Page 74 of Click of Fate

“Make it sound like I’m irrational.”

“I’m not,” he says, voice firm. “I’m just…Stella, we had a good night. That’s not a crime.”

“Exactly,” I snap, stepping back. “It was too good.”

He rises slowly, like he’s afraid one wrong move might shatter the whole room. “You’re scared.”

I cross my arms. “I’m realistic.”

He scoffs, eyes shadowed in the dark. “No. You’re scared. And you’re pushing me away before I have the chance to disappoint you.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” he says, voice lower now, almost resigned. “Because you’re not giving me a choice. You’re making it for both of us.” He yanks pants up over his hips as I hand him his shirt.

“Maybe that’s because I’ve seen how this ends. You say you want me, but Claire’s still circling like she’s waiting to reclaim what’s hers,” I snap.

Luke blinks, stunned. “Claire?”

“She’s at your gym, talking expansion and dinner meetings. Don’t tell me she’s not still part of the picture.”

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Claire’s not part of this. She’s pushing, yeah, but I’ve told her no. I’ve told you…”

“Then why is she still around?” I ask, my voice rising before I can stop it. “Why is she always there?”

His jaw tightens. “Because she doesn’t like hearing no. But I’m not the one keeping her around. Don’t confuse her persistence with my intentions.”

“Intentions don’t matter when history is working overtime to remind me where I stand,” I say, my voice brittle.

“You’re not fighting for this,” he says, shaking his head. “You’re just looking for an excuse to leave.”

I feel the panic rising in my throat. The only thing I can reach for is distance. “You’re just not who I thought I’d end up with.”

The moment the words are out, I want to pull them back.

His face goes still. Cold.

“Wow.” He laughs once, bitter. “That’s brutal.”

“I didn’t mean…”

“Yeah, you did.” He pulls his shirt over his head, jaw tight. “You say you don’t do serious. You say you’re protecting yourself. But what you’re actually doing is running. Again. And not even giving us a chance.”

I say nothing.

Because he’s right.

Because I don’t know how to fix it.

He grabs his keys from the nightstand and moves toward the door. “I hope you figure out what you actually want, Stella. Because I already know what I want.”

And just like that, he’s gone.

No door slam. No grand exit.

Just silence.

I follow behind as I hear the front door close quietly, the weight of what just happened settling like a fog and making my chest feel heavy.

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