Page 16 of Mine Again
“Lucanardo!” Luigi growls, using his son’s full name. I’ve only ever heard it twice in my life, and both times, it meant trouble.
He means business now, striding toward us, his face carved with urgency.
“Get in the car. We have to go!”
Luca’s eyes find mine. They search, apologize, and say everything he can’t.
“Don’t leave me, Luca,” I whisper, as the tears come fast and unstoppable.
“She’s not safe with us,” Luigi repeats more forcefully.
My eyes plead with Luca. Everything blurs. All I know is my love, my everything, is slipping through my fingers.
I see it. The moment he decides.
His eyes shutter, sealing something away.
“No,” I breathe. “No. Don’t you dare.”
“I’ll come back for you, Isa,” he says with painful conviction.
“No. Luca, please. Let me come with you.”
“You can’t,” Luigi yells, clearly wanting me to let go of his son.
“You don’t get to decide this for me!” I snap at him, all pretense of respect gone.
Luca grabs my shoulders, his eyes locked on mine. “Papa is right,farfalla. It’s too dangerous. I will not risk your life.”
His eyes bore into me, willing me to understand.
“I swear to you, Isa. Iwillcome back.”
“When?” I sob. “When?”
“I don’t know. But I will. Wait for me.”
And I know without a doubt that I would wait an eternity for him. He’s everything.
But I’m too stunned to speak, too stunned to move.
Luca is really going to leave me behind.
Luigi grabs his son’s arm again, trying to haul him toward the car, but I yank at Luca’s shirt, my fist curled in the fabric… it’s the only anchor I have left.
Luca wrenches free of his father’s hold and crashes back into me, his mouth finding mine with a desperate, searing kiss.
He pulls me closer against his body as our lips move like they’re saying all the things we don’t have time for.
The promise. The passion. The goodbye.
Luigi grabs him again.
“For fuck’s sake, Luca. They could be here any second. We need to leave. Now.”
Luca presses one last kiss to my lips, featherlight and final.
“Remember,” he whispers. “Iwillcome back for you. Always.”
