Chapter 2

Maya's POV

At ten that night, I sat alone in a bar with three empty glasses in front of me.

Ryan had been right about one thing. I had always been obedient.

When I was fifteen, someone anonymously sponsored me to attend technical school. After that, I became even more careful, afraid of wasting the chance someone had given me and afraid that one wrong move would leave me unable to get back up.

I chose Ryan for the same reason. He was safe enough. A stable job. An ordinary family. No debt. No dangerous habits. He was the "right answer" in everyone else's eyes.

But the right answer hadn't made my life any better.

Suddenly, I wanted to know what would happen if I didn't choose the right answer tonight.

The bartender had just asked whether I wanted a fourth drink when a hand took my glass away first.

I looked up. The man from that afternoon had taken the seat across from me.

"Are you following me?"

"This bar belongs to me."

I was quiet for two seconds. "Then your bar's liquor tastes terrible."

He gave a low laugh. "Luca."

"What?"

"My name."

I looked at him. "I didn't ask."

"I wanted to tell you." He said it as if that settled everything, and his smile was still unfairly beautiful.

My mood actually lifted a little.

Luca glanced at my bare ring finger. "The engagement is over?"

"You pay attention."

"You had a ring mark this afternoon."

I stared into my glass. "He cheated."

"So he's your ex-fiancé now."

I looked at him. "You jump to conclusions fast."

"Are you going back to him?"

This time, I didn't hesitate. "No."

The moment I said it, something inside me loosened.

I told Luca that I had rarely made real decisions for myself. All my life, people had told me which road was safer and which choice carried the least risk. I had always followed their instructions.

Luca watched me. "You can choose not to listen."

I froze. Those words made me think of the anonymous sponsor from when I was fifteen. He had always signed his name with a single L.

I shoved the thought away quickly. There were countless people in the world whose names began with L.

When I looked back at Luca, I suddenly realized he was nothing like any choice I had made before.

Around thirty. Handsome. Rich. Dangerous. No matter how I looked at him, he had no place in the careful life plan I had built.

That was why I asked, "Are you married?"

"No."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No."

"Good."

Luca's brow drew together. "Maya, you just ended an engagement."

"I know."

"You might regret this tomorrow."

"Then that's tomorrow's problem." I held his gaze.

He stared back at me. "Don't use me as a way to vent your emotions."

I paused. "You don't want this?"

He didn't answer, but his eyes had already answered for him.

I stepped closer. "Weren't you the one who told me to make my own choices?"

Luca was silent for a moment. "I'll ask one last time. You won't regret it?"

I tipped my head up and kissed him.

I admitted that part of me wanted to prove how ridiculous Ryan had been.

But more than that, I wanted to know whether I would regret it when I stopped thinking about marriage and stopped caring what other people thought.

The answer was no.

When I woke up the next morning, my mind was clear. I remembered everything from the night before.

I started getting dressed.

Luca leaned against the headboard. "Your number."

"You didn't say last night came with follow-up service."

His expression darkened a little.

I almost laughed.

Then my phone lit up.

Ryan had changed his number and started flooding me with messages.

[Stop acting up. The wedding is still happening.]

[My mom already sent the invitations to the family.]

[Who else are you going to marry besides me?]

That last message would have hurt me before. Now, it only felt absurd.

I turned off my phone.

Before I left, Luca asked again, "Your last name?"

"Reed."

He repeated it slowly. "Maya Reed."

I smiled and closed the door behind me.