I rub the nape of my neck, cheeks burning. “In all the ways.” Luca’s lips part as he studies me. “You don’t have to say it back. Hell, you don’t even have to feel it. I just… I needed to say it, I guess.” Or at least my stupid-ass mouth sure thought so.
“I—” His eyes dart to the piece of dropped garlic bread, but only for a second, then they find mine. We stare at each other in silence as my heart pounds incessantly against my rib cage. “I… um. Love is kind of scary for me,” he whispers.
Fuck. I shouldn’t have said it. I know he’s not ready for that. But shit, I didn’t even really know Iwasgoing to say it, but I also can’t take the words back. Not with how much I meant them.
“I know,” I say, my throat clicking with a dry swallow. “You don’thave to explain yourself.”
He steps over the garlic bread and into my space. Panic lodges itself in my throat, but it doesn’t last because Luca grabs my hair in desperate fistfuls and drags me to him, slamming his lips onto mine.
The kiss isn’t like any we’ve shared yet. It’s raw and carnal. Pure need wrapped in aching tenderness, and I can barely contain the way it makes my heart swell and my pulse skyrocket.
When he breaks the kiss, it’s with a gasping inhale that I feel in my lower stomach. Our chests are heaving against one another with each ragged breath we take. “I believe you,” he chokes out. “I believe you.”
“Good,” I whisper in a rough voice.
“I believe you,” he says again. “I’m not ready, but I believe you.”
I close my eyes, thankful for that. Beyond thankful. I’m not sure how I would feel if he thought I was lying or that I didn’t mean it. I don’t know how I’d survive if he equated my love with lies and emptiness and the ache of disappointment.
When I open them again, Luca is crying.
Dammit. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
I want to take his pain away and make him feel better. I want to save him from the hurt. I want to—
An unreal smile stretches across his face, happiness sparkling in his wet eyes. “I’msookay. I didn’t mean to get all emotional.” He drops his head forward, resting his forehead against my shoulder. He makes a sniffly sort of sound, then laughs. “God, I didn’t think I’d ever believe in love again.”
My heart swells. I’m so incredibly blessed to have him and so fucking honored that I can be the one to prove to him that love is real. “Are you ready to eat?” I whisper, rubbing a hand up his back.
He nods against my shoulder, then stands up, pulling himself outof my embrace. His cheeks are still wet, so I brush my thumbs under his eyes, collecting the tears and wiping them away.
When we’re settled on the floor in the living room, we dig into our food. We eat in silence. It’s a content sort of quiet. The type that burrows into your bones and makes you feel safe, where just existing together is all you need.
“Is it good?” Luca asks, peering at me through his lashes.
I’ve easily demolished three-quarters of my portion. “It’s delicious. What’s the trick for the sauce? I’ve never had Alfredo like this.”
Luca’s cheeks turn pink. “I don’t like parmesan, so I use mozzarella instead. I think it makes a creamier sauce.” He shrugs. “I wasn’t allowed to make it this way with Damien because he always said it wasn’t a true Alfredo that way.”
Oh, fuck Damien. “It’s delicious, Luc. And hey, I always eat Alfredo from a jar, so it’s already leaps and bounds above that.”
His surprised giggle has my stomach doing somersaults. “Yeah, that’s tragic. Jar sauce is the worst.”
It is, indeed. But this? Fuck. I could get used to this.
“Hey,” Luca says, bringing my full attention back to him. “Would you be mad at me if I started packing a lunch for you on the days you work? I know you already do, but…”
I’m shaking my head before he’s even done speaking. “I wouldn’t be mad at all. I would probably start by asking for your motivation. Do you believe I’moweda packed lunch?”
Luca shakes his head vehemently. “No! No, it’s not that at all. I just…” He shrugs. “I like doing it. It used to be my favorite. I enjoy taking care of people. Or… At least I did.”
I mull it over for a second. “Yeah, if you’d like to do that, I think that would be really nice.”
His head shoots up, eyes locked on mine. “Really?”
“If you want to. I’d appreciate it. Having a little reminder of you at work? Yes.”
Not that I really need a reminder, since Luca and his smile and his gorgeous, expressive eyes live in my brain on a constant loop. I don’t seem to have a single thought that doesn’t revolve around him.
