I wasn't expecting Bridgeview Street to look so old. And not just old, but it seemed like the most worn-out place in the whole city. Colourful graffiti covering most of the walls, there weren't many people out here.

Or maybe that was just because it was nighttime right now.

I pushed back a loose strand of my hair behind my ear and looked around the isolated road. There were houses at some distance but they looked mostly abandoned.

This explained why the cab driver had given me an odd look when I'd asked him to drop me here. He probably thought I was out of my goddamned mind to come here alone.

Inhaling deeply, I kept on walking, my senses on high alert as if expecting someone or something to jump out at any given second. This whole entire section of the town didn't seem normal at all, and there was no way I'd be finding people with good intentions here. What had Papa even wanted from here?

When I neared the corner of the street, I took a turn and headed behind the alley. The path turned even narrower and I found myself doubting my actions a little more than before.

This isn't right, Grace. But before I could've stopped walking, I neared the end and saw a small house constructed right there, almost hidden under the utter darkness. It seemed to be the only house in the distance, albeit the most unwelcoming, as I stared at it, contemplating.

"Don't back off," I murmured under my breath, a constant reminder to keep going. I had to keep going. If this can get me some answers...

I took out my phone and breathed out a shudder, my finger hovering over 911. Just one press if I encountered any sort of danger. Clutching my phone in my hand, I slowly went towards the old, rusty front door. Wild grass covered almost the entire area around the house. I searched around for a doorbell but found none.

It didn't look like anyone lived there. Would ringing the doorbell even matter?

Looking around once more anxiously, I stepped closer to one of the dusty windows at the other end. Then I cupped my hands around the glass and tried squinting my eyes to get a better look at what was inside.

It was pitch dark inside, darker than it was out where I was standing. A dark room. Maybe the living room? I could hardly make out the walls.

Pressing my face closer against the cool glass, I looked around for anyone. I couldn't see anyone. The constant hopeless feeling gnawed in my stomach. I came here for nothing. Just like I went to that party for nothing.

Out of absolutely nowhere, a face appeared right in front of me, both of us separated from just that glass window.

I staggered back in horror, a noise escaping my lips as I stumbled back. It was probably the sudden adrenaline rush that made me step away from that window and the old man--who was still glaring at me from behind that window.

I blinked in shock and my heart raced wildly. Holy hell.

And then I saw him stepping away from the window, probably to head for the front door and come out.

I panicked obviously. Without waiting for another second, I turned around and sprinted away from that old, abandoned house. I kept running, my breath coming out in short gasps as I turned left and right, not even bothering to care where exactly I was going.

All I could see was that man's old, wrinkled face. And that alone was enough to triple the terror within me.

I didn't stop until I was far away from that dark alley. And when I did stop, it was to catch my breath. My heart was beating erratically and my knees nearly buckled under the pressure.

"Fuck." I breathed out, running a hand over my face. "Shit."

What would've happened if that guy had caught up with me? What if he was still after me?

I looked over my shoulder with wide, panicked eyes and pushed my hair away from my face. That couldn't have been the house Papa had written the address of. Why would he have anything to do with that creepy old man?

God, I was stupid. Naive. Foolish to come all this way, to a place that could easily get me in trouble, just because I was desperate. I'd been desperate for two years. That didn't mean I should've jumped right into a trap just because it seemed like a big fucking clue.

My gut seemed to squeeze at all those horrifying thoughts, and for a second there, it felt so hard to breathe.

"It wasn't--my fault!"

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the voice. A voice brimming with pain, as if the person couldn't breathe.

"Of course, it wasn't your fault."

And my eyes seemed to widen even further when I almost immediately recognized that second voice--the slight lilt of an accent in that voice. I could recognize that voice anywhere.

Pushing myself away from the dirty concrete wall I'd found refuge against, I walked towards where the voices seemed to be coming from.

"I never said it was your fault, did I?" I stopped around the corner and saw two silhouettes under the flickering street light.

One was pressed up against the brick wall. The other was holding him up with his hand fisted around the shirt.

"Ryder g-got it all wrong!" The poor guy stuttered, trying to pull free from the iron grip that pushed him against the wall. "I wasn't the one involved with them. I promise. It-It wasn't me."

I looked over at the other person whose back was towards me. He was towering over the other guy almost in an intimidating way--well, at least for that poor guy.

I glanced back at the one who was still pressed up against the wall. His lip was bleeding, swollen too maybe, and he looked as pale as a ghost as if fearing for his life.

I saw him grow even paler when he saw the other guy pull out a gun from his pocket in a way that radiated nonchalance. As if threatening someone with a gun was normal.

My breath nearly got stuck in my throat as I watched the scene unfold before me.

"N-No! You can't kill me!" The pale guy stuttered some more. "Please! I'm telling you it wasn't my f-fault. Please, believe me!"

I heard a sharp intake of breath and then the guy who was holding him up against the wall let go of his shirt and shoved him away. Almost out of frustration.

"Fucking hell, I'm done with this shit." He muttered to himself, raking a hand through his brown curls. Then he looked down at the other guy who was now scrambling back on the pavement, too scared to run away. I wanted to yell at him to run away, but I was more so stunned into silence.

What the fuck was Luca doing?

"You know, Ryder would be pissed if he finds out that I didn't do as he said." He gritted out. "He wanted me to kill you. See this?" I saw a flash of the gun in his hand. "He told me to shoot a bullet right through your fucking heart."

I swallowed. Was this what Luca had come down to? Threatening people? Killing them?

"I'll get done with the new stash. But p-please let me go." The pale guy cowered away.

Luca was doing drugs? I stared at them two in horror. Oh fucking hell, he was.

I think I stepped a little closer than I'd meant to, because the pale guy saw me right then. And I just about managed to see his wide eyes trained in my direction before I mentally swore. He'd probably realized how easily he'd get to run away if he distracted Luca with me; a random stranger who was eavesdropping on their conversation.

I saw Luca tensing up, straightening before turning around. I didn't wait around for him to see me. Fuck fuck fuck, I thought as I slipped away from behind the wall. And then once again, I was running off in the night.

A part of me refused to believe that that had been Luca. The Luca I knew would never...oh God, he would never.

Pushing back my hair away from my face, I pulled the hood over my head a little too hastily, turning right into a familiar street where the cab driver had dropped me at.

Go back home, I told myself. Forget about this. All of it.

I started walking faster than before, peeking over my shoulder. I knew no one was following me. Luca hadn't even seen me, and if he'd been following me, I would've heard the footsteps on this dead silent night.

At least that's what I thought.

Just when I was about to exit the narrow street, someone took hold of my arm in a grip so strong and so sudden that it left me stunned. And then I was being pushed back against the nearest wall.

I almost winced when my back hit the rock-hard wall, but then my breath hitched and my eyes widened in horror when I realised who it was right in front of me.

"It's not considered nice to stalk someone." Luca glared at me.

I tried to pull my arm from his grip, and shove him back, but my mind absolutely refused to comply. I couldn't.

"I...I wasn't--"

"Stalking me?" He hissed.

I swallowed, suddenly dreading the fact that he was so close. So close to touch. And oh God, when was the last time he'd been so close?

I placed my hand on his chest, to shove him away before I pulled him close. "I wasn't stalking you."

Luca didn't budge, eyebrows pulled together in a deep look of distaste. "Yeah? Why not tell your stupid lies to somebody else?"

I felt the anger before I acted on it, jerking my arm away from his grasp to glare. "I wasn't stalking you, Lucius." I gritted out. "I have way better things to do than stalk you."

He was blaming me for no reason. No reason other than the fact that he just hated the mere sight of me.

I saw him blink, and I think I saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but it was gone just as quick. Either way, he leaned even closer, his dark eyes fixing me with a look so cold that I just froze. Again.

"What the fuck are you doing out here then?" He demanded.

It felt so hard to break the eye contact and impossibly harder to form words. Because he was here, Luca was here, I reminded myself. And I could feel him. And it left me feeling broken.

"I was..." I stopped, eyes wide and darting across his face. "I needed to-to see somebody."

Not really a lie, but Luca didn't seem to believe me. My heart skipped a painful beat and my hand was still splayed on his chest, over his jacket that smelled like cigarette smoke, and I could feel the way his heart beat so steady. So familiar. Like home?

"No one comes here willingly in the middle of the night, Grace." He looked annoyed, frustrated, and I'd never seen him like this. Not so close.

"You did," I replied, my voice wobbling a little. He noticed and the cold in his eyes mellowed--a little if not all. "What were you doing back there to that poor guy?"

Maybe that was the worst thing to ask, especially when I was trying to get out of this mess in the first place. But I was annoyed too because this...this wasn't my Luca. This wasn't the same person I grew up with. My best friend. The one person I loved more than anything. It annoyed me and it saddened me so much that it hurt.

This time when he leaned closer, I could've felt the mere inches left between our faces. So much closer that I could see the soft green flecks in his eyes--something that people usually didn't see. His eyes weren't all brown. No, they were--

"Consider this the last time I'm telling you to mind your own fucking business, Rose." He gritted out, sharp and so full of hate. Hate. I could feel a small, painful lump squeezing my throat.

He'd never looked at me like that. He'd never spoken to me like that. Never so harsh. Luca was never like that.

Had I done this? Would this have been different if I'd been there for him those two years?

I didn't say anything--I didn't think I could--and I think he knew that too. He backed off and the cold air hit me from every direction. I stared, and for once Luca stared back.

Something cold dropped on the tip of my nose. I sniffled before looking up and noticing the light drizzle.

Luca followed my gaze and stepped further away from me, cursing softly under his breath.

"I'm sorry." The words left my lips before I could've thought twice. At that moment though, I didn't need to think twice. I didn't even know what exactly was it that I was apologising for. "I'm...I am..."

"You need to leave." He cut me off, frowning, and it felt like something heavy had stepped over my heart.

"Luc--"

"You need to leave." He repeated, glancing over his shoulder, and I didn't mistake the warning in his voice this time.

I wrapped my arms around myself, and I felt so small and pathetic as I stood there, my clothes drenching under the drizzle that was slowly turning into heavy rain. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to leave him here.

Luca looked back at me with the same frown when I further pressed myself back against the wall.

"For fuck's sake, are you even listening to me?" He asked, dragging a hand through his wet curls, and pushing them back from his forehead.

I looked away, down, away, because I wasn't allowed to stare, was I? I took a step towards the right where the exit was. "Okay."

And my feet felt like stone, my heart so heavy, as I started walking away. But it didn't take me more than three steps before I heard him swearing out loud. "Fuck. Wait."

I did stop. I did turn around to look back at him.

The light pattering of the rain was slowly covering the ground. It was a bit hard to make out his clenched fists, but I did see it.

"I'm going back home." He muttered. "I can...drop you off."

I stared, stunned with something like hope and relief blooming near my heart. I parted my lips to say something, anything, but deep down I was afraid that I'd ruin it again. Ruin this. Already too fragile, I thought.

After letting a few seconds pass by, I answered, "It's fine. I can go back myself." Which was a lie. I knew I'd have to look for a cab to go back home and I didn't think any can driver came here willingly--no one did, like Luca had said. Not after midnight.

"I know you can." He looked away and I noticed the way he stood so tense, a lone figure under the night rain. Weary. Hiding so so much behind a hard exterior that wasn't ever meant for him.

My heartbeat started syncing along with the sound of rain.

"Come on." He said before turning around and walking towards the left. I looked at his back, at the spot he'd just been at.

If only I knew what this little gesture meant.

If only.