Differences

Chapter 25 - Luke

New Chapter!!!

Get to see Ash but will you like him?

Enjoy your reading time!!!🫶🏻✨

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"I want to know everything about that family. Everything.", I demand, determined to get every single information I need about the De Luca family. From what they do in their free time to what they eat for their fucking supper. Especially that shithead of a father. I was gonna plan the most fucking fucked up, torturous, hellhole of a death for him. He'd better be fucking ready for it.

"Ok, I'll have it ready by the end of the week.", Ash replies, sounding unamused. Pissing me off all the more and I couldn't understand why.

"No. I want it done by tomorrow.", I fumed back. If he seemed so disinterested, then I'll force him to be interested.

"Tomorrow?!", he repeats back, now I had his attention, "That's not possible", he retorts back, defiant, his eyes bore into mine.

Generally speaking, I would usually adhere to his thoughts and ideas, because generally, he was right. And generally, he had good reasoning. But this was not a general case, and there was no reason why he couldn't do it.

"I expect it done by tomorrow. End of discussion.", I say, slamming one of many finished paperwork on top of a growing pile of other paperwork. Silence drew and I could almost hear his annoyance, only to be sliced by the sound of my pen that rolled off the table. But we continued to stare into each other. We've fought before. It wasn't new. But it always feels like a betrayal.

"Aren't you going a little too far?", he questions, still staring into me.

"What do you mean?", I question back, clueless as to where this question of his was going.

"Have you ever thought that this may all be an act?"

A what? An act? A fucking act?

The blood, the bruises, those open wounds, they were nothing like an act. And god her fucking pained eyes. How in any fucking universe could that be an act?

"An act? You think she's putting on act?", I pause, "For what? Why would she go that far to put up an act?"

"Look, just hear me out.", he pauses, making sure I had his attention. He sure fucking did. "This situation is just all too convenient. That night, was the first night you came back home after almost a week.", he begins, emphasising on the week.

"And?"

"And she just so happen to come back on the same night in a pitiful situation. And on that night, no one was home. Your parents, your siblings, even Leila and Ryan. Mind you, she said she was coming back after the weekend right?", he questions, doubt, clearly being the only thing on his mind. He continues on.

"But you found her. Bloodied and bruised. She's manipulating you Luke. What if the De Luca's are doing something behind our backs? She's clearly capable of it and seeing that your head over heels for her it wouldn't be too hard."

"So, you're saying, she just somehow managed to plan this so conveniently?", I interrupt

"Yes.", he replies, holding his ground, unwavering.

"What if I chose not to come back home that day? It'd still be an act? She would go that far . . . to physically be abused for an act?"

"Yes.", he pauses, for the first time in this conversation looking hesitant. "You've changed. You weren't . . . you weren't this dense. You never trusted people this easily. It's like your conscious was thrown out the window. And now you're. . . you just look pathetic, going mad over love that might not even be real."

Love? Do I love her?

Sure she was important. She was beautiful. She was someone in my life that I wanted to protect. She was definitely someone who deserved more from this world. But love? I love my parents , I love my siblings, but do I love her?

Nah, for fucks sakes, love wasn't as nearly enough to describe what I feel for. She was the petals to my stems, the answer to my questions, she took every inch of my brain.

"Ash.", I begin, attempting and failing to keep my anger in contol, "Get the fuck out."

"Luke, wait, I'm just-"

"Say one more fucking word about Alaina and I'll mutilate your limbs from your body after I kill that father."

An uncomfortable silence settles among us before he signs another fucking audible sigh and brings his hands to his forehead, "Look, I'll get the information, and then you should think properly. Really think this time."

I stay silent.

He knows me well enough to know that I wasn't gonna give him an answer. And if valued his life, he knows to leave. So, he left. And I was alone, in my office.

As aggravating it is, he was right. The situation was very convenient. And I have been acting off. I wasn't my usual self. But an act? Could that be an act? Would she really go that far?

She wouldn't, would she?