Page 61 of Sworn to My Heart
I proceed to the duty-free area after all the checks, immediately spotting my gate as the employee had pointed out. I buy a hot coffee, and while waiting to board, I put on my earphones, play some music, and close my eyes.
The first song ends, and in the break between songs, a hand touches my shoulder, making me jump. Luca? I turn my head quickly to the side, but this time, a smile spreads across my face when I see who’s standing next to me.
“Miguel? What are you doing here?” I ask excitedly, jumping up to hug him tightly.
“I’m on my way to Miami. The question is, what are you doing here? Rumor has it in the pod that you’re getting married,” hereplies and laughs, returning my hug warmly.
“I’m not getting married, I’m running away,” I answer honestly, lowering my head to the floor. Miguel and I had a relationship that went a bit beyond friends in the past, but we realized we were best off as just good friends.
I lift my head to look at him when his laughter fills the air. “You never change, Alin, always rebelling. You can’t live without the action,” he says.
“That’s not true!” I protest but immediately join his laughter. He’s right. We always used to escape to the surface together; our adventurous spirit always got the best of us.
He sits down next to me and tells me that he also ran away from the pod. Luckily, he has no ties to royalty, so no one is looking for him like they are me. How lucky.
When he asks about me, I give short answers, trying to avoid talking about everything I’ve been through. I’m still not ready to face that.
“I missed you a lot,” he suddenly says, holding my hand affectionately. I’m not lying when I reply, “I missed you too.” I really did miss him; I miss everyone.
“If you’re also on the run and heading to Miami, why don’t we live together? We could save on expenses and wouldn’t have to hide our true selves,” he suggests, his grip on my hand tightening with excitement.
“Sounds like a plan,” I immediately smile and am happy to accept his offer. Maybe I’m not alone after all. When I get to Miami, we can settle together. I can contact Cora, apologize, and start a new life again. After all, this will be the third time I’m doing this. I’m already an expert. I’ll find a way to see Cora in the future. This won’t be the last time she hears from me. No fucking way I am giving up on her.
Miguel smiles at me and plants a long kiss on my cheek, a warmand familiar kiss. He has always been a good friend. Even though we hadn’t spoken or seen each other for so long, he always understands me and knows exactly what I need.
I smile in response, but suddenly, a loud thud fills my ears, and his lips break away from my cheek abruptly. I look up to see Miguel sprawled on the floor, holding his jaw, a soft curse escaping his lips.
My eyes follow his gaze, identifying the cause— the man who sent me away.
When did he get here? How does he know where I am? I paid for everything in cash. Psychopath.
His face is flushed with anger as he looks at Miguel lying on the ground, and it seems he’s not done with him yet.
I kneel down to help Miguel sit back on the seat, my gaze apologetic as I see his cheek reddening from the force of the blow. Now I look at Luca with the same angry look he’s giving Miguel.
“Who do you think you are? What are you doing here?” I shout at him, and it seems our little scene has drawn the attention of everyone at the gate.
“Who is this fucker? I let you go, and you’re already running off with another man? I definitely made the right decision,” he says through gritted teeth. He’s losing his patience, and it doesn’t look like the fact that Miguel is sitting close to me, holding my hand, is helping him calm down.
I release Miguel’s hand and give him an apologetic look, hoping he won’t get involved. “Why do you even care who I’m with? You threw me out of your life, let me stay out. You can’t keep playing with me like this,” I say, clutching my backpack, wondering where I can go from here. I made it to the airport, where else can I go?
“It seems like you were the one playing me all along, if youcould jump straight to another man,” he continues to push for answers in a venomous tone.
“This is Miguel, Luca. He also ran away from my pod,” I say in surrender, wondering why it even matters to him who I’m with. “Why did you come here?” I ask again, now it’s my turn to demand answers.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you from the moment you left. I tried. I wanted to give you the life you wanted,” he says as I turn my back to him, wanting to walk away.
I freeze in place as his words hit me like arrows in the back. I turn back to him, “All I wanted from you, wasyou. I believed, like a lovesick sixteen-year-old, that you’d accept me as I am. I guess wishes don’t always come true,” I say quietly, my voice sounding more pained than I expect. I lock onto his stormy gray eyes, which suddenly look so tired.
“Wishes don’t come true? I told you, you belong with me. But there’s no such thing as love in our world. I can’t give you the romantic love from the movies that you want. Forget love, I can’t even get close to your world or understand it. How do you expect me to deal with that?” he replies.
“I gave you that choice back on the bridge. You made empty promises and then threw me away. What do you want to give me, Luca? Sex? That’s not enough for me. I can go out and get that in abundance,” I reply, my voice rising as the tears threatens to fall again at his answer. I’m probably giving the crowd waiting at the gate a great show.
His face pales instantly. “Alin, if any other man dares to touch you, he won’t keep his life, no matter where you go. Consider that your last warning,” he growls, his anger flaring again in his stormy eyes.
There’s no reasoning with him now, the caveman has resurfaced. I turn away and move to the other side of the gate.We have nothing left to say.
“I don’t know what I feel. The only thing I know is that if you’re not with me, if I can’t breathe you in, I go crazy. I want you next to me more than anything in the world. But when you disappeared today at the beach, I realized there are things I can’t give you. Your world is way beyond my reach. In my world, I get everything I want. In your world ... I didn’t even know it existed until yesterday!” His speech turns my heart to jelly in an instant. I hate that I’m like this because of you, Luca Spallo. Damn you.
