My left cheek twitched at watching Eric lean close to the girl on his right. She giggled, and he said something smooth, probably, and ugh. Why was I watching them? What good would it do? He didn’t have my heart anymore. I didn’t have many regrets in my life, but picking this class with Eric when we’d first started hooking up was a dumb choice. The fact we both wanted the internship too added another layer of emotions in there. Seeing him chat with Mrs. Gravestone last week and watching her laugh with him, sent a flurry of anger through me. He was charming as hell, but that didn’t mean he’d earned the spot… probably.
I wanted it more. Plain and simple.
This wasn’t a box to check for me though. I loved the power of words and how an image could tell a story. Marketing was what I was meant to do, and Eric had taken away some of that passion. That was frankly quite unfuckingacceptable. The internship would be mine, and I’d earn it. I wouldn’t charm or flirt my way into it, no. I’d work hard and do a damn good job to show Mrs. Gravestone this was who I was—someone who got knocked down but pulled herself up and tried even harder. I was that way on the field, so why couldn’t I be like that in real life too? I was even more determined to help Luca’s grandmother. It lit a fire in me. Excitement buzzed through me.
Building my inner confidence up, I stood tall and made my way down the stairs. It was a small lecture hall of about seventy people, and we met here two days a week and in a small group on Thursdays. Thankfully, she had two rounds, and Eric wasn’t in my small group.
“Mrs. Gravestone?” I asked, refusing to look at Eric who stood only a few feet from us. He said he sat in front to pay attention, but I knew it was because he liked getting attention. It was different.
“Yes, Ms…”
“Romano.” My face heated. She doesn’t know my name.
“Ah, yes. Ms. Romano.” She smiled. “What can I do for you?”
It was hard to tell when people had that flash of recognition when they heard my last name. Was she a football fan? Did she know my brother? Maybe. Did she remember my last name from the syllabus? Unsure. Either way, it bothered me. I wanted to be known for me, but it was hard having a quarterback for a twin.
I’ll make myself memorable.
“I’d like to chat about the new direction for my project.” My voice came out louder than normal, stronger.
“You had the…” She paused and glanced at her notebook. “Girls’ soccer team. Hm. Yes, we vetoed that being too easy and convenient for you.”
I felt more than saw Eric’s gaze against my back, and I put on my game face. “My new proposal will be ready Friday.”
“In three days.” Her eyes flashed.
My gut tightened. “Is that okay?”
“This class is not some BS place where you read and reflect. You learn. You experience. Priorities change daily in the business world. You could have a ten-page detailed plan with color coordinating tabs, and your boss could change their mind that morning. Being able to shift and produce under pressure is part of the job. So yes. Do it. Adjust. Impress me.”
“I will.” I grinned hard and spun in a circle of victory. That internship was mine, baby. I’d impress her, help Luca’s grandma, and stick it to Eric. It really was a trifecta of wins. Butterflies exploded in my stomach, some of it nerves but mainly excitement. Eric eyed me with unease, his lips flattening as I did a little wiggle. Feeling ballsy, I flipped him off with a smile.
He blinked before a shadow of a grin crossed his face. Usually, I’d analyze the shit out of that reaction. Did he miss me or was he plotting my demise? The guy had messed me up so much I couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t plague me as much as it did before. But Luca’s words came back to me, how he thought I was a goddess. His compliments warmed me more than anything Eric ever said, and my face heated. Luca didn’t say a lot, but when he did, the words packed a damn punch. Like how he spoke about his grandma? How thankful he was for her and determined to care for her? Eric complained about his family all the time, something that had always bothered me.
I had a new goal and mission, and I couldn’t wait to get started on it.
Now I just had to corner Luca and get his approval because he had straight up disappeared from the house. After Saturday morning, I never saw him. I heard him, sure, with his loud footsteps, but he’d always be in his room or leaving.
I wasn’t paranoid, that would be too extreme, but a part of me, a little bit, thought he might be avoiding me? Which, I understood. But the hot and cold, friends but not friends, let me know when the outline is ready but never answering my texts was getting annoying. I could move ahead without his stamp of approval, but that felt gross. This involved his life.
I sat in the back of the lecture hall and texted him immediately.
Lo: Hey, I got permission to move forward with the new marketing idea. Can we please meet to go over it? I have until Friday, and I don’t want to lose three night’s sleep if you hate it.
Lo: If you changed your mind, that’s okay. Just, tell me. You kinda ghosted me?
Lo: Not like, for real ghosted, but I haven’t seen you in real life in days. Just a thumbs up is enough approval. Or even a ghost emoji if you’re feeling frisky.
There. That would be sufficient. He’d either accept or not.
Luca: Where are you
Yes! He engaged! I smiled like a fool at my phone.
Lo: In class, but I’m free in forty minutes. You on the quad?
Luca: What hall
Lo: Follet
Luca: see you in forty minutes
Okay, short and to the point, but hey, this was perfect. I’d go over the plan I made with Mack and earn his approval. Then, it was go time.
Class dragged on because I was so excited to get started. Usually, I loved Mrs. Gravestone’s lectures, but there was an undercurrent of nerves living under my skin. A minor, miniscule part of me looked forward to seeing Luca. It had been days since we chatted, and I wanted to make sure we were okay.
And to see if the attraction was in your head.
Yes, also a little of that, brain. Knock it off.
I got up from my seat and shouldered my bag just as Eric approached me. I sucked in a breath, hating the immediate rush of heat to my face.
“Hi, Lorelei.”
“Hello.” I kept it professional because I was a goddamn mature adult. My head remained high and my posture straight as I walked toward the exit. “How are you?”
“Okay, are you even able to look at me?” he asked.
“Whatever for?”
My pulse raced, and I wanted to run. I’d never understood where I was with him, what I meant. He’d push me away, pull me close. Promise me one thing, then take it back. I hated feeling insecure because it made me think I was irrational, when Eric didn’t have his shit together and was toxic.
I marched through the exit doors, the fresh air hitting my face, and I breathed it in, welcoming to slight smell of fall. Like burning leaves and bonfires. The leaves changed from green to red across campus, and it was a sight. “The leaves are so pretty,” I said.
“What’s your new idea?” he said, not getting the hint I was ignoring him.
That made me snap my gaze to his. “You’re asking me what my project is? For real? Why would I tell you?”
He shrugged. “I want to know. You were gung ho about girls’ soccer and how it’s better than men’s and shit. It was all you talked about honestly. A little bit too much.”
“Whoa, okay, do not start that with me.” My temper flared, the fire dancing along my spine daring me to do dangerous things, like punch his throat dangerous. I sneered at him. “My project is my business.”
“You used to be so easy to be around.” He ran a hand over his face. “Now you’re even more—”
“More what Eric?” I shouted. I hadn’t meant to, but my emotions got the best of me like usual. I was loud and competitive and messy, and fuck Eric for making me feel bad about it. “I’m more what?”
“Lorelei,” a deep, strong voice said.
My stomach swooped at finding Luca standing off to the right wearing navy joggers and a tight long-sleeved shirt. His hair blew in the wind, and he stared daggers at Eric with his dark brown eyes. He looked as intimidating as he was on the field and even hotter than in my imagination. That clenched jaw, stern face, biceps flirting with how far they could stretch his shirt… he painted a hot-ass picture.
“Is Derrick bothering you?” Luca stepped closer to me.
My lips quirked up, and I beamed at him. That comment had to bug the shit out of Eric. “Nope. Want to grab a coffee with me?”
“Yes.” He spoke to me, but his attention remained on Eric. He tensed his jaw before raising his arm and tucking me underneath it.
His warmth spread through me, and he smelled like laundry and apples. I tried not to breathe him in, because that would be weird, but man, Luca smelled good. He steered us away from the entrance to the lecture hall and down the stairs. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like he held me tighter against him the more distance we put between Eric and us.
He led us to a bench right underneath a tree with changing leaves. This was the bench I’d always dreamed about. It sat perfectly center of the quad, right in front of the largest, prettiest tree on campus, and it belonged in a love story. I sighed, stared up at the leaves, and smiled. “This is the most romantic spot.”
“Yeah? How so?”
“The placement. Plus, the leaves changing over from summer to fall? Simply gorgeous.” I made the chef’s kiss gesture with my fingers. Luca’s gaze softened at me before he studied the area.
“You’re right.”
“Damn right I am.” I plopped down and moved my bag to rest on my knees. He remained standing, his brows furrowed as he stared at me. “What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Mm, you have something on your mind. I can tell.” I pulled out my notebook and pen and grinned up at him. Maybe it was the high of getting permission on the project idea or the fact he one-upped Eric with the wrong name, but I was feeling very warm and fuzzy toward Luca Monroe. Warm enough to wonder what he’d feel like to hug. His broad shoulders and large chest would feel nice, I was sure. My face heated, a stark contrast to the anger Eric caused me.
This was different.
Luca ran a hand over his hair, messing up the ends up a bit. “I don’t understand why you were with that guy and in the same class.”
“We had fun, and I had a different idea of what we were. Joining the same class seemed great last spring, and since we’re both marketing majors, being in some classes together is inevitable. The hard part is that we’re competing for an internship.” My heart skipped a beat. “I want it so badly I can taste it. It keeps me up at night.”
He snorted. “I relate to that sentiment. That’s how I feel about getting drafted.” He pointed to the spot next to me. “Can I sit?”
“Of course, please.” I patted the metal bench and smiled. “Appreciate you asking though.”
He lowered himself, his massive body almost touching mine. He wasn’t even sitting like a dude with wide legs, and his body took up over half of it. He leaned back and put his arm on the edge, his fingers just inches from my shoulder. I wore a sweatshirt and yet seeing his hand dangle so close had my stomach swooping. God, this was bad. I had to get it together.
He eyed his watch. “What’s your plan? I have twenty minutes.”
“Right. Duh.” Stop talking about leaves and shit. “I’ll hurry to get you out of here.”
He didn’t respond, and I scrunched my face. This was going well. “Okay, I’d like to visit the facility and ask about what socials they have. Are they on all medias? Do they have a newsletter created for family members or the public? Who manages outreach? Do they have a website for volunteers or just the main one with information? It’s outdated and could use some upgrades. Are they tracking usage? I would need those answers first before getting to work. I’d also—”
“I’m visiting her Sunday. Want to come with?” He kept his attention straight ahead.
My stomach dropped. “I have a game on Sunday. I can’t. What about Saturday?”
“I use that day for post-game stuff.”
“Monday?” I could probably miss an afternoon class and weights if I explained it to coach. “Well, maybe not.”
“Sundays are the only day I can.”
My shoulders slumped, and the bench seemed colder. “Damn. Okay. I can… hm. I can call them. Maybe borrow someone else’s car.” I went through the mental list of everyone who had a car, and Eric was at the top. Ugh.
Luca leaned back, his shoulder leaning against mine as he faced me. His jaw was tight again, and his eyes flashed with something, but it disappeared fast. “It takes a few hours to get there.”
“Yeah, I know. I looked it up.” I pulled at the end of my ponytail with frustration. “Would your grandma take a FaceTime or Zoom call? I could interview her that way, but that wouldn’t be good for the video pieces I wanted to do. I thought it’d be amazing to film the residents with fun facts about them. Like they were alive before we had TVs. That is wild. I could do TikToks with them about life back then.” I flipped to the third page of my notes. “There could be a buddy system paired up with the high school nearby—like senior and seniors!”
“That’s a great idea.” Luca sighed, and his right knee bounced. “You’d need to be there in person for a lot of this, wouldn’t you?”
“I’m thinking so, which… that doesn’t work with our sports schedules.”
He grunted, and the momentary high deflated. I was a popped tire. A balloon with a hole. A hose with a leak. I closed my eyes and leaned back, unintentionally resting my head on his arm. He stiffened but didn’t move.
“Okay,” he said.
It jolted me from my pity-party. I peeked one eye open. “Okay… what?”
“We’ll go this Saturday.”
Hope burst through me like the crowd rushing in for Black Friday sales. It knocked over every emotion I had, taking the lead. “You for real? What about your coach?”
His nostrils flared. “It’s not… it was my own routines getting in the way, not his. I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, Luca.” My heart felt like someone squeezed it with two hands. This was almost unbelievable, him sacrificing his time for me. “Are you sure? I know you’re intense and focused. This wouldn’t… I can find another way. My parents could let me borrow their car! Yes, that’s it.”
He shook his head. “No, I can take a few hours off. Plus, my grandma has been pestering me to see her.”
“I can be quick. The quickest. I’ll email everyone in advance so we can be in and out.” I spoke too fast, too loud because the excitement came back on steroids. “Gah! This is gonna be awesome. I could just hug you right now!”
He let out a tight laugh and removed his arm from the back of the bench. “Want to leave around two? That lets me finish post-game film and a light workout.”
“Yes!” I jumped from the bench and spun in a circle. “You won’t regret this, Monroe. Not one bit.”
