004

Saturday night arrived faster than Luca wanted. He'd spent the entire week avoiding Ryan in the hallways, ducking into empty classrooms whenever he spotted that familiar blonde head in the distance.

Each time he had seen Ryan from afar, Lucas could clearly recall the conversation they last had, but aside that, his heart was trying to betray him and he was fighting hard not to let him.

This was the last place he wanted to be this weekend, in a party full of rich kids, But Elvis had already promised him a ride, and backing out now would require explanations he wasn't ready to give.

The Chen mansion was everything Luca had expected and worse. Cars that cost more than most people's houses lined the circular driveway, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see crowds of perfectly dressed teenagers holding red solo cups.

"Holy shit," Elvis breathed as they climbed out of the BMW. "This place is insane."

Luca's stomach twisted with nerves. "Maybe we should go."

"Are you crazy? This is the party of the year." Elvis grabbed his arm. "Come on, Hampton. Live a little."

The music was loud, vibrating through the marble floors as Madison Chen greeted them at the door. She was stunning in that effortless way that came from good genes and better money, her smile warm but her gaze lingered longer than necessary.

"You must be Luca," she said, extending a hand. "I've heard so much about you."

They made small talk as she led them through the house, but Luca wasn't really listening. His eyes kept scanning the crowd, looking for Ryan despite himself. When he finally spotted him on the back deck, laughing with a group of guys by the infinity pool, Luca's breath caught in his throat.

Ryan looked perfect, as always. Dark jeans, white button-down, that easy smile that made everyone around him lean in closer. But when their eyes met across the crowded deck, his expression changed. The smile faded, replaced by something intense and hungry that made Luca's knees go weak.

"There he is," Elvis said, following his gaze. "Your boy."

"He's not my boy," Luca said automatically, but he couldn't look away.

Ryan started walking toward them, weaving through clusters of people with that confident stride Luca remembered from middle school. But before he could reach them, Emily appeared at his side like she'd materialized out of thin air.

"Luca!" she called out, her voice bright and false. "I'm so glad you came."

She was wearing a short dress that probably cost more than Luca's rent, her arm sliding possessively around Ryan's waist. The gesture looked casual, but Luca could see the way her fingers dug into his side.

"Hey," Ryan said quietly, his eyes still fixed on Luca's face.

"Hey " Luca tried to keep his voice steady, trying to ignore the way his heart was throbbing just from being near Ryan again.

"Isn't this nice?" Emily's smile was sharp. "Old friends catching up. Ryan's told me so much about your little friendship back in San Diego."

There was something venomous in the way she said 'friendship,' like she knew it was a lie. Luca felt exposed, like she could see right through him to every secret he'd buried.

"We should get drinks," Elvis said, clearly picking up on the tension.

"Great idea," Emily giggled. "Ryan, why don't you show them to the bar? I need to go check on something."

She kissed Ryan's cheek before walking away, but not before shooting Luca a look that made his skin crawl. There was a warning in her dark eyes, a promise that this conversation wasn't over.

"She seems friendly," Elvis muttered as they headed toward the bar.

Ryan didn't respond. He was walking close enough to Luca that their shoulders kept brushing, sending sparks racing up Luca's arm with every contact.

The bartender was professional and didn't ask for ID, mixing elaborate cocktails for anyone who looked old enough to be at the party. Luca ordered a beer, but Elvis insisted on getting him something stronger.

"Live a little, man. It's a party."

Against his better judgment, Luca accepted the fruity pink drink Elvis handed him. The alcohol burned slightly, but it helped calm his nerves. Maybe Elvis was right. Maybe he needed to stop overthinking everything.

They found a spot near the edge of the deck where the music wasn't quite so overwhelming. It would have been beautiful if Luca could focus on anything other than Ryan standing three feet away, close enough to touch but impossibly distant.

"So," Ryan said after a long moment of awkward silence. "How are you settling in? Really?"

There was something in his voice, a genuine concern that replaced all the party noise and made Luca look at him properly for the first time all night. Ryan's blue eyes were intense, searching his face like he was trying to read his thoughts.

"It's fine," Luca said automatically.

"Bullshit." Ryan stepped closer, lowering his voice. "I can see it in your face. You're not fine."

"Since when do you care?" The words came out harsher than Luca intended, but he was tired of pretending. Tired of acting like everything was normal when it felt like his world was falling apart.

Ryan's face went pale. "Since always. You know that."

"Do I? Because two years of silence says otherwise."

They stared at each other, the party swirling around them while they existed in their own bubble of tension and unfinished business. Elvis had wandered off to flirt with some girl from another school, leaving them alone for the first time since the hallway incident.

"You want to know the truth?" Ryan's voice trembld, almost desperate. "I tried to forget you. I tried so fucking hard to move on, to be normal, to date girls and play sports and be the perfect son my father wanted."

He ran his fingers through his perfectly styled hair, frustrations lingered in his eyes.

Luca's breath caught. "Ryan—"

"I'm not finished." Ryan moved closer, close enough that Luca could feel his breath on his skin, could see the pain etched in every line of his face.

"Two years, Luca. Two years of pretending I didn't wake up every morning thinking about you. Two years of dating Emily because she was safe and expected and everything I was supposed to want."

"Then why didn't you call?" Luca whispered. "Why didn't you try to find me?"

"Because I was terrified." Ryan's voice broke. "Because that night in your room, when we almost... I knew if I kissed you, there would be no going back. No more pretending to be straight, no more living up to my father's expectations. And I was seventeen and scared and I chose the easy path."

Luca felt like he couldn't breathe. Everything he'd wondered about, everything he'd imagined during those long nights in San Diego, was pouring out of Ryan like a confession.

"I chose wrong," Ryan continued, his voice barely audible over the music. "I've regretted it every day since."

Before Luca could respond, someone crashed into him from behind, sending his drink flying.