CHAPTER 67

“Hey”

“Baby”

“I'm not your baby”

Sharon said sleepily

“You didn't think about that when you were cuddling me— baby”

Sharon finally opened her eyes, and it dawned on her

That he never left!

Her arms were wrapped around his back, and the pillow she was resting on was his arm

“Don't panic, I didn't do this on purpose”

Sharon quickly sat up

She wanted to face Luca with a clear head, only with a clear head. And she couldn't do that when they were constantly having awkward interactions like that

“Can you explain why you're here?”

“Sharon”

“Don't fucking call me that! You agreed to respect my boundaries, and treat me like a total stranger”

“I don't think we can ever be total strangers to each other”

He stood up from the bed, and his voice got colder. Like he had instantly switched to being the asshole she always despised

“I had a bad feeling, came to check up on you, and you were crying in your sleep—

And when you realised I was there in the room with you, you hugged me.

I slept in your teary embrace, because you don't fucking trust me enough to tell me how he hurt you!

Do you know what that does to me?”

There was a long period of silence.

“How the hell do you expect me to trust you Luca?”

“I don't—”

*****************

Sharon stared at her reflection in the mirror, and rehearsed a smile

It was as though everything was beginning to crumble. It all seemed fine a day ago, but the argument she had with Luca that morning proved that they had both been trying to avoid the difficult questions, that they had been walking on thin ice the entire time.

But they were now at a crossroads, and they could either give up trying, or face reality, no matter how ugly it was going to be

The toys and clothes Luca had requested had just arrived. It took a little longer than expected, but then again, they were in Italy. Luca's power was not as pronounced

It just had to arrive a few hours after they had argued. How were they supposed to act normal?

Well, that was why she was rehearsing her smile—

There was a gentle knock on the door

Sharon's heart raced. It was probably Luca, standing there with a bouquet of flowers, holding the hand of one of the orphanage kids.

She had already pictured it in her mind, she was going to hug him, and apologise, and maybe—

Things could go back to the way they were?

Sharon opened the door, and to her greatest disappointment, it was her translator and tour guide, Georgia

“Hello!”

Sharon shut the door, and took a minute to compose herself.

She opened it a minute after

“It's me, your guide, Georgia. You've probably forgotten about me since you shut the door at my face”

She still had on her toothy smile, and suddenly Sharon was beginning to miss Arman. He never weirded her out, ever!

“The other guy ordered toys and clothes too, I think he's copying you”

On the bright side, he looks cold and intimidating, so probably the kids are gonna swarm around us—

“Georgia is it? Could you just shut up for a moment?”

Sharon's eyes were fixed on Luca. He looked dangerously handsome, and she couldn't help but notice how comfortable the children were around him. A sharp contrast to the children that were around her and Georgia. The insufferable woman was reading Italian rhymes to them, but they sounded more like profanities.

For a moment, Luca turned, and she caught his attention. Sharon immediately turned the opposite direction. He saw her staring—

She felt a little hand tug the hem of her skirt and when she looked down, her eyes met a pair of familiar blue ones. She had seen the child before. He was the boy Luca was with the day he showed up at her house. The same boy she had imagined him to be with, if he was the one who stood at her door a moment ago

“He— hello”

Sharon gave him a warm smile.

He was learning English, because he wanted to communicate with her. And she realised she hadn't made any effort to learn Italian

She held his little hand, walked over to the sack of toys, and handed him the cutest toy she could find

He was delighted and all, but she could see guilt on his face. He handed to her a rose he had been hiding behind his back.

And then she realised that he was delivering a message

From Luca—

She watched the little boy skip away in awe

“Hey Georgia, I'm gonna be gone a minute okay”

“Whyyy? we were just beginning to gain more kids. I mean the other dude on the other side just disappeared, and we now have the chance to get the children's attention—”

Georgia's voice slowed became Incoherent, and the only thing Sharon could hear was the sound of her heartbeat

The petals of the flower had notes, more like directions.

She followed them, not knowing where they were going to lead her. But everything with Luca was just like that, every step she took with him was full of uncertainty

Sharon walked past the orphanage, to a small stretch of land that extended towards an open field

Until she came across an old swing, covered by a few trees

But she couldn't find Luca—

She could smell him, and feel his presence nearby, but she couldn't see him

She sat on the swing, because it seemed like the only normal thing to do

Why would Luca drag her all the way there to keep her curious?

She felt a large shadow loom over her, and she gasped

“Luca”

“Sharon, don't turn back”

She could hear the coldness in his voice. He was so close, yet so very far away

Sharon felt the swing move. He was pushing her gently

“We need to talk”

“You don't even want me to look at you—”

“I don't want you to see me like this”

“I don't care, I just want to know that everything's okay— between us”

“There's no us remember, we're supposed to treat each other like strangers”

“Yet you had a bad feeling, and your instincts told you I wasn't well. And you came to meet me in a distressed state on your bed—

That's deep”

“I crossed your boundaries”

Luca fuck! We can never act like complete strangers. Not after you kissed me passionately the night before, not after you cuddled me out of my nightmare, not after you look at me like you've yearned for me your entire life

“Don't you dare turn away from me now”

We're not done Luca, please understand that”

There was a long silence that followed, and Luca stopped pushing the swing

“Then talk to me Sharon”

He walked in front of her, and cupped her cheek

“tell me what hunts you in your nightmares”