Chapter 8 Luca
“You are staring again.”
Mason said it under his breath as we pushed through the crowded hallway after third period. I did not answer him immediately, but he still followed my line of sight anyway.
Aria stood near the elevated platform, one hand on the strap of her bag, her body angled toward a tall blond guy from the basketball team. The boy leaned in too close when he spoke. My face erupted in fury because I recognized him.
“I am not staring,” I muttered.
“You are burning holes through his skull,” Mason countered. “Same thing.”
I shifted my textbooks in my arms and kept walking, even though my eyes kept glancing behind. Aria smiled at something the guy said. It was a polite smile still, something irrational coiled tight in my chest.
“She is human,” Mason added quietly. “And she does not belong in our world.”
“I know that.”
“Then why do you look like you want to rip his throat out.”
I shot him a look. “Watch your mouth!”
Mason raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just saying. You have not cared about a girl in two years and most definitely not a human girl”
I did not respond because I did not have an answer that made sense. By the time I reached the class, the image was still stuck behind my eyes. Her laugh was soft and he had never given me that kind of a laugh before. It was always filled with derision and sarcasm. Coach stuck his head into the room a minute after the bell rang, signalling the commencement of his class. “Hale. Barnes. You two decided you are too good for warm ups now.”
Barnes grinned. “Just building something big, Coach.”
Coach did not grin back. “You can build it on the bench.”
I shot Barnes a glare and he gave me a look that said sorry but actually didn't look like it. Thanks to him and Nate who sat a row from me giving me a smirk, I get to miss out on the game. I know Coach will eventually reconsider, after all I was the best player in Silverpine High.
Aria sat one row ahead of me, with her familiar scent of milk and honey. I realized I'd come to like the scent. My grip tightened around my pen before I could stop it. She was leaning toward Sienna, whispering something with a huge smile that faded the second she felt my stare.
Her eyes met mine and she raised her brows in question. I leaned back in my chair and let one arm fall loose at my side like I did not care, giving her a lopsided smirk. Her gaze lingered anyway before she rolled her eyes and turned away.
Barnes leaned over. “Damn! Is that is her?”
“What?”
“The new girl. The one Avery keeps watching like she wants to light her on fire.”
I said nothing.
“Want me to distract her for you?” Barnes asked with a grin.
My foot found his and I stomped on it, really hard.
He grimaced. “Touchy.”
Coach had started the lecture but I did not hear a word of it. All I could see was the way the Ethan took the empty seat behind Aria. He leaned toward her immediately, tapping her. She stiffened her back slightly this time. He didn't notice or probably didn't mind so he spoke anyway. She turned and answered him briefly before facing the teacher.
Why couldn't he just leave her alone?!
Barnes followed my glare. “You are going to break the desk.”
“Shut up!”
Ethan continued to joke about something at Aria's back. Her discomfort was evident with her eyes darting toward the teacher disliking the distraction he caused.
I stood up, abruptly. The chair legs scraped loud enough that a few heads turned. Coach paused mid sentence. “Is there a problem, Mr. Hale?”
“No,” I said. “Just switching seats.”
“You do not change seats without permission.”
Barnes coughed like he was choking on a laugh.
I lifted a brow. “You moved me yesterday without permission.”
Coach’s lips pressed thin. “Sit down, Hale.”
I ignored him and moved forward to sit beside Ethan. He glanced up at me, sizing me fast. Everyone in this town knew who I was. Even the humans learned quick. Ethan was human I could tell.
“Hale,” he nodded at me.
“Beckett,” I gave him a glare.
Aria heard our exchange. Her hair brushed my knuckles when she shifted in her seat. Electricity shot through my arm. She did not turn around, but I heard the way her breath hitched. The rest of the class moved slowly. When the bell finally rang, I stood immediately and Ethan hesitated before getting up with his eyes flickering between me and Aria.
He was being cautious. How smart of him!
Sienna appeared at her side as soon as the aisle cleared. They leaned close to each other and she whispered. Aria nodded once and glanced back at me before following her out the door.
Barnes whistled low. “Way to go, Hale.”
I didn't answer him.
“I’ve never seen you that way with a girl.” He chuckled.
“Mind your business, Barnes,” I gritted out, clenching my jaw.
Lila appeared at my side like she’d materialized from the smoke. She’d been circling the edges with her friends but must have smelt my tension from across the hallway.
She grabbed my sleeve. “Luca, chill.”
“I’m chill,” I lied.
“You’re about to shift in front of half the school.” Her voice was low, urgent. “Breathe. In. Out. What did you do?”
“Nothing,” I replied.
Lila studied me, worry flickering behind her usual sarcasm. “You’re scaring me a little.”
“I’m fine,” I repeated, rougher this time.
“You’re not. But you will be if you stop acting like a possessive idiot for five seconds.”
She tugged my sleeve again. “Come on. Walk with me to cool off.”
Jealousy was a weakness and I knew that. It made you reckless, dragged you into choices you did not survive cleanly and yet when I thought of anyone else touching her, leaning into her space and hearing that laugh up close, something violent tightened behind my ribs.
That afternoon, I stayed later than usual after practice. Long enough that the sky started to turn orange. When I finally stepped outside, the air was cold. Aria stood near the steps with Sienna, jacket zipped, and bag slung over one shoulder. Ethan hovered a few feet away again, pretending to tie his shoe while waiting for an opening.
I walked past him and stopped in front of Aria.
“Go home with your friend,” I said quietly.
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” I said.
Sienna looked between us. “Why?”
I did not answer her.
Ethan straightened. “She does not need you telling her what to do, man.”
I turned my head toward him slowly. The look was enough. He hesitated, muttered something under his breath, and backed off. Aria stared at me, confusion and irritation colliding in equal measure. “You do not get to decide anything for me.”
“No,” I said. “But you will listen anyway.”
Her lips parted to argue but then she stopped. She must have seen the stormy expression on my face.
Sienna stepped closer to her, after shooting me a glare. “Come on, Aria”
Aria flipped me the bird and said, “stay out of my life, Hale.”
I turned and left without another word, whispering to myself, “Never!”
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Jealous Luca is feral 🔥. How many more moments before Luca snaps and does something reckless? Drop your thoughts below, my lovelies♥️.