“I told myself it wasn’t me. That you’d be happier with someone else. And I thought… if you were happy, I’d be fine.”
His voice cracks, barely.
“But from the first day I talked to you, I was hooked. Something about you just… got under my skin.” He laughs once, quietly, almost at himself. “Jace was already spewing all that crap about how you’d ruin us or whatever, but I still couldn’t get you off my mind.”
The confession settles heavily between us.
“But you scared me,” he continues, softer now. “The rejection. The possibility that I wasn't enough. So, I took the coward’s way out and pushed you toward them.”
My heart stutters. I stare down at our joined hands, breath catching.
The last month flashes through my mind—the nights I fell asleep on him, the quiet moments, the way he kept showing up when I was unraveling.
Was it comfort?
Or something more?
“Luca…” I start, but he brings a finger to my lips.
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m not expecting anything.” His eyes soften. “You asked why I was angry with myself. That’s the truth.”
He squeezes my hand, gentle but sure.
“Jace hurt you. And part of me will never forgive myself for letting thathappen. I would never hurt you the way he did. I would never leave you. Or betray you.” He pauses, taking a breath.
“And I know it’ll take time. I know you’re still figuring things out. Just… know that I’m here. I’m the guy who’ll hold you when you can’t sleep, distract you when you need it, annoy you on purpose, and?—”
“And sneak in midnight cupcakes?”
My smile wobbles, watery but real.
Luca grins. “Exactly.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For being here. For understanding. For not pushing.”
“I’ve got you,” he says simply. “Always.”
And then—like a switch flipped—the solemnity melts away, replaced by his usual mischievousness.
“So…” he drawls. “What do you want to do now? Movie? Snacks? Make out?”
He wiggles his brows shamelessly.
I shove his shoulder lightly. “Oh my gosh.”
“That’s why you love me.”
There’s a hard knock at my door.
“Gracie?” Lucian’s voice comes through.
“Come in.”
My door opens and Lucian enters with Maeve, Noah, a security guard dragging a man dressed in all black.
“What’s going on?” I look at the serious expressions on their faces. “Who’s this?”
“Security caught him trying to scale up to your room.” Noah turns and shows me a surveillance video.
