Chapter 17: A Dance Between Us
219 Words
Later that night, the tension between them remained.
To lighten the mood, Luca pulled Emilia into a small jazz bar, where the soft hum of a saxophone filled the dimly lit space.
“I don’t dance,” Emilia protested as he led her onto the dance floor.
Luca smirked. “You used to.”
“That was a lifetime ago.”
“Then let’s bring it back.”
Reluctantly, she placed her hands in his, allowing him to guide her to the slow rhythm.
At first, the movements were hesitant, careful. But as the music swayed around them, something shifted.
Luca’s hand rested lightly on her waist, his fingers brushing against the fabric of her dress. Their bodies moved in sync, the space between them narrowing with each step.
Emilia looked up at him, her eyes dark and searching.
“Why are you doing this, Luca?” she whispered.
His thumb grazed her wrist, sending a shiver down her spine. “Because I want to remember what it feels like to have you in my arms.”
Her breath hitched.
For a moment, just a moment, she let herself forget the past.
But as the song faded, reality rushed back in.
She pulled away.
“We can’t keep pretending,” she said softly.
Luca’s heart sank.
He wasn’t pretending.
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