Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 64 - Into the night

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I burst out of the building, my heart pounding, and the cold night air hits my face like a slap. My mind is spinning, replaying everything I've just discovered about Luca Castellano. The confession of his past, the acknowledgment of violence—it all crashes down on me in an overwhelming wave. I couldn't stay. I couldn't go with him like he asked. I just can't face him. Not now.

The streets of New York are a blur as I run, my legs moving on autopilot. I'm not even sure where I'm going. I just know I need to get away, to put as much distance as I can between myself and the world I've unknowingly stepped into.

The Mafia. The words echo in my head, chilling me to the bone. What does this mean for me now? I've heard Luca's confession. I know the truth about his family and their ties to organized crime. Am I now complicit simply because I know? The thought makes my stomach churn.

Fear grips me as I imagine what could happen next. The Castellanos are powerful, and I've seen firsthand how much control they have. If I know about them, what's stopping them from seeing me as a threat? The realization sends a shiver down my spine, and I quicken my pace, weaving through the throngs of people.

And then there's the police. What do they know about me? Have they already linked me to Luca and his family? I mean, they already approached me on the streets, and I wonder if they already have notes of me, too. Could they think I'm involved? The possibility terrifies me, and my thoughts spiral into worst-case scenarios.

I glance around, half expecting to see someone following me. But the crowd is just an ordinary mix of people going about their lives, oblivious to my turmoil. Yet, I can't shake the feeling of being watched, a creeping paranoia settling over me. I duck down an alleyway, hoping to lose myself in the city's labyrinthine streets.

My thoughts turn to Brianna and Emily. Do they know about Luca's family? Have they suspected something all along and just never told me? The idea that my friends might have been keeping secrets gnaws at me.

And then it hits me—Brianna. She grew up with the Castellanos, spent every summer around them. She must have known something. Anger flares in my chest, mingling with the hurt. Why didn't she warn me? How could she let me walk into this mess blindly? I trusted her.

As I run, I imagine confronting Brianna, demanding answers. But deep down, I fear what those answers might be. Did she think she was protecting me by keeping quiet? Or was she trying to protect herself? The questions swirl in my mind, adding to the cacophony of emotions I can barely keep in check.

I stop to catch my breath, leaning against a building as the enormity of the situation crashes over me. My legs tremble from both exertion and fear, and I wipe at the tears that blur my vision. I feel adrift, cut off from the world I thought I knew, and alone. The city feels like an alien landscape now, filled with potential dangers at every turn.

I think of Luca, of the times we've spent together, the moments that felt so genuine and real. Was it all a lie? A cover for something darker beneath the surface? I want to believe that the Luca I know is real, that there's more to him than the violence and the secrets. But right now, I can't see past the revelation that's torn my life apart.

I know I need to keep moving, to find somewhere to hide until I can figure out what to do next. But where can I go? Who can I trust now? The questions go unanswered as I force myself to put one foot in front of the other, navigating the city's labyrinth with no destination in mind. I'm a loss in every sense of the word.

I run, trying to escape the truth that's followed me out of that office, knowing deep down that there's no outrunning this new reality.

The city at night feels different than it does in the day. There's an air of mystery, a kind of danger lurking in the shadows of New York that I never noticed before. My heart pounds in my chest, the adrenaline from my escape still coursing through my veins. I'm disoriented and lost, not knowing which direction will take me farthest from Luca's world.