I spot Leni near the entrance, a smug smirk playing on her lips as she watches us. Great, I’m never going to hear the end of this.
Cupping my cheek, Luca brings my gaze up to meet his. “Meet me here after class? I’ll go with you to see your course advisor.”
I cage my bottom lip between my teeth. “I don’t know?—”
He runs his thumb over my lip, freeing it before leaning in to kiss me.
I moan into his mouth.
“You’re not playing fair,” I grumble when he pulls away.
He laughs again, and it’s definitely my favourite melody. “Let’s just ask the questions. I told you, I’m determined not to lose you.”
I roll my eyes. “Get out of here, Romeo.”
He shakes his head. “Their story was a tragedy. Ours is going to be epic.”
My heart does a somersault, and I stare at him in shock. Thankfully, Leni appears by my side, linking her arm through mine as Luca winks and strolls away as casual as can be.
“Well, well, well.” The amusement is clear in my best friend’s tone. “Someone’s had an eventful weekend.”
“You have no idea,” I mutter, turning and dragging her into the arts building.
“So,” she says, drawing the word out as she rolls her hand in a gesture for me to continue. “Don’t leave me hanging, girl. What’s going on with you two?”
Biting my lip, I tell her, “He asked me to move to the UK with him.”
Her mouth drops open. “Holy shit, do you have a magic vagina or what?”
I squirm as her gaze drops to the apex of my thighs. “It’s not about sex.”
The words are more to ward off my insecurity than for her, but my best friend must hear the vulnerability in my voice because she smiles and wraps her arm around my shoulder.
“Of course it’s not,” Leni assures me. “Sorry, I was only kidding. The man would be insane not to fall madly in love with you. You’re beautiful, kind, generous, and did I mention how gorgeous you are?”
I blanch at the ‘L’ word. “He’s not in love with me.”
“Maybe not yet,” she says with a sly grin, “but I saw the way he looked at you back there. He’s definitely infatuated with you.”
Groaning, I bury my face in my hands. “This isinsane. It was a knee-jerk reaction to our parents finding out about us, and?—”
“Woah, hold up! Your parents found out about you?”
I wince at the memory. “Mum walked in after we… you know.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yep.”
“I bet that didn’t go down well.”
“Worse than even you could imagine.”
“So, how did the invitation to leave the country and run away with him come about?”
“My mother was spewing her usual hateful crap towards me, and Luca stood up to her. Before I knew it, he was telling me to come with him.” I shake my head, realising how crazy it all sounds now I’m saying it out loud. He’s my stepbrother, not some gallant white knight for me to run off into the sunset with. It’s ridiculous.
But then Leni says three words that shock the shit out of me. “You’re going, right?”
