Our cups are waiting for us on the counter in the kitchen. “Becca, you’re my favorite person,” I tell her as I inhale the sweet smell of coffee and creamer. She chuckles and hands me a plate with a waffle on it. Halfway through my breakfast, an alarm goes off on my phone to remind me to take my ADHD meds, like it does every morning. It surprises me, making me jump, like it does every morning.
Luca comes in a few minutes later.
“Do you want coffee, Luca?” Becca asks.
He nods. “Please. Black.”
Yuck. I crinkle my nose and wonder what I ever saw in him. He brings his mug up to his lips and raises that fucking sexy eyebrow at me. Fuck, that eyebrow. Why does it do things to me?
I should have thrown extra panties in my bag. It’s going to be a long day.
“Shit, we need to get going.” Lil jumps up off her stool.
I chug the rest of my coffee, pour more into a travel mug, and then grab my bag and keys. Luca doesn’t say anything. He just follows us out to the garage.
“This should go without saying, Luca, but ‘shotgun forever.’” Lil opens the passenger door and hops in. As I slip into the driver’s seat, I swear I hear a low growl leave him, which would go along and even rhyme with his scowl, but maybe I imagined it. Who fucking growls like that in real life? He folds himself into the back seat behind me and crosses his arms, staring out the window. At what, I don’t know because we’re just sitting in the garage. Maybe the Ferrari next to us pissed him off somehow.
After two minutes, half of which I spent putting my seat back to where it belongs because a fucking growly giant drove my car last, he turns to look at me in the rearview mirror. Fuck, that growly giant is fucking hot. He doesn’t say anything, but his face asks, ‘Why aren’t we moving?’ for him.
“Seatbelt,” I say aloud, having no idea how to convey it silently without looking like a mime.
“Seriously?” He glares, and I fight the urge to giggle. Annoying him is fun.
“Yes, seriously.” I wait, tapping my bare fingernails on the steering wheel. I’ll wait all day.
He sighs, clearly exasperated with me already, which makes me chuckle, which makes him glare again, but he buckles his seatbelt. As soon as it clicks, I back out of the open garage, spin the car around, and haul ass down the driveway.
“Fuck, I thought you were the good driver,” he mutters.
“She is.” Lil’s always the first to have my back. The gate opens as soon as they see us coming, so I don’t have to slow down. I wave at the guards, and they raise their hands, showing three fingers.
“Did they just do the Hunger Games salute thing?” Luca looks confused as fuck when I glance at him in the rearview mirror again, and it’s seriously cute.
“May the odds be ever in your favor, Luca.” I grin as I drift around a few corners on our private road. Once we get to the public street, I stop driving like an asshole and crank up the music. Fifteen minutes later, I pull into the parking lot on the West side of Finch Hills University.
“Damn it, Lisa washed her car.” I let out a sad sigh.
“Because you drew penises on it, Ari.”
“They were unicorns, Lil. U-ni-corns.”
Lil laughs as I park. “Peniscorns. Unicocks. Walking wieners with horns. Definitely not normal unicorns.”
“I worked hard on those!”
“I know. They were good unicocks.”
Luca’s got one of those expressions I can’t figure out on his face. Sometimes I can read him, and sometimes it’s like he’s putting on a mask, so I can’t.
“So, are you just supposed to follow us around all day?” Lil asks as we get out of the car.
“Yup.” He pops the p before sighing heavily. “Follow you, stay close by, sit outside the rooms you’re in… are all your classes together?” he asks while looking around like he’s expecting someone to stroll up and try to assault us. I wonder how much Dad’s told him so far.
“That’s one way to look at it,” I say.
His head turns my way. “What does that mean?”
“It means I don’t take classes. I just hang out in Lil’s.”
