Chapter 87 Aria
I spotted Luca before he even saw me. He was leaning against a wall outside the cafe with his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets and shoulders stiff like he was bracing against the world. My stomach did that stupid twist it always did when he looked at me like that, part attraction and part everything else I didn’t want to admit.
“Hey,” I said, walking up.
He glanced up and that usual smirk wasn’t there.
“Hey,” he muttered, eyes flicking to mine before darting away.
I groaned. Dating him should have been easy. It should be simple. But this? This felt like trying to read a storm cloud without getting wet.
Max came out of the cafe with his usual grin, holding two coffees. “Look who’s finally showing up,” he said, nudging Nora. “The couple of the year. Don’t look so grim, man you’re supposed to be happy.”
I rolled my eyes at him but I couldn’t help the warmth that snuck into my chest at how he referred to Luca and I. Luca’s jaw flexed just slightly. He knows Max and Nora know about us. He doesn’t like surprises but he’s fine with my friends being in the loop. He trusts them enough even if he isn't friends with them.
Nora gave me that smirk that made me want to roll my eyes and laugh at the same time. “Knew it! Knew you’d finally admit it,” she said to Luca, bouncing on her toes. “And I called it, Aria can’t hide anything from me.”
“Can’t hide from either of them,” I muttered, glancing at Luca. He looked almost grim and my stomach tightened. He’s probably thinking about how messy this is, how fast everything’s moving, and yeah I could feel his worry like it was mine.
Max leaned on the railing, sipping his coffee. “So, congratulations,” he said, smirk softening a bit. “But, uh try not to make the rest of us feel single and useless, alright?”
I laughed despite the tension. “We’ll try,” I said, squeezing Luca’s hand lightly. He gave the tiniest twitch of a smile.
We walked down the street together, the sun sliding toward the horizon and painting everything golden. I could feel Luca’s energy shifting around me tense and anxious.
“Talk to me,” I said softly, tugging gently on his hand. “Something’s up.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, jaw tight. “I just… I don’t want anything to get messy between us. Not because of me.”
“You’re dating me,” I said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. “Messy isn’t a thing we can avoid anymore. And besides, you’re not alone in this, remember? You’ve got me.”
His eyes shifted to me. “Yeah, I know. It’s okay. I just—” He cut off, shaking his head. “I hate feeling like I need to hold back with you.”
“You don’t,” I said firmly. “I’ll handle it. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together. I want to know what’s bothering you, Luca. I need to know.”
He looked at me like I’d just handed him a lifeline. The corner of his mouth twitched but the tension didn’t leave his shoulders. “It’s complicated.”
“Of course it is,” I said, stepping closer. “But that’s fine. Complicated is us. And I can do complicated.”
A slow smile broke across his face, and I felt my chest unclench a little. “You’re insane,” he muttered.
“Crazy, maybe but in a good way,” I said, nudging him playfully. He laughed softly, but it was still laced with something heavier.
We found a bench overlooking the park, the street lamps were just flickering on. I sat first, and he dropped beside me. He kept his gaze forward, his hands folded tight in his lap.
“You’re thinking about Sienna,” I said after a moment.
His head snapped toward me. “I’m not—” He faltered. “I’m not ignoring you. I just…” He exhaled through his nose. “I want to protect you from everything. From me being me, from the pack stuff, from Sienna, from—”
I reached out, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “You don’t have to protect me from yourself,” I said softly. “I like you, Luca. The complicated, moody, and worried version of you. I like all of it and hiding it? That would hurt more than anything else.”
His eyes lifted to mine again and I could see the vulnerability cutting through his usual control. “I don’t want to screw this up,” he admitted.
“You won’t,” I said, squeezing his arm. “I promise but you have to let me in. All the way not just when it’s easy.”
He ran a hand over his face. “I’m trying.”
“You don’t have to try for me,” I said gently. “I’ll catch you if you stumble.”
He looked at me then and for a long moment, I thought he might just melt right there. Then he leaned in slowly, brushing his lips against mine tentative at first but it grew into something softer. My hands found his shoulders and when his fingers threaded through my hair, the small kiss deepened into something fiercer, letting everything unspoken between us spill into that space.
“Okay,” he breathed against my lips when we pulled back, foreheads resting together. “Okay, I can do this.”
I smiled, feeling that bubbling mix of relief and excitement. “I know you can and we’re doing this together. No holding back and no hiding.”
“Together,” he echoed, eyes bright now, the tension melting away.
From the bench, I could see Max and Nora waving from a distance and I waved back, and Nora gave that triumphant I-knew-it grin while Max just shook his head with a half-smile. Luca’s shoulders relaxed just a fraction. He knows he doesn’t have to pretend around them and somehow that made it easier for him to let me in.
We stayed there a while, talking, teasing, and laughing, letting the tension of the past days drain away in small bursts of warmth. Every smile strengthened that little growing bubble of us that was ours and ours alone even if the world wanted to complicate it.
When the sky finally darkened and the first stars blinked above, Luca pulled me close. That small gesture said he trusted me finally and I trusted him right back. It didn’t solve everything nothing ever would but for the first time in a while, I felt like we had a little corner of the world just for us.
And right now, that was enough.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Aria and Luca took that step😍, and yes, it’s messy, it’s real, and it’s everything we’ve been waiting for. Nora and Max giving their support? Classic. I’ve been waiting to write this, and I hope it hit your hearts the way it did mine while typing it. Drop your fave moment or was it just the tiny smile and kiss that said it all? 💖