Chapter 57: Replacement

Maria's POV 

I laid still beside him, watching his chest rise and fall. Luca was asleep now but I couldn't get a thought out of my head

Luca had released inside me. Again.

I ran my hand lightly over my stomach. I don’t even know how many times it’s happened now. And nothing. No changes. No missed periods. No scares.

Or maybe I can’t get pregnant. Or maybe Luca is the one who can’t.

A part of me thought maybe that was a good thing.

Because how do we even bring a child into this kind of life? Into this kind of danger? It might feel peaceful now. No one’s chasing us. No one’s threatening us. But Luca has enemies. 

He lives in a world where peace is only what you see on the outside. On the inside, everything is chaos. A lot of enemies who are likely waiting for a good chance to get to him.

A child would change things. A child would be a target. And what if something happened to Luca? What if something happened to me?

I closed my eyes, breathing out slowly.

And then… the girl Stephanie came to my mind again.

A girl angry about what happened some years or months ago and all of sudden shows up to try to kill Luca.

A girl, probably not much older than me. Maybe younger.

Used. Hurt. Angry.

He said they drugged her. Said Alexa brought her in. But what else? What exactly did they do to her that made her want him dead?

I hadn’t asked. I don't even think I want to know. Perhaps I should just… let it go.

But it stayed in me. Growing and echoing in my head.

Was she just another body passed around? Just another fantasy for Alexa to enjoy? And Luca?

Did he enjoy it too?

He said he did.

He said he used her.

Just like that. And could there be more.

The bed shifted slightly beside me. Luca moved.

I thought he was still asleep, but then he reached out and pulled me close again. I felt his breath on my neck, his hand on my waist. His skin on mine.

We were still naked. Still warm.

Then I felt him. His length against me. Luca was hard again.

I didn’t say anything.

I wasn’t even surprised.

He rubbed against me for a second, slow and soft, and before I could speak or move, he spread my legs from behind and slid into me immediately he found what he was looking for.

He went in deep and smooth.

I gasped quietly. A moan escaping from my lips. I couldn’t help it.

He didn’t move at first. Just stayed there. Inside me. Like he was trying to feel everything all at once. His hand gripped my waist again, pulling me just a little closer. Just enough.

Then he started to move.

Gentle at first. Controlled. But with each slow thrust, he picked up a little more pace. A little more pressure.

His other hand came up to my chest, grabbing my breasts hard. Squeezing it too hard infact. I could feel his nails clawing my breast.

I reached for his hand, trying to slow him down. But he didn’t stop. He pulled me up instead. Our bodies rising a little from the bed. His chest to my back. His face behind mine.

His mouth touched my cheek. His breath warm.

He moved his hand to my jaw, holding it, not forcefully but firm. He kept on penetrating into me slowly, deeply. And now I could say he was becoming rough. Like he couldn’t get enough of the feeling. Like I wasn’t even Maria anymore. Just someone. Anyone.

I don’t know why he was like this tonight.

His thrust was starting to hurt as little more than it's supposed to. Before I used to feel less pain than pleasure but now, it felt like both were equal.

Worse, I didn't want to tell him to stop or maybe I didn't want to at all.

But it felt like I was filling a space. Like I was being used to push something else away. Like maybe if he could be deep enough inside me, he could forget something or maybe someone. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it.

Alexa?

No. Not this time.

Stephanie. Stephanie.

I remember how hard he was getting just talking about the things he used to do to her.

Luca thrusted deeper one more time and released inside me again, groaning softly against my ear before letting his weight fall on me. Then he rolled over and went back to sleep like nothing had just happened, just like before.

And there I was.

Again.

Empty in my chest. Full between my legs. Confused in my mind.

I lay there, now staring at the ceiling, not sure what to feel.

Was I being loved?

Was I being trusted?

Or was I just a tool or doll or toy?

Used to replace whatever woman still lingered inside Luca.

First it was Alexa.

But now… now it's Stephanie.