1. Is This a Nightmare?

Diane

"Br…break…break up?" Tears stung my eyes, and my throat went dry as I fought to get the words out of my mouth.

But I shook off the feeling, shifting uncomfortably in my chair as I let out a bitter laugh. It had to be a joke. "Luca, I'm not in the mood for your jokes.”

"I wish this was a joke, Diane, but I'm sorry…I really am,” he responded solemnly, avoiding my eyes.

Each syllable of his words felt like a deep cut to my heart as I tried to comprehend the reason for his sudden decision. 

I wanted to say something, anything, but I was too shocked to find the right words. It seemed like my brain had stopped working for a minute.

"Why?" I asked him in a low, raspy whisper.

This time he looked at me, and I could see sadness written all over his face.

He didn't want this. Then, why was he doing it?

He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out an envelope, and placed it on the table between us.

"I got an offer to work with globally recognized hoteliers,” he said, gesturing to the white paper, “and I…I feel like our relationship would be a distraction for me"

“A distraction?” 

Was I a distraction? 

I tried to say something, but it felt like I had a lump in my throat that prevented me from saying anything. I sat there, allowing the tears to fall down my cheeks, ruining my makeup.

Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to hold on to the warmth of our love, but it suddenly felt so cold and distant. 

“Luca…Baby, please. You can't just throw away everything we've been building for the past four years,” I pleaded as I held his hands. 

He pulled his hands out of mine, his voice emotionless. “I’m sorry, Diane. I wish there was another way.”

“But there are other ways,” my voice was starting to rise as I continued pleading, hot tears uncontrollably flowing down. “We always find a way, and we will do it again. Together”

He gave me a cold, pitiful look. “I’m sorry, Diane, but you need to move on.”

My chest twisted in a knot as it raised and fell heavily. Breathing became so hard, it felt like it was being crushed under the weight of something I couldn't quite place my hands on.

I might suffocate if I spent another second in here. I needed air, and I needed it fast.

Without another thought, I picked up my purse and headed towards the restaurant exit, ignoring the curious, pitiful stares of the people in the room.

I think I heard Luca calling my name, but I didn't bother looking back. This felt like a dream—no, a nightmare— but the more I pinched my skin trying to wake myself, the more I dove deeper into the nightmare.

The cold air hit me as I stumbled out of the restaurant. I leaned against the wall of the restaurant, holding my purse tightly to my chest.

I couldn’t breathe.

My four year relationship had just gone down the drain because I was a distraction? 

“No…this can’t be real,” I whispered to myself, my voice trembling. 

I wiped my face, but the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. They poured down my cheeks, smearing my mascara. I knew I should’ve called a cab, but my legs seemed to have gotten minds of their own as they carried me to the sidewalk. 

My heels clicked against the wet pavement as I wandered aimlessly. The air smelled like rain, but I barely noticed as my head spinned with thoughts.

Why? Why would Luca do this? He loved me—didn’t he? So, how was I a distraction? None of it made any sense to me.

I barely noticed the rain drizzling until it started falling heavily, soaking me to the bone. I didn’t know where I was going, but I kept walking. I didn’t even realize I had wandered onto the highway until I heard the horn.

The horn blared loudly through the fog in my mind. I looked up, and for a moment, I couldn’t move.

A car was driving towards me, fast. Its headlights were blinding, but I couldn’t get myself to move, it seemed like my body had frozen on the spot. My legs refused to move and panic rose in my chest as the sharp, deafening screech of the tires cut through the air.

I stood in front of the car, a part of me imagining that this was all a dream; maybe I would wake up and everything would go back to the way they were if I just closed my eyes—and I did just that.

The impact came faster and harder than I could’ve imagined. I flew into the air, sharp pain shooting through my body and consuming me as I hit the ground.

My purse slipped from my hands, splashing into a puddle nearby. The pavement was wet and cold around my cheeks, and the world blurred around me, spinning in slow motion.

I could hear voices yelling in panic, but they sounded so distant and so far away, like they were coming from the other side of the world. My vision blurred, and the headlight above me flickered like stars. 

Through my blurry vision, I could make out a man coming down from the car and rushing to my side. I lifted my head, blinking the rain water away from my eyes to get a clearer look at the man.

“Luca?” I called, my voice weak and distant, even in my ears.

But when he carried me in his arms, I knew it wasn’t Luca, because he didn’t feel or smell like him.

Then everything went blank.