The stone bridge arched over the Arno River, its weathered stones glowing under the fading light. Clara arrived early, her heart pounding as she smoothed her blue dress. The air was thick with the scent of wildflowers and the distant hum of crickets. She paced, her eyes scanning the path leading from the village.

As the sky turned violet, a figure appeared in the distance. Clara froze. It was him—Luca. His silhouette was unmistakable, though his gait was slower, his frame leaner than she remembered. He wore a worn jacket, his dark hair longer, curling at the nape of his neck. When he saw her, he stopped, as if afraid she might vanish.

“Clara,” he said, his voice rough but warm, like the earth after rain.

She wanted to run to him, to throw her arms around him, but something held her back. His eyes, once bright with mischief, were shadowed, haunted. “Luca,” she whispered. “Where have you been?”

He stepped closer, his hands twitching as if he longed to touch her. “I was captured,” he said. “In ’44, near Florence. I spent a year in a camp, then… I couldn’t come back. Not right away.”

“Why?” Her voice broke. “You promised me.”

Luca’s gaze dropped to the ground. “I did something, Clara. Something I’m not proud of. I need to tell you, but not here. Not now.”

Her stomach twisted. What could he have done? Luca, who had always been her protector, her dreamer? Before she could press him, hoofbeats echoed in the distance. Clara turned to see Matteo riding toward them, his face dark with anger.

“Clara, get away from him!” Matteo shouted, dismounting. He glared at Luca. “You have no right to be here.”

Luca stood his ground, his jaw tight. “I came for her, Matteo. Not for you.”

The tension crackled between them. Clara stepped forward, her voice trembling. “Matteo, stop. I need to hear him out.”

Matteo’s eyes narrowed. “He’s trouble, Clara. He always was. Come home.”

But Clara couldn’t move. Luca’s secrets, Matteo’s anger—it was too much. As the stars began to emerge, she made a choice. “I’m staying,” she said.

Matteo mounted his horse and rode off, leaving Clara and Luca alone. Luca reached for her hand, his touch tentative. “Tomorrow,” he said. “Meet me at the grove. I’ll tell you everything.”

Chapter 2: The Stone Bridge

Join the Discussion