Chapter 67 - This Is It.

Maria's POV 

We spent the whole day going from place to place. Bars, lounges, small hidden spots hidden away in quiet corners of the city. 

Every time I crossed the threshold of a location, I looked for that feeling, the one that would say to me, this is it. But none of them spoke to me in the way I’d hoped.

“This one?” Alex said, holding the door open.

I walked in, the overhead lights were too bright, the noise from the street too loud. I ran my hand along the bar rail. “No,” I said softly. “It doesn’t feel right.”

Alex didn’t argue. He just nodded. He led me out and held the door again.

The next one was bigger, roomy and spacious but felt cold and sterile, like it belonged in a magazine rather than on a real street. I traced a finger along the counter. It was smooth but lifeless. “No,” I said again.

He nodded. We moved on.

By midday I had stopped counting. For every place we walked in, I thought about Luca. The way he would have been tired of me by now, maybe he'd force to pick anything, as long as I picked. That thought made me feel bitter. 

I hated that while Luca would have been growing impatient, Alex just stayed there. Waiting. Patient.

“So,” he broke the quiet with a small cough. “What about this one?”

I looked up at him. We’d stepped inside a small, quiet bar. The air was soft, cool, dimmed lights, old wooden beams, and a single window that let in late-afternoon light. The quiet felt like something I’d been looking for but couldn’t name.

I walked slowly through the room, breathing it in. The smell of calm just strong enough for me to feel grounded. A bar where you could lower your voice and lean in, not shout to be heard. I glanced at Alex, side-lit by a lamp. His expression was relaxed, hopeful.

I nodded with a smile. “This is it.”

“Finally,” he exhaled, and I saw the tension leave his shoulders.

I laughed, a small, soft twist of lips. “It’s perfect.”

We stood there together, the silence comfortable. He didn’t say anything right away, just let me stand with the feeling of relief.

I turned to him. “Thank you… for not rushing me.”

He shrugged, his face open, kind. “You’re always worth the wait.”

I blinked, surprised by how much that line meant. Luca wouldn't. Not that he couldn't, he wouldn't. Alex… he held space for me. There was warmth in that.

As we walked out, I tried a new angle to fill the silence. “How long have you and Luca... been close?”

He caught his breath like I’d thrown a soft question at him. “A long time,” he said. We walked slowly. “We met when I was young. I was lost. I didn’t know what I would become.”

I stopped, curious. “And Luca?”

Alex paused. “He just saw something in me I guess. Took me under his wing. Trained me. Like… like only someone who cared would.” His eyes flicked to the street.

I shook my head. “That’s… different.”

He smiled, a little sad. “That’s Luca. When he chooses you, he’s all in. Never lets go.”

The words landed hard. I thought about Luca with fury and fear and a strange ache. He chose me too, but I never knew he was all in. Most of the time, I felt like I was holding on to him, not the other way around.

We got back home late. I didn’t want to sit; I just wanted to wait. Wait for Luca to come back.

Alex and I sat in the living room, Loiusa served us some drinks to celebrate the location. I toyed with my glass, while watching Alex. I wanted to reach across and touch him, just to feel normal, but something held me back.

Finally, there was a quiet click at the front door. My breath stilled. He entered like he always did. Slow and sure, full of that confident calm.

I asked, voice light, “Where have you been?”

“An art gallery,” he said, casually. No notes in his voice, just smooth and steady. “It’s been a while.”

My chest tightened. He passed me and I smelled something then… a faint, unfamiliar perfume. Not mine. Not anything I knew.

I tensed. I glanced at Alex, but he didn’t look. Just kept quiet.

Luca leaned down, kissed me lightly, all softness and expectation. “Did you find the location?” he asked quietly against my lips.

Alex answered first, quickly: “Yes.” My heart thumped.

I nodded at Luca, forcing calm. “Yes.” My smile felt fake, like it might crack.

Luca stood back, studying me for the faintest reaction. Alex watched too, just far enough away but close enough that I could feel his shift. I said nothing. Just let my lips curve.

Either Luca didn’t see the ripple in my face, or he chose not to. He took me by the waist and led me to the couch, as if everything was normal. I leaned into his arm, trying to steady myself, to quiet the worry that burned inside me.

Alex left a moment later, giving me a simple nod, that reassurance we never spoke aloud, but both felt.

Later, I lay in bed across from Luca, the faint perfume still hanging in my memory. The quiet was sharp. I wanted to ask so many questions, but the words wouldn’t come.

I closed my eyes and let silence win the night. The war inside me was just beginning.