When Luke got home that night, he wasn't sure what he was expecting. On a rational level, he realised that he should be angry with you. His company was being threatened and it was your fault. The hard work he'd put in the past few years into building the company to what it is now was on the edge of becoming obsolete. The long hours he'd put into it – the long hours that would always get you angry with him, but you'd still say you understand – were slowly turning into a wasted time. On a rational level, he knew it was your fault all of that was happening.
But he couldn't help the small whisper in the back of his mind, the small flicker of hope that maybe you weren't at fault. That maybe you didn't actually make an effort to ruin his company. Maybe – and this was a big maybe for him – his mother did in fact set you up.
Luke shook the thought out of his head, attempting to bring his rationality back to the forefront of his emotional mind. He unlocked the door and let out a heavy sigh, when his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the house. I guess you did leave.
But while his rational mind felt relieved that he won't have to deal with you tonight anymore, his chest fell a little bit at the emptiness of the big house. He always thought home felt empty without you.
Biting his lip, Luke made his way upstairs, trying his best not to imagine what it would be like to come back home to you again. But as his foot settled on the very top stair, his eyes focused on a thin line of light on the carpet, shining out of his bedroom.
He opened the door only to reveal the image of you silently working on your laptop. Your bare legs reflected the dimmed lights of the bedroom, immediately attracting his attention for a quick second. Your hair was no longer in a neat hairdo and your body was merely covered with a pyjama you always considered as the only appropriate work attire at home. He noticed your concentrated face and your earphones, yet he still spoke without giving it another thought.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
The words just fell out of his mouth. Suddenly the hard slamming of his heart in his chest did not seem to dictate his feelings. His mind went completely blank of any emotion and thought he'd build up since the time he last saw you earlier that day. All he felt was undeniable shock and a sudden surge of anger that made his jaw clench and his nostrils flare with loud exhales.
You jumped slightly at his suddenly announced presence, tearing the earphones out, as you glared at him. "Do you not know how to fucking knock?" You mumbled.
"This is my fucking bedroom. I walk in whenever and however I goddamn want," he shot back, throwing his laptop case on a desk and slipping his suit jacket off. "Now, I believe I asked what the fuck are you still doing here?" Luke's eyes glared at you, as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt. He looked so exhausted and sick of fighting, and, frankly, so were you. But you'll be damned if you'd ever let someone win over you.
So you stood up, facing him and mimicking his determined stance. "Last time I checked, this was my house, too."
"Last time I checked, you divorced me," he shot back immediately. "And jeopardised my business." He added with a sarcastic smirk on his lips as he glared at you form over the room.
Your stance slumped slightly at his words. You felt helpless and you felt defeated – why can't he just believe you? How many times will you have to swear to him that every single word you spoke hold definite truth? How will you ever make him turn on his own mother?
"I told you, I didn't do it—"
Luke scoffed, "Oh yeah, I remember that beautiful story about my mother fucking our marriage up." Sarcastically, e smacked his hand together into a clap. "Truly, a wonderful story. I'll remember it for quite some time. But that still doesn't answer my question of why the fuck are you still in my house?"
You simply sighed, your mind suddenly heavy with guilt. "I'm not going anywhere until you believe me. Please, Luke," you spoke gently, walking around the huge bed and towards him. "I did not make a deal with a gang behind your back." You stopped a couple feet away from him, looking him straight in the eye. Your voice was just above a whisper, as you held your eyes fixed on his. "I swear."
Once again, Luke felt his heart and his mind dictate different things. He just wanted to stop fighting. He wanted to believe every single word you said, but somehow the memory of you leaving him without a reason kept coming back and standing in a way of his trust. The image of a case that was presented to him more than 24 hours ago seemed prominently printed in his mind.
So Luke shook his head in response, "I don't fucking believe you." He breathed, stepping away from you with his back turned. His hand found its way into his hair, tucking on it in slight frustration, as his eyes fluttered closed, trying to get over the feeling of betrayal that flooded his chest.
"Why?" You felt frustration build up, as you spoke a little louder, your emotions on the verge of spilling out. "Everything I told you today... Why the fuck can't you just believe that your mother wanted to ruin our marriage long before it even started?"
"Oh please, not this shit again," Luke huffed with an eye roll, shifting on his feet frustratingly. "I know you two never got along and I don't give a shit why. But don't fucking drag her into this, okay? Don't make her a part of your twisted game. You fucked up and you are the one to blame. Not my mother," Luke's voice echoed loudly in the room, but somehow it made you angry rather than intimidated.
You scoffed, a constraint smile on your lips. "I can't believe this," you breathed shaking your head. You knew that Luke loved his mother more than anyone else in the world. And yes, you always knew that making him believe she's anything but a sweet, caring woman that he knew would take a lot of effort. But you never realised it was going to be this difficult.
"Well, that makes two of us, because I can't believe this too," Luke shot back, his jaw clenched in tension.
You took a long breath, running a hand through your hair. If only you could tell him a full story. "Okay, fine. You don't want to believe me, that's fine. But just know that your mother's been involved in this a lot more more than you could ever image," you added calmly, getting ready to leave the room.
But Luke simply sighed. "You know damn well I will not turn my back on my family, so don't even try to put my mother and I against each other. You know it won't work," he spoke rather calmly too, but his shoulders still seemed as tensed as ever and the atmosphere in the room felt way too thick for you to relax, even when silence settled in between you two.
"Why can't you just leave me?" You heard Luke mumble and your eyes shot back to him, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
Luke stood with his head bowed low, fingers rubbing his tired eyes. "You did it once before without me asking. Why can't you just do it now?" He questioned again. His voice was so quite and little, it tugged at your heart. Luke usually tall posture was slumped and his eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep.
You stayed quiet until he looked at you. And even then, it took you a few seconds to find the right words to answer.
"Because this time I choose not to," was all you managed to whisper before a lump settled in your throat, making it hard to even breathe.
"I don't want you here. I don't want a traitor in my house," Luke's voice was so quiet and cold you could feel yourself shiver. You couldn't miss a small twinkle in his eye – a small droplet that reflected the dimmed light. A small droplet that made your heart break a little bit, that made your lungs stop working. A small droplet that made your own eyes fill with tears. "Just leave me alone," Luke finally finished. If you were given a choice between being stabbed and Luke stop loving you, you would choose the former, because you were sure it would hurt less.
You simply stood staring at each other for a minute. You were frozen in the moment, every nerve of your body felt like it was on fire. You felt like your heart was being ripped out of your chest and cut to pieces. Your ears hummed – it almost felt like it was playing a sad symphony perfectly fitting with the situation. But your body was completely still, eyes fixed and hands still by your sides.
Neither of you moved, until the doorbell rung that pulled you out of your unspoken trance. Luke turned his gaze away from you with a soft shake of his head and walked to the bathroom, leaving you alone in the bedroom. You heard him lock the door right before a second doorbell rung, reminding you that someone was at the door downstairs.
When you reached the security camera screen downstairs, the last thing you expected to see was your fiancée.
"Jake, what are you doing here?" Anxiously, you watched your fiancée enter the house, dragging his luggage behind him.
He stopped one step into the house, not wanting to stay long in the house filled with your past he was too jealous to know about. "I came here to get you."
"To get me?" Slightly insulted, you asked.
"You've been declining my calls, ignoring my emails. It's been way longer than you said you'd stay, Y/N. I've missed you back home. You promised you'll come back."
Having changed into sweatpants, Luke made his way downstairs, accidentally catching the end of your fiancée's words.
"Jacob—" you breathed, running a hand through your hair frustratingly. Problems with your fiancée was the last thing you needed right now. "I will come back. I promise. I just can't leave yet." You knew how weak that sounded and you almost expected Jake to burst out in anger.
He furrowed his eyebrows at you, "What do you mean you can't leave? He's not signed the papers yet?" Jacob knew the very surface of your situation with Luke. He knew Luke hadn't signed the papers for a couple of months and he knew that it was you who decided to leave your husband. But he never got around to asking why – you always thought it was a jealousy thing.
Eavesdropping, Luke could hear a hint of resentment in Jake's voice when he asked about your divorce, which only made him tense once again. He couldn't wait to hear your answer to Jacob's question, barely holding back a scoff already.
For a moment, you stayed silent, debating whether it was a better idea to lie or tell the truth. Either way, you knew that a fight was glooming. "No, he has, but –"
Every fibre of Jake's being felt that something was wrong. By the way you were avoiding making eye contact, by the way your breathing suddenly became irregular and your hands could not settle in one place. "But what, Y/N?" He questioned calmly, making Luke take a few steps closer to the hallway to hear you two better.
You sighed heavily. "I can't leave just yet, Jake. I have some things to do."
"What do you mean you can't leave? You're divorced, aren't you?" He questioned.
You nodded in response, barely looking him in the eye. "Yeah, but—"
"But what? You keep saying that, but I don't hear anything coherent come after it. You're free to leave, right? We're free to get married. I don't get it. What is it that's holding you back?" The way Jake spoke, you could sense he was getting restless and more and more irritated by the second. His after-plane exhaustion was no help in the matter, too.
For some reason, Luke felt victorious – as if he'd won something. You're not leaving with you're fiancée, you're staying with Luke.
"Something else came up, babe. I can't leave yet, I have to deal with it first."
You heard Jake's luggage rattle, as he frustratingly moved it in place. "What do you mean you can't—" he sighed, closing his eyes for a second. "Okay, tell me what else came up."
You rubbed your face frustratingly, knowing how bad the situation must have seemed to him. "I can't—"
Jake laughed bitterly. "Oh, let me guess. You can't tell me."
You exhaled sharply, placing your hands on your hips and looking him in the eye. But your hands didn't stay there for long, immediately coming up to gently grip Jake by his jacket. "Look, let's go to the hotel or something. Stay here with me for a bit, you'll love Sydney. We can talk about all this."
He shook his head, taking a step back. "What's the point if you can't tell me anything?" He let out a dark chuckle. "And why aren't you in a hotel in the first place? How long have you been staying here with that asshole?"
Luke didn't know what came over him, but he felt himself stepping into the hallway, further away from you two, but still clearly visible to Jake.
"Because this is my house, too. And you know that."
"This stopped being your house the moment you received the signed papers," he spoke, clearly irritated. You watched how Jake's eye drifted behind you, his jaw tensing in anger.
You turned around only to see a shirtless Luke, only with his sweatpants hanging on his hips. "Jake—" you started, knowing that that must not look good in Jake's eyes.
He simply shook his head before settling his eyes back on you. "It's because of him, isn't it?"
"Jake, please. You have to understand—"
A sarcastic smile stretched on his lips. "No, I don't. I understood when you told me you're going to force him to sign the papers, okay? I understood when you told me you'll stay here for a couple of days. But I will not understand you sleeping in the same house as him—"
You listened to his rant, trying to think of a way to make this look less bad, but your thoughts – as well as Jake's words – were interrupted by Luke's obnoxious scoff.
Jake's eyes shot to the half-naked man behind you and back to you. "You two fucked, didn't you?" He finally asked. Jake watched blood drain from your face, as you helplessly gripped his jacket again.
"Jacob, please. Let's go to the hotel together. It's not as bad as it looks like. I swear—"
"You sure do a lot of swearing these days," Luke mumbled his comment, but it still reached both you and your fiancée.
But Jake simply let out a bitter laugh, unclutching your fingers from around his jacket. "You know what, I'm out of here," he shook his head. "You stay here as long as you want, there will be no one waiting for you in New York." He spoke, opening the door.
"Jake, no," your vision got blurry and your knees started to tremble, as you realised what was about to happen. "Just listen to me—"
"You know, you two surely deserve each other," he mumbled stepping outside and glancing over at you. "Keep the ring. It's tainted by now."
You flinched at the sound of the door closing. Closing your eyes, you bowed your head, as silent tears rolled down your cheeks, leaving a mark on your T-shirt.
Luke stood quietly behind you, his heart racing in his chest at the scene that just unfolded in front of him. He couldn't believe he just witnessed you getting dumped, but he also felt relieved that it was just you an him in the picture now.
He kept quiet until you turned around and looked at him. The pained expression on your face and the red-brimmed eyes made Luke's mouth open in surprise. He'd never seen you so broken before and he couldn't help the sudden feeling of guilt clutch his chest.
He tried to think of a way to comfort you, but the way your eyes were fixed on him, the way they burned his skin – he wasn't sure you'd want to hear anything come out of his mouth.
And so he simply stayed still in his spot, until your eyes killed every happy cell in his body, leaving him cold and guilty; until you walked upstairs, locking the bedroom door behind you and leaving him frozen in the hallway.
- - -
You could not bear the sound of the doorbell anymore. But when it woke you up early in the morning, it somehow seemed even more irritating. After a few impatient rings, you went downstairs to answer it, but after a quick minute you wished you hadn't.
You clutched the yellow envelope in your hand as you stormed past the top floor of Luke's office building, barging into his office without a knock or an annoying secretary following right after.
You slammed the envelope on his desk, earning an annoyed glare from him, but it didn't hold you back.
"You're suing me?!"