Page 127 of A Sinful Gravity

If she knew we were leaving Cassian, she'd be devastated. But I had no choice.

All night, my thoughts churned. I imagined every possible scenario.

As dawn broke, I quietly opened the door. I wanted to make myself some coffee to keep going.

When I reached the living room, my phone on the piano bench began vibrating violently.

That familiar name flashed across the screen—the one that had broken my heart and made me weak.

I stared at the screen for a full ten seconds, my stomach cramping, until the vibration nearly stopped. Then my trembling finger pressed accept.

"Luna."

His voice traveled through the line, strangely calm. No irritation or anger like I'd imagined. Instead, a careful, gentle warmth.

Completely opposite from last night's gut-wrenching roar. I glanced at the screen again, confirming it was really him. This unnatural softness made my throat burn.

"I know you're planning to leave. Chicago, right?" He paused, his breathing audible. "Before you go, can we meet? At that old pizza place you like, or anywhere you feel comfortable. We won't fight. I won't take Laila's custody. I just want... as Cassian, not your husband, to really talk to you. One last time. Just the two of us, okay?"

I almost fainted right there. What did he say? He didn't want custody of Laila?

The stone that had been weighing on my heart suddenly dropped. I let out a barely audible breath of relief.

Cassian added softly, with an almost humble hope, "I think we should give this relationship a proper ending. Or... a new beginning."

Dead silence on the other end.

My knuckles went white gripping the phone, my fingertips ice cold without a trace of warmth. I should have refused. I should have hung up right then, taken Laila, and disappeared into Washington's early morning.

But when I heard "proper ending," something slammed hard into my heart.

In these six years, we'd never had a real goodbye. The rainy night six years ago was an escape, our reunion days ago was a game. We struggled through meeting and separating but never looked each other in the eye one last time with dignity.

"Okay."

I heard my hoarse voice, carrying a kind of resolved finality.

After hanging up, I slumped against the wall, drained.

My stomach still churned. I told myself this meeting was to settle everything once and for all.

If we were going to break, let's break clean. No more hiding, no more lies, and no more empty fantasies.

I spent an hour getting ready.

I chose a blood-red fitted dress, carefully concealing the dark circles under my eyes from sleeplessness, applying the brightest lipstick.

I wanted him to see that even without him, I was still Luna, the principal dancer who could shine on stage.

Before leaving, I pulled from the deepest part of my drawer a new divorce agreement I'd drafted overnight.

I hadn't touched the property section. My only demand was custody of Laila, plus occasional visitation rights for Cassian as her father—my final concession. If he truly wanted a "proper ending" like he said, then this agreement was my parting gift.

I stuffed the agreement in my bag, fingers touching the cold paper, my fingertips trembling slightly.

Just as I was about to leave, cheerful footsteps sounded from upstairs.

"Mommy!" Laila rushed over like a gust of wind, sleepiness still on her face but her eyes sparkling. "Yesterday's concert was amazing! Cassian took pictures of me—did he show you?"