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“No,” Luca says quickly. “He never would’ve wanted her to find out.”
I fall silent. Wordless questions float in my mind as I struggle to accept what Luca’s saying.
His story makes sense. But it’s also all kinds of crazy.
“Are you okay?” Luca asks gently.
His soothing voice feels like a soft, fuzzy blanket, keeping me warm and safe while it’s raining cats and dogs outside.
“Yeah. It’s just . . . That’s a lot to take in, Luca,” I say. The understatement of the year.
“I, uh, I originally put in the spy cams to keep an eye on Peter. I tried. I made it clear to him that I was watching. I was hoping that it would be a deterrent for him, that he’d think twice before popping an extra pill in his mouth. But evidently . . . it didn’t work.”
“Do you still have those recordings?” I ask.
“Yeah . . . Do you want to see them?”
I shake my head. I don’t think I can stomach that. I just asked because I wanted to test Luca. He offered to let me watch the recordings without any hesitation, which can only mean he’s been telling the truth.
“Why are you telling me all this, Luca?” I ask. “You didn’t have to. You could’ve kept your promise to Peter.”
“And live my life being hated by you? I can’t. I don’t see how I can do that,” Luca says. His gaze softens. “I know we both said we were going to keep this casual . . . but I can’t do that either. Sorry.”
Despite the somber mood, my heart flips at his words.
“I should apologize, too,” I say.
“Why is that?”
“Remember when I said we’re the same kind of crazy?”
“Yeah.” Luca’s lips curl up into a small smile.
“Well . . . Like you, I can’t keep this casual either,” I admit.
His eyes brighten up when he realizes what I’m saying. He studies my features and stares deep into my soul. “You have feelings for me, Sarah?”
“Do you?” I ask.
I can play a coquettish temptress when it comes to sex, but when it comes to emotions . . . I’m chicken. These feelings warring in my chest are freaking me out.
I feel more vulnerable now than I ever have, even compared to all those times I let some stranger take control of my body.
I’ve never let anyone touch my heart before. But Luca has burrowed himself deep inside and made himself at home. Still, I’m scared. And, I need him to be the one to say it first.
“Yes,” he says.
That one word has never meant so much before. A smile spreads across my cheeks.
“Yes, I do,” Luca repeats. “I should’ve said this before, Sarah, but I hope it’s not too late. I thought I was protecting you by putting some distance between us. I thought you’d be better off with someone else, someone nice. I thought—”
“I don’t want someone nice.” I grin as I listen to Luca’s impassioned speech. I didn’t know he had that many words in him.
“Yeah. That’s what I’m realizing. I thought wrong, Sarah. I was wrong, and you were right. You and me, we’re the same kind of crazy.”
“Peas in a pod.”
“Kindred spirits.” Luca’s lips curl up into a captivating smile as he puts his hands around my waist.
“For what it’s worth . . . I’ve never felt healthier than when I was with you. My mind was clearest, and I was happiest then,” I say.
“Yeah. My whole life, all I’ve cared about is my work and my addiction. And now, somehow, you’ve become my new addiction.” Luca leans forward until he’s so close I can feel his hot breath.
“And you’ve become mine,” I say. “We may be bad apart, but for some reason we’re good together. It’s like multiplying two negatives and getting a positive.”
Luca chuckles. “I love you,” he says, staring deep into my soul with his hypnotizing eyes.
“I love you, too,” I say softly.
Luca pulls me into a kiss—the sweetest, the most honest kiss I’ve ever experienced. It’s a slow, hot, gentle, giddying kiss.
It’s not just my body Luca wants. This time, he claims my heart, too.
I return his kiss with all the passion I’ve been holding inside me, giving him my all.
Luca
I can hear Sarah’s sigh as soon as I enter the house.
“Oh, hey, you’re home,” she says when she hears the door swing open. It’s her day off, and she’s been spending all day resting at home.
Even though most of her stuff is still at the clinic, Sarah’s been spending more and more time here. It’s only been a couple nights since the storm, when we decided to give this relationship thing a go, but strangely, having her in my house feels natural, like this is exactly how it’s supposed to be.
Like now, when I reach the end of the hallway and find her curling up on the sofa with her phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She looks like she belongs there with the rest of all my other possessions.
