What We Left in the Dark

Fifteen

It felt like hours had passed since Matt had made the call, though I knew it had only been minutes. I sat in my chair, my body numb, my mind struggling to process everything that had just happened. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving behind a hollow ache in my chest. I stared at the wall, trying to ground myself, but it was useless. My thoughts kept circling back to Jason's words, his touch, the fear and anger that had surged through me.

And then there was Luca—his silence over the weekend, the uncertainty of whether he would even show up. I didn't know what to expect, or if I even wanted to see him. But as I sat there, the door suddenly burst open, and Luca stormed into the room, a receptionist hot on his heels.

"Sir, you need an appointment!" she was saying, her voice flustered and anxious. But Luca paid her no mind, his focus entirely on me.

The moment his eyes landed on me, sitting in my chair with a blank expression, his face shifted from anger to concern. He crossed the room in a few long strides, the receptionist trailing behind him, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation.

"Get out," Luca barked at her, his voice sharp and commanding. She hesitated for a moment, glancing between the two of us before quickly nodding and leaving, closing the door behind her.

Luca knelt in front of me, his hands hovering near mine, as if he wanted to touch me but wasn't sure if he should. "Catalina," he said softly, his voice a mixture of worry and something deeper. "What happened?"

I looked at him, the emotions I had been holding back suddenly threatening to spill over. But I couldn't bring myself to speak. The words were stuck in my throat, and all I could do was stare at him, my mind a whirl of conflicting feelings.

He reached out, gently taking my hands in his, his touch warm and steady. "I'm here now," he murmured, his eyes searching mine. "You're safe. Just tell me what happened."

The gentleness in his voice was my undoing. I felt the tears start to well up, my composure cracking as the weight of everything that had happened finally became too much to bear. "Jason," I whispered, my voice trembling. "He—he wouldn't stop. He tried to..."

Luca's expression darkened instantly, his grip on my hands tightening. "What did he do?" His voice was low, deadly, and I could see the fury simmering beneath the surface.

"He tried to kiss me," I managed to choke out, the words spilling from my lips in a rush. "He grabbed me, wouldn't listen when I told him to stop. I... I slapped him, but he didn't back off until Matt came in."

Luca's jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck taut as he processed what I had said. He released my hands, standing up abruptly and pacing the room, his anger barely contained. "I'm going to kill him," he muttered under his breath, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Luca, please," I said, my voice shaking. "Don't... don't do anything rash."

He stopped pacing, turning to look at me, the intensity in his gaze almost overwhelming. "He touched you," Luca growled. "He fucking touched you. You think I'm just going to let that slide?"

"I just want it to be over," I whispered, feeling the exhaustion seep into my bones. "I just want him gone."

Luca's eyes softened slightly, though the anger still simmered beneath the surface. He walked back over to me, kneeling again and taking my hands in his. "He will be," he promised, his voice firm. "I'm going to make sure of it."

I nodded, the tears spilling over as I finally let myself cry. Luca pulled me into his arms, holding me close as I sobbed into his chest. His embrace was strong, protective, and for the first time since Jason had entered my office, I felt a small measure of safety.

"I'm so sorry," Luca murmured into my hair, his voice thick with emotion. "I should have been here. I should have answered your texts. This is all my fault."

I shook my head, pulling back slightly to look at him. "It's not your fault," I said, my voice hoarse. "Jason did this, not you."

Luca's eyes were filled with guilt and anger, but he nodded, his hand gently cupping my cheek. "I'm going to take care of this, Catalina," he vowed. "I won't let anyone hurt you like that again."

Before I could respond, the door opened again, and Matt stepped inside, his expression grim. "Luca, I've called security. Jason's being escorted out of the building as we speak."

Luca's jaw tightened, but he nodded, his hand still on my cheek. "Good. I'm not letting this go, Matt. He's going to pay for what he did."

Matt looked at me, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay, Catalina? I can't believe this happened."

"I'm... I'm okay," I replied, though I knew it would take time for me to truly believe that.

Luca helped me to my feet, his arm wrapped around my waist as he supported me. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's get you out of here. You don't need to be here right now."

I nodded, leaning into him as he guided me toward the door. Matt followed us, his phone already in hand as he started making arrangements. "Luca, take care of her. I'll handle everything else."

Luca didn't respond, his focus entirely on me as we left the office. As we stepped into the elevator, I felt the weight of everything begin to lift, just slightly. But there was still so much left unresolved, so much anger and fear lingering just beneath the surface.

As the elevator doors closed, Luca pulled me close, his lips pressing against my forehead. "I'm here," he whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."

I nodded, the tears still flowing, but for the first time that day, I felt like I could breathe again.