She Gets Me | #DarkRomance | RomePi™

֍17: Checkmate֍ (UPDATED 09/13/2023)

~CONFRONTATION~

"Yes," Luca answered his door.

A look of disinterest graced his face as he spoke to the woman who had previously turned her back on him as if his feelings were nothing of importance. When he opened the door, he already knew exactly who it was and honestly he'd tried to convince himself that he could care less whether she was there or not until he took in the wreck before him.

Torren's face was puffy and red. Her eyes were pools of misery leading him to believe that she had been crying for hours. Luca relished many things, but the sight of her wasn't something he readily enjoyed. He hadn't recalled a time in the past when another person's misery tugged at him for bail that moment. But still... in his mind, she had a lot to learn.

Torren needed to understand it was ill-advised for her to ignore him. If she wanted to be a part of his world, she must first learn her place.

"Why did you do it?" Her chin trembled a bit as she posed the question in a voice that was barely audible. Luca reflected how cute and even endearing she was in her insecurity. He much preferred the humbled person standing before to the haughty woman who carried herself as if other were beneath her.

Taking his time to ponder the scene, he refrained from responding too quickly. Though he'd heard her question, there was no reason for him to explain his actions.

Hadn't she dismissed him? Wasn't she the same person to turn her back to him when he attempted to reason with her?

Luca in no way felt beholden to anyone, least of all a woman who would run away from what they shared when it wasn't going the way she wanted.

Allowing time to pass before he granted her access to his space was done with the same intention for not immediately sharing his response to her question.

Torren must learn who he was and how it was supposed to be.

"What do you mean? Why did I do what?" Displaying such an innocent face, he minimized her complaint.

"The redhead. Why did you fuck her?" The tears flowed once again. Though she had insisted she wouldn't cry in front of him, the tears streamed down her cheeks without the least amount of concern for what she had told herself before she knocked on his door.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Luca refused to give her the power to wield the accusation as a weapon. As he watched her eyes, he saw the desire to lash out at him but that did little to diminish his stance.

"I saw you walk in the building with that tall redhead. Once I made up the elevator, I tried to come over and discuss everything that has happened with you the other day when I heard you in here with..." The waterworks started again. Most of what she said at that point made no sense.

"The lady you saw me with lives in this building on the sixth floor. I greeted her when we met in the parking lot because she happens to be one of my long-time tenants. Why wouldn't I hold a conversation with her? Isn't that the professional thing for a businessman to do with a customer?" Luca smiled at her as the realization settled on her face.

"Your tenant? You mean... you didn't have sex with... her? Wait a minute... you own this building?" In her face, he witnessed an information overload.

"That woman's husband is a detective. I would never place myself on the wrong side of the law by sleeping around with a law enforcement officer's wife." He chuckled.

Torren was breathless. She had nothing to say. That within itself was a miracle because she always had something to say even if it was much more beneficial for her to remain silent. The time she spent crying was for naught.