Chapter 28 – Letting him go

The more I looked into Ethan's eyes, the more my heart ached. I couldn't bear to do this to him. Not after everything. He'd been so good to me from the very start—funny, supportive, always there when I needed him. He was there for my family, for me, when no one else was. How could I tear him apart like this?

 

I know Luca and I have this… bond. I can feel it down to my core. It pulls at me constantly, and God, I yearn for him in ways that are terrifying. But I can't just ignore the fact that this same man has made me miserable for weeks. A bond doesn't erase all that pain. One connection can't suddenly make me forget the humiliation, the cruelty, the way he looked at me like I was nothing.

 

I attempted to conceal my inner turmoil, but as I looked at Luca, his intense and unwavering gaze met mine, revealing all. He was aware. He could detect the conflict evident on my face, including the guilt and hesitation. I also sensed the bond strengthening between us, growing stronger and asking for something I wasn't prepared to offer.

 

But Ethan… I couldn't do this to him.

 

Luca stepped closer, his presence like a storm building up around me. That same pull—magnetic, undeniable—made my body react without thinking. Every cell in me screamed to go to him, but I forced myself to stay still. This is wrong. I knew it.

 

"Quinn, please," Ethan's voice was hushed and shaking a little. Simply be honest with me.

 

His tone of desperation caused my heart to break even more. He should have received something better than what he got. He was worthy of more than my uncertainty and my reluctance. But I didn't know how to tell him what was happening between me and Luca, this force bigger than either of us, without tearing his world apart.

 

I swallowed hard, trying to find the right words, but my throat felt like it was closing up. "Ethan, I—"

 

Luca's gaze burned into me. I could feel his impatience, his frustration at my silence. He knew the bond was pulling me toward him, and he was just waiting for me to give in. But that wasn't fair to Ethan. None of this was fair to Ethan.

 

I tore my eyes away from Luca, focusing on Ethan instead. His face was tense, eyes searching mine for answers. This is the guy who has been nothing but kind to me. Who cared for me when I didn't even know I needed caring for.

 

Suddenly, it all became too clear.

 

Luca could wait. He could hover in the shadows, brooding and intense, pulling at this bond that tied us together. But Ethan? He had been there. Every single time. And what was I going to do? Throw that away? For a bond I didn't understand?

 

I moved nearer to Ethan, speaking with a shaky yet confident tone. "I'm sorry, Ethan," I whispered. "I'm so sorry for everything, but... I can't do this. I can't hurt you."

 

Ethan blinked, a frown of confusion on his forehead. "What are you trying to say?"

 

"I'm choosing you," I breathed out, my chest tightening. "I can't—Luca might have this… thing, this connection with me, but you—you're the one who's always been there. You're the one who's real. I can't turn my back on that. I won't."

 

I saw Luca's face darken in my side view, but I chose to ignore him. This wasn't about him. Not about us. Not anymore.

 

I saw Luca's face darken in my side view, but I chose to ignore him. "You're serious?"

 

I gave a nod, feeling tears burn in my eyes. "I choose you, Ethan. I don't care about this bond or whatever it is. I'm not going to let it control me. I'm not going to hurt the people I care about."

 

There was a moment of silence. Only the sound of my heart throbbing in my ears. I prepared for Luca's response, anticipating the impending storm that would affect all of us.

 

However, Luca remained silent. He stood there, his face becoming as unforgiving as rock, his jaw tightly clenched. The attraction between us remained strong and impossible to ignore, but I resisted it with all my strength. He might be very angry. He might be hurt, but this is how it had to be.

 

This was the right thing to do.

 

Ethan's hand reached out for mine, tentative but warm. He squeezed it, his thumb brushing over my knuckles, pulling me towards him, grounding me in that moment.

 

"I don't care what bond you have with him," Ethan said quietly, his voice steady now. "As long as you're with me."

 

A part of me felt relief flood my chest, but the other part of me—a much darker, conflicted part—still felt that ache for Luca. I could feel his anger simmering just beneath the surface and feel the rejection in the air between us. But I couldn't let that sway me.

 

I had made my choice.

 

Just when I thought we'd finally gotten through the worst of it, Luca's voice cut through the silence like a knife. Low. Dangerous.

 

"You think this is over, Quinn?"

 

I froze.

 

Ethan's grip tightened on my waist protectively, but I could feel the tension radiating off of him too. Luca's presence was suffocating, his eyes locked on me with a fire I hadn't seen before. He wasn't just angry anymore—he was furious.

 

"This bond doesn't just go away because you choose him," Luca spat, stepping forward, and every step sent a wave of energy crashing into me. "You can't run from it. You can't hide from it."

 

My heart pounded in my chest, panic rising. "Luca, stop—"

 

But he wasn't done. "You might think you've made your choice, but this isn't over, Quinn. Not by a long shot."

 

In an instant, Luca abruptly disappeared into the forest in a flash, leaving behind a tense atmosphere so heavy it felt like it could suffocate me.

 

I remained in place, my heart still beating fast, with Ethan next to me, but I couldn't rid myself of the sense that this was not over.