Chapter 24: The Art of Waiting
201 Words
That evening, Emilia stood outside Luca’s apartment, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She hadn’t planned to come. But something inside her—something she refused to name—had pulled her here.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she knocked.
Luca opened the door, his surprise quickly shifting into something unreadable. “Emilia?”
She swallowed hard. “Can we talk?”
He stepped aside, letting her in. The space was unmistakably his—warm, slightly messy, filled with remnants of half-finished sketches and forgotten coffee cups.
She ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know where to start.”
Luca stepped closer, his voice gentle. “Then don’t. Just say what’s on your mind.”
She met his gaze, her walls threatening to crumble. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to trust that you won’t walk away again.”
Luca’s expression darkened. “I won’t.”
“Luca—”
He took her hands, his grip firm but careful. “Let me prove it to you, Emilia. One day at a time.”
She exhaled, letting herself believe that maybe—just maybe—this time would be different.
- Writer
