I watch him from across the kitchen.He’s tantalizing and hard to tear my gaze away from.
“You’re staring,” Luca says, before glancing over his shoulder at me.
How the hell did he know that before turning around?Was he guessing that I was watching him because that’s what all the other girls do when he invites them over to study?
“Do you have a lot of study dates?”I ask and immediately regret my question.I’m not sure I want to know the answer.
He grabs two bottles of water from the fridge and the bag of potato chips sitting on the counter, bringing the snacks back for us to consume.“That’s funny,” Luca says, offering me the water.He drops the open bag of chips on the table between us.
I can’t help but stare up at him peculiarly.“What?”
“You thinking I have time to tutor other girls.”He smiles warmly and plops himself back down beside me.“We can order dinner, but it’ll probably be a while until it gets delivered.I thought you might want something to snack on in the meantime.”
“I have dinner plans for tonight, but thanks.”I grab a potato chip from the bag and stare at Luca.It’s hard to imagine him without a long line of girls waiting to betutored.
“Hot date?”
There’s a hint of jealousy in his tone.
The truth is that I have zero plans, but I don’t want Luca to think that I have no life.
I smile coyly and glance at my watch.“I should start packing up and head out.”I organize what I can and shove the rest into my backpack.
“Let me drive you home.”
“It’s only a couple of blocks, I can walk.”
“It’s dark out already.You’re not walking alone,” Luca says with insistence.
I don’t argue, mostly because it’s chilly outside, and while there isn’t any fresh snow on the pavement, there’s plenty of ice from the previous week.“Thanks.”
Standing, Luca grabs my backpack before I can toss it over my shoulder.He’s got it tight in his grip.The chair squeaks across the kitchen floor, announcing our departure.
“Are you leaving already?”Ashton asks from the couch.He pauses the documentary, and there’s an obvious sigh from Nova, seated beside him.
“Please don’t leave.”Nova’s eyes plead with me to stay as she shuffles around on the sofa and clasps her hands together.“I’m begging you, if it’s me with these two monsters, there is zero chance of watching anything enjoyable tonight.”
“Drama queen much?”Luca asks, tilting his head slightly at Nova, as if he’s warning her to behave.
“Only because you’re a remote-controlhog!”She grabs the pillow that was left out for her to crash on the couch and throws it at Luca.
The pillow lands with a soft plop onto the wooden floorboards.
“I can’t remember the last time someone cleaned that floor,” Ashton says, grinning at Luca.
“That’s because you can’t be bothered to clean anything, ever,” Luca says.
Nova’s face scrunches up in disgust.“Gross!”She hops off the couch and grabs the pillow, an unsatisfied look on her face as she attempts to dust off the pillowcase.Groaning under her breath, she glances up at me, looking for someone to come to her aid.
There’s a teasing sibling energy between them that I can’t believe I didn’t see earlier.
“Nova, do you want to grab dinner while these two boys clean their apartment?”I ask.
Luca lifts his right hand a few inches, gesturing at the backpack in his grip.“I thought you had a hot date tonight.”He glances briefly at Ashton, and there’s a look between them that I can’t quite distinguish.
“I said I had dinner plans.You inferredhot datefrom that,” I say.
Luca turns his full attention back to me.“With your friend, Kensley?”
