𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓮

23| red wine

D I A N E

"Diane?" I heard Luka's voice through the door, and it took me a moment to respond. My mind was still reeling from the discovery, and I wasn't sure what to say.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I couldn't help but the thought of it not being a simple coincidence. I was welcomed with another knock. I cleared my throat and tried to sound as calm as possible.

"Yes?" I called out, my voice shaking a little.
The door opened, and Luka stood there, concern written all over his face. "Are you okay?" he asked, stepping into the room.
I nodded, forcing a smile. "I'm fine,"

"Although I haven't found anything you can come in," I said, my voice steady.

He entered, his emerald eyes boring into mine. Luka opened the very last drawer and I couldn't help but flush in embarrassment. 

I tried brushing it off with a smile as he handed it over to me. He looked over at me, watching me intently. "Were  you looking for something else?"

"Why would I be looking for something else?" I tried covering the fact that I just saw that picture and my façade was working pretty well.

"Forgive me," He quickly said, his eyes softening. "Can I somehow make it up to you?"

"There's nothing you have to do because I've done nothing," I said.

"I know you wouldn't," He said, opening the cabinet with the image. My heart skipped a beat.

"This cabin belonged to my mother," he said, his voice full of emotion. "She loved it here. She spent so much time here, and she always said it was her place of peace."
I stared at him, my mouth agape. I never knew he had a mother, or that she had died. The revelation hit me like a ton of bricks, and I wasn't sure how to respond. "I'm so sorry, Luka," I finally managed to say. "I had no idea."
He looked at me, his eyes full of pain. "It's okay," he said, his

"And her lover," he continued, his tone shifting. His eyes fixed on the man in the picture, and I could see the anger rising in him. "He was the one who caused her death."

I was stunned. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Luka's eyes darkened. "He was driving the car that crashed, and she didn't survive the accident," he said, his words cold and hard. "But he did."

I didn't know what to say. I had no idea that Luka had been through such a tragedy, and it made my

I tried putting the puzzle pieces together but there was so much missing. "Anyway, you in the mood for some spaghetti?"

"You cook?"

"Oh darling I'm an expert," He said, putting on his apron. I smiled, my arms crossing over my chest as I watched him intently

"Well, I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I can make a pretty decent spaghetti," he said, his tone lightening. He tied an apron around his waist, and I couldn't help but smile. "You ready to be my sous-chef?" he asked, a mischievous grin on his face.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Of course,"

I watched as he started pulling out ingredients, his movements confident and skilled.

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