chapter 30: I already know how this will end.

Luca

Elliott walked away without looking back, his broad shoulders stiff, his pace quick and unrelenting.

I knew that walk. That damn walk he always did when he wanted to act like something didn’t bother him. When he pretended he could just shake things off, bury them deep enough that they wouldn’t matter.

But I wasn’t about to let him get away with it this time.

I wasn’t done.

Not after everything we had been through. Not after the sleepless nights, the stolen moments, the words left unsaid. I refused to let this be how it ended.

My chest was tight as I pushed forward, my footsteps echoing against the polished floor as I went after him.

“Elliott, wait…”

He didn’t stop.

I could see the way his fists clenched at his sides, the tension in his shoulders growing, but he kept walking like he didn’t hear me.

“Dammit, Elliott, just talk to me!”

That made him stop.

He let out a sharp exhale before turning around. His face was carefully composed, but his eyes…God, his eyes held something raw, something like hesitation.

“What do you want me to say, Luca?” His voice was low, controlled, but I could hear the strain in it. “That I’m happy you’re leaving? That I don’t care?” His jaw tensed. “Because if that’s what you need to hear, fine. Congrats, Luca. Go chase your dreams.”

His words were like a knife, sharp and clean, cutting straight through me.

But I knew him. I knew the way he operated. He lashed out when he was hurt, pushed people away when he wanted them to stay.

I took a step closer, shaking my head. “That’s not what I want.”

He laughed, but there was nothing amused about it. “Then what do you want, Luca?”

I hesitated for only a moment, my heart hammering. “I want us to have one good memory before I go.”

His brows furrowed, his lips parting slightly as if I had caught him off guard.

I swallowed hard. “I don’t want to leave with this tension between us. I don’t want our last conversation to be a fight.” My lips twitched into something like a smile, though it felt fragile. “So… let’s forget about everything. Just for tonight.”

Elliott studied me for a long moment. His eyes searched mine, like he was trying to figure out if I was being serious or just playing another game.

He always thought I was playing games.

But this wasn’t a game.

Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. “Luca…”

I stepped closer. “Please.”

His shoulders slumped slightly, the first crack in his armor. He ran a hand through his already messy hair, and for the first time since I’d walked into this building, he didn’t look like the untouchable Elliott. He looked tired, human and vulnerable.

Something in my chest tightened.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled and muttered, “Fine.”

A slow, relieved smile spread across my face. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he repeated, shaking his head like he already regretted agreeing. Then he glanced at his office door. “Come on.”

Without another word, he pushed it open and stepped inside.

I followed.

The room smelled like him, clean, crisp, and just a little bit like cologne and fresh coffee. The office itself was sleek, modern, almost too neat, like he barely spent time in it. The large window behind his desk gave a stunning view of the city skyline, the lights twinkling against the night sky.

Elliott loosened his tie further, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt before leaning against the edge of his desk. He looked at me with a wary expression. “So? What now?”

I took a step closer, suddenly aware of how quiet the room had become.

“We just… talk,” I said softly. “Like we used to.”

A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but his eyes were still guarded. “I don’t think we ever just talked, Luca.”

I smirked. “Okay, fine. Maybe we argued, maybe we teased, but it was still us.”

He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I will try.”

Silence stretched between us, but this time, it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was something fragile, something that felt like we were standing on the edge of something dangerous.

And then I closed the distance between us.

His body tensed as I moved closer, but he didn’t step back.

“We didn’t finish,” I murmured, letting my voice drop just a little. Just enough.

Elliott’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “What?”

I let my fingers trail along the edge of his desk, slow, deliberate. “Who said anything about here?” I teased, tilting my head slightly, my breath grazing his ear. “I’m just saying, we left things unfinished. And I’m not good at leaving things unfinished.”

His breath hitched.

He was trying to fight it, trying to resist.

But I knew him.

I saw the way his pupils dilated, the way his chest rose and fell just a little too fast.

“You know you want to,” I whispered, my voice turning husky. “We both know how good it was. How good it could be.”

Elliott’s grip on the desk tightened until his knuckles turned white.

I leaned in just a little more, letting my lips brush against his ear. “Don’t pretend you haven’t been thinking about it,” I murmured. “Don’t pretend you haven’t been imagining what it would be like to pick up right where we left off.”

His hands twitched, he was unraveling. I could feel it.

I straightened up, smirking as I took a step back, giving him space. Letting him breathe, letting him process the weight of my words.

“Think about it,” I said, my voice low, challenging. “Or better yet, don’t think. Just come over tonight.” My eyes locked onto his. “Let’s finish what we started.”

I turned, walking toward the door, knowing that his eyes were burning into my back.

I didn’t look back. I didn’t need to.

Because I know him.

I already know how this will end.

He’d come.

He always did.