There was no joy in Luka’s eyes; his hand tightened around Quincy’s without thinking. It lasted only a moment, but I saw it clearly, and it cut deep.
“Talia Pearson? How did you…”
Luka let go of Quincy’s hand, smiled, and walked toward me.
When he tried to pull me into his arms, he hesitated. That pause, that flicker of disgust he couldn’t hide, pierced my heart like a knife.
For a brief moment, Quincy looked shaken at being let go, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Talia, you’re finally back. We’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been all these years?”
As she stepped closer, Luka still embraced me, but it was reluctant, and the distaste on his face was impossible to miss.
I couldn’t help but think back to that graduation trip, when I had fallen into the forest during the storm.
I was gone for two days, and when I finally stumbled out, soaked and covered in mud, Luka had rushed to me without hesitation, pulling me into his arms as if he would never let go.
In that moment, I wanted to shove him away. “Dirty.”
But Luka only pulled me closer. “You’re not dirty. How could my Talia ever be dirty? I finally found you.”
“Am I… interrupting you two?”