Luca’s Inferno by Karima Sa’ad Usman

28 Letting Go Emma. The words came like a knife to my heart. A deep cut that I knew would never heal. Luca stood before me

with tear-filled eyes and said he was letting me go.

“We still have four months,” I protested, and he ran his fingers through his hair.

“We wouldn’t if those bastards had succeeded and you had died. Please understand, Emma. You have

to leave. I am cutting off from you, and I will make a public show of it so they will know you are no longer

connected to me, and they will stay away from you. This is my cross to bear alone, not yours,” he said,

and against my better judgement, I began to cry. I knew I promised to close my heart, but it was easier

said than done. I couldn’t. My emotions were all over the place. I cursed everything. We shouldn’t have

gone on that vacation. If we had remained home, nothing would happen.

“Luca, I will stay indoors. I won’t go out. Please don’t do this,” I pleaded. I was desperate. I knew he

needed me just as much as I needed him, and his heart was breaking just as much as mine, but he was

too damn stubborn. I wished I had Aldo or Castelo’s number so they could talk some sense into him, but

I didn’t, and I knew deep down Luca won’t budge even with their influence.

“Please do not make this difficult, Emma. You promised no strings attached,” he reminded me, and I

wiped away my tears and nodded.

“I still have four months, Luca. At least give me time to organise myself and prepare for a life away from

here. I do not want to go back to Celio. If I leave today, I will have to return to Celio. ” I said, hoping to get

through to him.

“You can prepare yourself for what you want to do in Celio. You have more than enough in the account I

set up for you. I need you to cut off from me completely,” he said with a strong voice, and I began to

weep.

I had nothing to say. There was nothing I could say or do. His mind was made up. Why was I doomed

when it came to love? I got off the bed and walked to where he stood. I wrapped my arms around him

and placed my hand on his chest.

“Luca, I want to stay with you. I had never been happy until we got together. I want to remain here with

you, by your side as your wife. I will never ask for too much, Luca. I do not care for material things. We

do not have to go on vacations; we can stay here but don’t do this, please. You say you want to save my

life with this action, but you will be killing me this way. I promised not to talk about my feelings Luca, but I

have to. I have to lay it all on the line, hoping you will listen and change your decision to end this.” I said

with my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

“You might hate me now, Emma, but you will understand in future. Men like me do not live long. If we do,

everyone around us pays for it with their lives. I do not want you dead. You will always be in my heart,

Emma. I have never loved anyone as much as I have loved you. Being with you made me forget about

my cares and my trouble. I have experienced what love and being loved is. It is enough for me, Emma. I

cannot ask you to give your life for this. You are not cut out for this. Please, pack your bags and leave.”

He said, and I pulled away and looked into his eyes. I was in pain and was mad that he was too

stubborn. He loved me, yet he wanted

me to go. Realising I couldn’t get to him, I nodded. I went to the closet and packed only the clothes I

came with in the bag I had brought. I changed into the shorts and t-shirt I had had for a long time. If he

wasn’t letting us love each other, then there was no point keeping his money or the things he bought for

me. I took off the yellow diamond ring and the wedding band he purchased for me.

When I finished packing, I went to the bathroom to wash my face, returned to the closet, and brought my

bag

“What is that?” He asked me, confused.

“What I came with,” I said, and he was stunned.

“If I keep any of this stuff, it would be too painful to bear. You can sell them or give them away. I will not

need fancy stuff where I am going.” I said, wiping away fresh tears. Then I handed him the rings and the

Atm card. “It’s your money, Emma,” He said to me, and I shook my head.

“No, Luca. It is your money. Since our contract is over, it is only best I return everything to you,” I said.

When he refused to take it, I placed the items on the dresser.

“Emma, please,” he said, and I stopped him. “If you can’t listen to my pleas, then why should I listen to

yours? I was fine before this; I will be alright. When am I leaving?” I asked him, and he looked at me long

and hard. I could see him fighting himself, but I knew there was no way he would let me stay. It was over.

I knew he did not sleep through the night. “Emma.” he said, and I shut him up. He wasn’t going to tell me

what I wanted him to say. “I know you are sending me away to keep me safe, Luca, but know this, if you

die, I will follow you to the afterlife. I will only be safe if you stay alive, and that is a promise. I won’t

bother you or stalk you. I know you want a clean break, and I promise to maintain my silence and

distance but if you die, know that what you did today will not matter or count because I will follow you.” I

said to him, and he was in shock. He searched my eyes, but I remained firm in what I said. He moved

closer to me and cupped my face in his hands.

Both our hearts were breaking, and it was his fault. He bent and arrested my lips with his. I poured my

heart into the kiss, and he did the same. Soon he lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around him. I

wanted to commit everything about being with him to memory. He laid me on the bed with dark wolf eyes.

It didn’t take long for us to undress. He went down on me, and I tugged at his hair and moaned his name.

I knew this would be the last time, so I wanted everything. I wanted it all. I wish I could get a claim, but I

knew it would never get that far, so I intended to take what he was offering and savour it. I came, and he

buried himself into me and pumped. It was different. His love was deep and painful. He maintained eye

contact with me, and my heart was breaking so much that I looked away because even though I was

wrapped in pleasure, the pain in my eyes made tears of both pain and pleasure fall. I did not want him to

stop. I wanted to savour it and remain in a paused scene for the rest of my life, but soon we both came,

and the moment was over. I sat up in bed and wept, then went to dress up. I knew he did not mean to

make love to me; it was a goodbye kiss that turned steamy. “Gerald would drive you to Celio. I hope you

rethink leaving and stay there. Celio is under me, so you will always be safe there.” He said, and I wasn’t

really listening anymore. I picked up my bag, and he took the bag from me immediately and pleaded with

me to take everything he

had given me, but I refused. He had done enough. I reminded him what he had told me about the

jewellery, and he was silent.

“Your mother would be elated. At least some people would get some joy out of this,” I said with a painful

smile. “Well, if you ever change your mind any time soon, I will be at Celio,” I said, and he smiled at me,

but the smile wasn’t genuine, I saw his pain. We stepped out of his bedroom together, and I realised it

was truly over. I will never sleep on that bed or call it our room again. It was fun while it lasted. I had a

rough and good time. It was time to move on. As I descended the staircase, I prayed to the goddess to

not make me an Omega in my next life. Whatever sins ! had committed in my previous life were paid for

in full now because there is nothing worse than losing love.

His mother smiled at the foot of the stairs, and I smiled at her. Catalina had tears in her eyes. When I got

to the foot of the stairs, she hugged me. “Please stay in touch, Emma. Call me,” she said, and I nodded. I

asked her to write down her number on a piece of paper because I had left the phone Luca got me. I

would use Tevin’s phone to stay in touch with her when my heart heals. She did as I said and hugged me

again.

“Tell your father to stay away from debt. People don’t get lucky twice,” Lacy said, and I smiled at her.

“I will miss you too, Lacy, especially the insults. They made this house lively for me.” I said, and her eyes

faltered a bit. She looked away and soon started walking away quickly.

“She turned around when she found out how you saved my brother’s life,” Catalina said, feeling sorry for

her mother, and I smiled at her. The staff in the house all came to bid me farewell. Luca and I walked out

of the house. We had nothing to say to each other; it was over. I got into the car, and Luca shut the door.

I could not look at him anymore because tears were streaming down my face. I broke down entirely and

began to cry. Gerald got into the car, and the driver drove off. The further the vehicle went, the louder I

wailed.