Chapter 28: Life happens, Sara
The next morning, Sara stirred awake only to find herself curled against Luca’s chest, her arms tangled around him as though she had been clinging to him in her sleep.
"Ah!" She gasped softly, eyes flying wide. Her heart thudded against her ribs as she jerked back, her hand pressing against her chest.
’What the hell...?’ Relief washed through her when she saw his eyes were still closed.
Biting her lip, Sara carefully slid out from under the sheets, moving as quietly as possible. She slipped into her slippers and hurried into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
By the time she returned, she had composed herself. She made her way to the little coffee station and busied her hands preparing a cup. She reached for her mug when Luca’s voice interrupted her.
"One for me too," came a husky whisper from behind.
Her shoulders stiffened. Slowly, she turned her head, only to find Luca standing there, bare-chested, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.
"Good morning," he said, running his fingers through his hair.
Sara clutched her mug tighter. "Hmm. Good morning."
He walked away to freshen up while Sara busied herself with the coffee machine, the soft hiss filling the silence of the suite. By the time he returned, drying his face with a white towel draped loosely around his shoulders, she had already poured two mugs.
"Put on something," Sara said quickly, holding one out to him without meeting his bare chest for too long.
He smirked, taking the mug from her fingers. "Why? Only you and I are in the room." His voice carried that teasing edge she both loathed and secretly felt her heart trip over.
He tilted his head toward the balcony. "Let’s have it outside."
Sara followed him, and the moment the glass doors slid open, a breeze brushed against her face. A bright smile unconsciously curved her lips. From the balcony, the endless stretch of the sea sparkled under the morning sun.
"We should also go down there after breakfast," Sara murmured, resting her arms on the railing. For a moment, she almost forgot her complicated reality, letting the serenity seep into her.
"Of course," Luca agreed, raising the mug to his lips. His eyes didn’t leave her though. "We’ll explore a lot today."
She glanced at him, narrowing her eyes slightly. "How did you even come up with the idea of Amalfi Coast? I thought you hated beaches."
He turned his head, one brow arched. "Why did you think I hated beaches?"
"Umm..." Sara hesitated, lifting her coffee as a shield. "I heard it from someone."
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. "You really believe everything you hear?" He leaned closer, his gaze tracing her features before drifting back toward the horizon. "It’s romantic here. That’s why I chose this destination."
"Romantic? We don’t love each other," Sara muttered, almost to herself.
"Don’t remind me again and again," Luca replied, a flicker of irritation passing through his voice. He set his mug down on the balustrade. Then, with a sudden shift in tone, he asked, "Do you want me to take some pictures of you? You could post them on your profile."
Sara snapped her head toward him. "No way. I can’t show anyone that I’m... having fun here. What would they think of me?" she said quickly, clutching the mug as though it were her shield.
Luca studied her for a moment, his jaw tightening before his lips curved in the faintest smirk. "Fine. Don’t post them. But at least have some pictures for yourself, for the memories."
Her eyes grew big slightly for a moment. Memories with him were exactly what she didn’t want... And yet, part of her was ready to make them.
Luca vanished into the room for a moment and reappeared almost instantly with his phone in hand. His expression brightened with boyish mischief, but when he caught the reluctance shadowing her eyes, his smile dimmed.
"You didn’t kill anyone, Sara. The company is in safe hands," he said lightly, trying to coax her mood. "So relax a little... Give me a pose or two."
"You don’t have to make me feel good," Sara whispered. "I don’t deserve to be... Happy." She turned away from him, letting the breeze brush against her face as she stared out at the vast, endless sea. The rim of her coffee mug hid the tremor of her lips.
The spark of excitement drained from Luca’s face. Quietly, he slid his phone back into the pocket of his trousers and stepped closer.
"Sorry. I know you’ve been trying—" she stopped abruptly when his arm draped firmly but gently around her shoulders.
"Don’t be sorry," Luca murmured, his voice unusually soft for a man so often sharp. "It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. But life happens, Sara. Mistakes are just part of it. You learn, you move on. That’s how you survive."
Her throat tightened. "I read what people said about me... about us. On our marriage. On my decisions. Their words were cruel, but they weren’t wrong. I was selfish. I made blunders. And now, I can’t undo them."
She tilted her head slightly. "I don’t know why I am suddenly telling you all of this."
"Because you’ve only me to share your worries," Luca stated. He grabbed his own mug and finished the coffee soon while she drank from her the mug in her hands.
"I will bathe first," Sara said.
"Hmm."
She took the mug from him and went inside. Luca quickly took out his phone and typed a message to Fabio. Just then, a call reflected on the screen of his phone. It was from his mother.
He knew ignoring it would only make Vinni angry. Answering it, he brought the device to his ear.
"Luca, where are you?"
"Why do you want to know?" he asked in an indifferent tone.
"I would like to see you now," Vinni said.
"I’m not in Spain. You’ve to wait for one week, Mom," Luca stated.
"Are you walking on the path where your grandfather was once?" Vinni asked. "You father and I clearly told you to stop harming people. You thought we wouldn’t find out, right?"
"And now you both have found out, so don’t expect I’ll listen to you," Luca pronounced.
"Why don’t you understand that your life can be at risk?" Vinni shouted at him, almost losing her temper.
"Mom, stop showing the care toward me. Don’t forget you never have been a caring mother, nor father was. So, stop pretending that you two are worried for me," Luca snapped before hanging up.