Luke's proposal hung in the air, and I had to be honest with him and myself. I took a deep breath and gently declined his marriage proposal. It was a tough decision, but I knew it was the right one for both of us.
"I appreciate your offer, but I can't say yes," I rejected him for the nth time, and he was too stunned to speak.
“W-why?” he had the courage to ask a moment later.

"Don’t ask me why. Our agreement is over, Luke. This friendship with benefits will just ruin us both.”
Luke looked surprised and disappointed, trying to understand my decision. I continued, explaining my reasons with a steady voice. Then, a heavy silence filled the room as Luke absorbed my words. I could see the hurt in his eyes, and it hurt me too. But I had to stay true to myself and make the difficult choice.
"I think it's best if you go back to Lancaster," I said softly. “And you have to forget about me, Luke.”
“You are cruel, Isabella. How can you be so mean right after being intimate with me? But then, I think I have to honor your decision this time. You have been telling me all this time that your decision is final. That you really had to marry that guy,” he said and then, without saying anything, he walked toward the door.
“Take care,” I whispered into the air after he closed the door.
After telling Luke to get lost, I couldn't hold back the flood of tears that overwhelmed me. The pain in my heart was unbearable and I found myself crying uncontrollably. As the tears streamed down my face, I was almost tempted to go to him. It was as if my emotions were in a whirlwind, tearing me apart from the inside. I had pushed Luke away, but the ache in my heart only grew stronger.

I collapsed onto the nearest bench, and my sobs echoed in the empty space around me. Each tear that fell represented the shattered pieces of my hopes and dreams. The pain of losing someone I cared for so deeply was almost unbearable. I questioned my decision, wondering if I had made a mistake. But deep down, I knew that letting Luke go was the right thing to do, even if it tore me apart.
As I cried, I tried to make sense of my emotions. I had loved Luke with all my heart, and the thought of being without him was agonizing. But I also knew that staying with him would only lead to more heartbreak and disappointment.
The minutes turned into hours as I sat there, lost in my grief. The world around me seemed to fade away, and all that remained was the pain of my broken heart. I longed for the ache to subside, for the tears to stop flowing, but it felt like an endless cycle of sorrow.
Eventually, exhaustion took over, and my tears began to subside. I wiped my cheeks. The tears had cleansed my soul, but the pain still lingered. With a heavy heart, I stood up from the bench and took a deep breath.

When I realized that it was a mistake to let him go, I ran toward the door and went to the room that Luke had occupied. But it was already empty. His clothes were gone. I tried calling his mobile phone but I couldn’t get through.
Staring at the empty room, I convinced myself that I should be happy because I got what I wanted. He was gone, and I was free to marry the man Dad had arranged me. It was my wish to set him free because he deserves someone better than me, and I deserve someone who wouldn’t think of killing me in the end.
Taking a deep breath, I left the guest room and returned to my room. It’s time to start living without Luke Skywalker by my side. It was time to focus on my future marriage, and it was time to prioritize my parents and the pack.
When Luke was away, I felt incredibly lonely. Each day without him felt like an eternity, and I missed him deeply. But my pride held me back from reaching out or going to see him in Lancaster.
Every day, I longed for his presence and missed him immensely. Thoughts of him filled my mind, and my heart ached for his love and companionship. But I couldn't bring myself to admit how much I needed him. I was too proud to show my vulnerability or to make the first move. After all, it was my fault!
I had been too stubborn to listen to him. I had been too heartless to keep on rejecting his proposal to marry me, and when he was gone and out of reach, I regretted my decision because I missed him terribly.
As time passed, I wondered if he missed me as much as I missed him. Did he think of me during his time away? Did he feel the same emptiness in his heart? What if he had found the perfect woman to become his Luna? Was it the reason why he never dared to call me even once?
One morning, Dad casually mentioned he met Luke in one of the events he attended, but I was too embarrassed to ask anything about Luke. I just pretended that I didn’t care about him anymore, and kept nodding my head, but after that conversation, I was about to go crazy especially when Dad mentioned about a woman he was with.
Was it that easy to replace me? But why should I be sulking when I could just do the same thing? If he didn’t want to reconcile with me, then I could also flirt with someone else! But I couldn’t do it.
My heart only wanted him. It’s only him!
I longed to hear his voice, his laughter, and to feel his comforting embrace. But my pride held me captive, preventing me from reaching out and expressing how much I needed him. It was a battle between my longing and my stubbornness, and each day, my heart grew heavier with unspoken feelings.
I tried to keep myself busy, to distract myself from the loneliness. But no matter what I did, thoughts of Luke always found their way back to me. The loneliness persisted, even if I reconnected with Selene again.
There were moments when I questioned my pride, when I considered setting it aside and going to see him. But fear held me back. I was afraid of rejection, afraid of being vulnerable, and afraid of facing the truth that maybe he didn't feel the same way anymore.
As the days turned into weeks, I realized that my pride was a lonely companion. It kept me isolated, preventing me from reaching out and bridging the gap between us, and I yearned for the day when I could let go of my pride and follow my heart back to him.
But until then, I would just focus on myself, and the changes in my wedding date was advantageous to me. But fate had a weird way of bringing mates together in one place. One evening, while I was having a great time with Selene in a resort, someone familiar came strutting his way toward me.
Luke approached me with confidence, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I desperately looked for an escape, but there was nowhere to go. I stood frozen as he came closer, and suddenly, he hugged me tightly.
"I miss you so much, Isabella.”
I was speechless! My brain couldn't function properly, and I couldn't find the words to respond. Everything happened so quickly. When he showed up and joined me, I was taken aback. "You're not welcome here," I told him, but he didn't listen. He suddenly kissed me, and I couldn't break free from his tight hold.
"I miss you so much," he whispered, planting a gentle kiss on my neck. "Come back to me, Isabella. I can't live without you. Why did you send me away? Do you know how much I missed you?”
"We'll talk about it later," I told him, trying to walk away.
But Luke quickly caught up with me. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge. When I finally managed to break free, I walked faster, and he kept calling my name. I heard him, but I didn't stop. To my surprise, he ran after me and grabbed my wrist. I struggled to get away, but he was stronger.
"We need to talk," he demanded.
"Luke, what are you doing?"
For a moment, Luke stood there, looking at me with a blank expression. I turned away when he licked his lips. "Aren't you happy to see me now?"
"Luke, please, just leave me alone.”
"But I love you," he insisted, his voice getting louder. "I need you. I still need you."
"It's too late."
"I promise you'll be happy with me," he said, nodding as if he could convince me with that.
"Wait a minute, Luke! You can't keep doing this to me! I said no, and you should respect that," I told him, but he just shook his head.
"I'll see you again later," he said, quickly retreating. When I heard faint footsteps approaching, I already knew the reason why he went that way.
Jimuel was nearby. I smiled at him, expecting to be questioned, but he didn't say anything about Luke. Maybe he refused to discuss anything about Luke because he respected me so much. “Jim! How long have you been standing there?”
“I just came,” he lied obviously. “It’s dangerous to be alone in this area, Isabella. You should go back and join the others,” he told me.
“That’s right. Actually, I need to get something from my room,” I said because swimming all day had been exhausting.
“Go ahead. Are you going to take a nap? Dinner would be served in an hour,” he informed me.
“Sure.”
“I will come and get you in an hour,” he offered.
“Don’t bother, Jim. I will not skip dinner,” I promised.
“Are you sure? You have been skipping dinner, Isabella. Look at yourself, you are becoming so thin!”
“Trust me,” I said and then, I smiled at him before walking away.
After dinner, everyone went for a swim on the well-lit beachfront. The moonlight illuminated the water, creating a romantic atmosphere. I decided to cool off in the pool when I saw Luke approaching me again. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Luke's eyes narrowed when he saw me in my revealing swimsuit. I expected him to be angry, but instead, he smiled. I looked around if one of my companions was around, but I was isolated.
"Come," he said, ordering me.
To be honest, I didn't have the courage to question his intentions. We arrived at a secluded area and walked together. I was prepared for the worst, as Luke had been silent during our walk.
"Can you tell me why you brought me here?" I asked as we walked barefoot on the sand. I looked around and saw no one else. My heart raced, nearly drowning out all other sounds. I couldn't resist the urge to kiss him again in this romantic setting.
"I wanted a quiet moment with just the two of us, Isabella," he said.
“But why? We are over!”
“Because I miss you so much, my love,” he whispered before ravishing my lips.