semester he spent as much as possible with his parents.

He was only through his first year, but already decided to do his doctorate after his master's degree. So he saw that he didn't need his apartment at 158 E 93rd St and made the decision to rent it out furnished and temporarily. He'll have to spend the next five or seven years in Boston. When he comes to New York he can stay with Mama, he thought, and that's becoming rarer and rarer.

In August 2016 he was back in Boston, this time with his Mustang, looking for a suitable apartment to buy. It should not more than two bedrooms. He found an apartment on Beacon St he liked, on one real estate portal, and made an appointment to visit. He loved it straight away, just wondering if he needs 1500sqft, he was alone. The apartment met all the requirements, but….he kept searching. He found the right one on Beacon St too, a little smaller and a little more expensive. It was furnished in a modern way and immediately communicated what you could make of it, Anakin made a spontaneous decision and was almost two and a half million Dollars away. He immediately submitted the down payment and commissioned a lawyer to do everything necessary. He was a Boston citizen when he was listed as the owner. He had it furnished by an interior designer and was satisfied with the result. He'll spend the next few years in this apartment, probably alone.

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Best regards from Germany and thank you for reading