She could have signedthe papers digitally. She didn’t have to be here in person. But for some reason, Allegra had just known that the only way to fully close the door on her marriage to Luca was to go there and be present. Face to face with the end of her life as a Di Santis—her short-lived marriage.
To sign her name with pen to paper, to end the marriage that had meant so much to her, to the man she would never forget, and never not love.
The lawyer she’d engaged had been the only one she could afford, and his office was in a small building off a busy street, filled with construction. The legal secretary was acting as a receptionist, and she stood to greet Ally.
“Mrs Di Santis?”
Ally flinched. “Please, call me Allegra.”
Within the next few minutes, she would no longer be Mrs anything or anyone. It felt like a piece of her was breaking off.
“This way, please. They’re waiting for you.”
She nodded stiffly, not stopping to wonder who ‘they’ were, then wishing she had when the door opened and her eyes landed immediately on Luca, and every cell in her body seemed to stopdoing whatever it was cells did, and freeze. Just like her. She stopped where she was, feet unable and unwilling to move.
And then, she was backing out of the office, some kind of survival instinct kicking in, telling her she needed to undo this. To escape. To get the hell away.
But she was barely at the door when he cursed, the sound an invective that ricocheted around the faded wallpapered walls of the compact boardroom, her lawyer’s eyes wide as Luca unfurled to his full height and began to stride in her direction.
The cells went on strike again.
Her body was rigid, like a board. Except for her fingers which trembled so badly she had to find a way to jam them into her pockets.
She felt cold and hot, all at once.
He came to stand two feet in front of her. Close enough that she could see the tiny lines around his eyes, close enough that she could see the smattering of freckles on the bridge of his nose, but not close enough to touch, unless one of them reached for the other.
Luca’s throat shifted seconds before his voice emerged, as though he needed to force his mouth to work.
“Stay, Allegra.”
It was a plea. A plea like she’d heard him offer so many times, but usually, when they were in bed. She couldn’t, though. She knew she couldn’t. If she stayed, she’d weaken, and she was so scared of that.
She had to stay strong, for a few minutes longer, to stay free of him. Because if she relented, if she stayed and listened, she would do whatever he asked of her, even giving up on the idea of his loving her back, just to be with him. Just to take whatever he was willing to offer.
“I can’t.”
“You must.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
He shifted his head slightly, so he was angled to the side. “Leave us,” he said to the lawyer. In that moment, Allegra couldn’t even remember the man’s name.
He stood uneasily, skirted the table and made for the door. Allegra went to follow him, but Luca reached for her, his hand brushing hers, his fingers latching to her fingers. “We have to talk.”
“We talked.”
“It’s been two months.”
She closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath, then wishing she hadn’t when she tasted his fragrance in her mouth, and her stomach clenched with remembered longing. “I’m aware of that. Hence I filed for divorce.”
“Yes, thank you for that.”
Anger fired through her; a welcome relief from grief, hurt and hope. “What were you expecting?” she hissed. “That I would simply fade into the background but remain your wife? What for? To avoid a scandal for you? To avoid the risk of the press finding out it was over so fast?”
“I don’t give a shit about the press,” he contradicted, just as fiercely. “Or anyone. You should have toldmeyou were doing this.”
“I did,” she responded sharply. “My lawyer said he’d notify you.”
