Snatched Two Husbands, But They Both Remember the Fire Chapter 05

Snatched Two Husbands, But They Both Remember the Fire Chapter 05

Luca poured the wine slow. Careful.

Long fingers on the crystal. Amber liquid going into the glass. Not one drop spilled.

I watched him from the bed.

Moonlight through the blinds. On his face. Soft. Like an old painting. Long eyelashes. High nose. Lips that almost smiled even when he wasn’t smiling.

“Luca.”

“Yeah?”

“How long have you remembered?”

Luca’s hand stopped.

He put the bottle down. Brought the glasses to the bed. Sat next to me. Close. I could smell him-orange, cedar, something soft.

“Since this morning,” he said, looking at the wine. “I opened my eyes and I was in the car. Going to her. Wearing this suit.”

He stopped.

“For a second, I thought it was just a nightmare.”

“Then?”

“Then I looked out the window. The church. The people. The pigeons. All the same. Like someone copied and pasted it. And I thought-”

He stopped again.

“Thought what?”

“Thought about you. If you were here too.”

He lifted his glass. Touched mine.

“To you. Safe. With me forever.”

I looked at his eyes. Light. Soft. Full of stars.

My throat hurt.

This man. Dying with me. Never mad at me. Never complained. Just wanting me to be okay.

“With me forever.”

I drank.

Luca’s tolerance was garbage.

One glass and his face was red. All of it. Down to his chest. His eyes got wet. His lips got pink.

He stood up. Almost fell.

Then he looked at me. Serious. Like he was signing something in blood.

“Can I?”

“You never needed to ask before.”

I pulled his tie. He fell forward. Hands on either side of my head.

His breathing changed. Fast. Hot.

He unbuttoned my shirt.

One. Easy.

Two. Easy.

Three. Hands shaking.

Four. He tied a knot in my string.

“Clumsy,” I said.

“I’m nervous.”

“Nervous for what? You’ve done this before.”

“Last time you didn’t have options.”

His eyes went toward the small house.

He was nervous about Rocco. About being good enough. About being as good.

“Luca.”

“Yeah?”

“Look at me.”

He did.

“You’re Luca. Not a replacement. Not a backup. You.”

His eyes went red again.

“So-”

I didn’t let him finish.

Someone was knocking.

Not polite knocking.

“IF YOU DON’T OPEN THIS DOOR I’M BREAKING IT DOWN” knocking.

“Boss,” Alessia said from outside. She was crying. “Please don’t yell at me but Rocco’s got a gun and he’s

coming.”

Luca stopped.

His eyes went from soft to dark.

“Let him wait,” Luca said. Quiet. Solid. “It’s our time.”

I smiled.

“You heard him,” I said. Louder. So they could hear. “Let him wait.”

Quiet outside.

Then-

*Boom.*

Something hit the door.

Then another.

*Boom.*

Fist. Rocco’s fist. Again and again. Wood splintering.

“Catalina,” Rocco said. His voice was rough. Shaking. “If you don’t come out, I’m going back to Brooklyn.”

“Then go,” I said. “I’m not stopping you.”

Breathing outside. Heavy. Like someone punched him in the gut.

Then footsteps. Walking away.

One. Two. Three. Gone.

‘Did he leave?” Luca asked.

‘Yeah.”

‘You’re not going after him?”

Luca’s eyes said: *If you want to go, go. I can wait. I waited before. I’ll wait again.*

I looked back at him.

‘No,” I said. “Tonight it’s you and me.”

Luca’s eyes went red again.

He kissed my forehead. My nose. My lips.

The moon was full. Bright. The room was almost daylight.

Far away, a gate slamming.

Neither of us heard it.