What We Left in the Dark

Forty

Luca arrived at my apartment barely thirty minutes after I'd sent the message. His suit was slightly disheveled, his hair a mess—he looked like someone who hadn't slept in days. The usual calm, calculated demeanor he carried was nowhere to be found; instead, he looked restless, on edge.

I opened the door, feeling a pang of relief but also bracing myself. His eyes swept the room as he stepped inside, automatically checking my space like a bodyguard on alert. His gaze landed on my open bedroom door, where the unmade bed clearly displayed the dent where someone had slept.

Luca's jaw tightened, and his eyes flicked back to me with a simmering intensity. "Had company?" His voice was calm, but there was a bite to his words, jealousy running just beneath the surface.

I hesitated, unsure if telling him the truth would ease things or set off a storm. But after everything, the truth felt like the only option. There was no way to untangle this web without being honest.

"Yes," I said quietly, my gaze drifting away from him. "Gian."

A muscle in Luca's jaw jumped as the tension between us deepened. He took a step back, running a hand over his face as if to shake off the anger.

"They probably saw him come here with you," he muttered, his voice tight.

I swallowed hard, knowing he was right. The threat in the coffee shop had likely been because of Gian's presence at my apartment. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Luca paced for a moment, his hands flexing at his sides before he stopped and faced me, his eyes burning with a mix of frustration and something deeper—hurt.

"Do you love him?" His question came out softer than I expected, almost like he was pleading for me to say no.

The air between us hung heavy, my pulse quickening. "I... I don't know," I finally admitted, my voice cracking with the weight of uncertainty.

Luca let out a bitter sigh, his expression tightening as he rubbed the back of his neck. "He's not the same man you knew," he said, his voice growing more intense. "Gian isn't... He's not the guy you fell in love with. He's changed. He's dangerous now, in ways you don't understand."

I stared at him, my stomach twisting. "I know he's changed. I'm not blind, Luca."

Luca's frustration seemed to break through, and he stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "Then why?" he asked, his voice raw. "Why let him back in? After everything?"

I didn't have an answer—at least, not one that made sense to me. The truth was, I had let him back in because, no matter how much he'd changed, I couldn't ignore the pull between us. The history. The love we'd shared, even if it was now fractured.

"I don't know," I whispered, the vulnerability in my words hanging in the air.

Luca's eyes softened, his frustration giving way to something closer to sorrow. "You deserve better," he said, his voice almost breaking. "Better than him. Better than what he can offer you now."

My chest tightened at his words. I knew Luca cared for me, but his intensity made my heart ache. He wanted to protect me from everything—even from my own feelings.

"What do you think I deserve, Luca?" I asked, my voice quiet but steady.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking to my lips before settling back on my eyes. "Someone who won't hurt you. Someone who loves you without all this chaos. Without all the danger."

The weight of his words settled between us, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. His face softened as if he were trying to convey all the things he couldn't say aloud.

I opened my mouth to respond, but just then, Luca's phone buzzed. He cursed under his breath, pulling it out and glancing at the screen. His face darkened as he read the message.

"I have to go," he said, his voice filled with frustration. But then he looked at me, his expression changing, and he let out a deep sigh. "Grab any essentials you need. You're coming with me."

I blinked, thrown by his sudden change in tone. "What? Where?"

"My apartment. You're not staying here alone," Luca replied, his voice firm. "If they're following you, it's not safe."

My mind raced, the sudden shift in plans overwhelming me. "Luca, I—"

"Please," he cut in, his voice softening slightly. "I can't leave you here. Not after everything."

There was no arguing with the look in his eyes—the mix of concern and something deeper. I sighed and nodded, moving to grab a small bag from my bedroom. I quickly tossed in a few essentials, the unease in my chest growing stronger with every passing second. I didn't know if it was from Luca's urgency or the fact that the man I once loved had become a stranger I barely recognized.

When I returned to the living room, Luca was waiting by the door, his gaze flicking over me with that same intensity he always had. He said nothing, just held the door open for me as we headed out into the hall.

The ride to his apartment was quiet. The city rushed by outside, lights blurring through the windows as I sat in the passenger seat, my mind racing. Every once in a while, Luca would glance at me, but he said nothing. It was clear he was lost in his own thoughts.

When we finally arrived, Luca led me up to his penthouse, the familiar sleek and modern design greeting me as we entered. He flicked on the lights, the quiet hum of the city below barely audible through the thick windows.

"You'll be safe here," he said softly, dropping his keys on the kitchen counter and turning to face me.

I looked around, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. The safety, the luxury of his apartment—it all felt suffocating in the context of the chaos that had invaded my life.

"Luca..." I began, but he cut me off again, stepping closer and placing a gentle hand on my arm.

"I'll make this right," he whispered, his voice low and filled with a kind of promise I wasn't sure he could keep. "Whatever happens with Gian, with everything... I won't let them touch you."

My breath hitched as I looked up at him, the intensity of his words wrapping around me like a protective shield. He meant every word. He wasn't just offering me safety—he was offering me a way out. Out of the chaos, out of the danger.

But as much as I wanted to believe him, as much as I wanted to accept his offer, I knew it wasn't that simple.

Because deep down, I couldn't escape the pull of the other Ricci brother. And no matter how much Luca wanted to protect me, there was something inside me that wasn't ready to let go of Gian.

Not yet.

4o