Chapter 17 Aria
Friday nights in Silverpine were supposed to be plain. The kind of boring that small towns bragged about—quiet streets, bad radio music, and the occasional pickup truck rolling past. I needed that kind of quiet. My brain was too full with Luca, Sienna’s warnings, and my sleepless week. So when Sienna texted about grabbing milkshakes at Eddie’s Diner, I said yes. A sugar hit felt better than another night staring at my ceiling.
The diner was packed with teenagers, basketball guys slamming ketchup bottles against the tables and music blaring loudly from a speaker. Sienna talked nonstop about a chemistry grade, waving a fry before popping it into her mouth. I contributed to the convo occasionally but my mind was wandering. When we finally paid and left, the air outside was cold enough to make me shiver.
Sienna checked her phone. “My dad’s outside,” Pointing at a sedan idling at the curb, “Want a ride?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m good. I just want a minute of fresh air. I’ll walk around and call my mom later.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. Go, your dad gets weird about waiting.”
She grinned. “Text me when you’re home.”
Then she jogged toward the car, waving over her shoulder. I stood alone near the glowing diner sign, arms wrapped around myself. A couple walked past, laughing then another group and the parking lot slowly emptied. I should have called my mom already instead, I leaned against the brick wall and tried to breathe out the tension clinging to me like smoke.
That’s when I heard him. “You waiting on someone?”
I looked up. A guy—maybe mid-twenties—leaned against a truck two spaces away. He had shaggy blond hair, green eyes, wore a leather jacket with a lopsided grin.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just getting some air.”
“You sure?” He stepped away from the truck. “It’s a cold night to be alone.”
I straightened. “I said I’m fine.”
He kept coming. Slow, like he had all the time in the world. “You from around here?”
Something in his tone sounded wrong. I stepped backward and hit the wall behind me.
“Seriously,” I snapped. “Back off!”
He chuckled like that was adorable. “Relax, I'm just talking.”
The diner door swung open behind me. For a second, I thought someone else would come out but the couple that emerged crossed the lot without looking at us. The dude eyes changed and his nostrils flared.
“You smell scared,” he murmured.
Every nerve in my body went rigid. Who talked like that? “Get away from me!” I shouted, my voice shaking which only proved him right.
He stepped closer. I could perceive cheap beer and something metallic underneath. My pulse hammered and I braced one hand against his chest to push him back. He grabbed my wrist hard enough to leave a bruise that I couldn’t pull away. I was now gasping for breath as this wasn’t some mindless flirting.
“Let go of me!” I pulled my hand, aggressively.
“Why?” he asked softly in a psychopathic voice. “We’re just getting started.”
I jerked again but his grip tightened and panic crowded my lungs. Before I could yell for help, his hand was gone and someone else had it.
Luca.
He appeared between us so fast. One breath I was trapped, the next Luca’s fingers were clamped around the man’s wrist, twisting it away from me. His jaw was locked so tight I could see muscle tick beneath his skin.
“You heard her,” Luca gritted out, his voice deadly. “Back off!”
The guy chuckled in amusement. “Easy, dude. I didn’t realize she was taken.”
“I said,” Luca repeated, “BACK. OFF.”
The dude's posture changed in a way I didn’t understand. He was assessing Luca, searching for his weak spots so he could take him on. Luca stepped forward, forcing him away from me. “I’m not repeating myself.”
“Wolves shouldn’t play superhero, man” the man muttered. Something in Luca turned volatile. His shoulders shifted and his whole body went rigid.
“What did you just say?” Luca asked.
The guy just smirked. “Another night, Hale.”
Then he backed away, slow and deliberate, before climbing into his truck and peeling out of the lot. The headlights streaked across Luca’s face and I could see every emotion—eyes narrowed, breathing sharp, and hands still curled like they wanted a throat.
I pressed a hand against the wall. My entire body was still trembling. “What the hell was that?!”
Luca didn’t speak to me immediately. His breaths were still forced like he was holding something back. “You okay?” he asked finally.
“That guy...he grabbed me.”
“I saw.”
“You saw?” My voice cracked. “Where were you? Cause I didn't see you before. Wait, why were you even here?”
He exhaled through his nose. “Does it matter?”
“Yes!” I snapped. I hated how terrified I sounded. “I could’ve been—Gosh, I don’t even know.”
Luca turned fully toward me, and for the first time since I met him, he didn’t wear a smirk. His dark eyes were too intense.
“You’re safe,” he stated.
“That’s not an answer.” I hugged myself tighter. “Why are you watching me?”
He hesitated. That hesitation was everything and the closest thing to vulnerability I’d ever seen from him apart from the night he was injured.
“I wasn’t watching you,” he said softly. “I was passing by and saw him follow you out.”
I lifted a brow cause I could tell he was lying. “And you just happen to always patrol the diner so you could be a hero?”
His jaw ticked and I regretted my outburst. “I decided not to let a guy pin you against a wall.”
Silence ballooned between us and he stepped closer, near enough that I felt heat.
“I could smell your trepidation and fear,” Luca said quietly.
That was so wrong in every sense. “What does that even mean?”
He blinked, and something shuttered behind his eyes like he’d said too much. “Go home, Aria.”
I shook my head. “After that? I can barely breathe.”
His expression flickered again and I saw frustration, worry, and something raw he didn’t want me seeing. He ran a hand through his dark locks and looked away, steadying his emotions. “I’ll stay until your ride gets here.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I’ll stay,” he repeated firmly, leaving no room for arguments.
I pulled out my phone and dialed my mom. Luca remained with arms crossed, scanning the parking lot, and eyes tracking every movement. When I hung up, he finally looked at me.
“He touched you,” he murmured, eyes scanning my entire body.
“Yeah but it’s okay”
“I should’ve broken his hand.”
A strange heat curled in my stomach. “Why do you even care?”
He gave no reply. My mom’s car pulled in and he backed away. “Get inside,” he instructed.
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded and I opened the door. When I glanced back through the window, he was still there and I hated how safe that made me feel.