Chapter 4: He has a girlfriend?

Chapter 4: He has a girlfriend?

Luca’s breath fanned warmly across my face as he leaned closer, his curls falling slightly over his eyes while his hand remained against my jaw. My heart pounded so loudly that I could barely hear anything else around me. Oh God.

Was he really about to kiss me?

Every thought inside my head vanished completely. I froze against the glass wall of the greenhouse, my fingers tightening unconsciously around the edge of my sweater as I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for the moment our lips would touch.

But it never came.

Instead, a branch smacked loudly against the bushes beside us.

“Hey!” an annoyed voice barked. “If you kids wanna make out, do it somewhere else!”

My eyes flew open immediately.

A security guard stood several feet away glaring at us while holding another broken branch in his hand threateningly but that didn't stop the heat that rushed violently to my cheeks.

Luca pulled away from me slowly, looking mildly offended by the interruption before exhaling a laugh under his breath.

“Rude,” he muttered.

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I wore a baggy grey sweater and a mini skirt that stopped just a little above my knee and there he was kneeling right in front of me!

The guard shook his head dramatically before walking off while mumbling something about “hormonal teenagers.”

Several awkward seconds passed with neither of us speaking.

Then Luca suddenly reached into his pocket and brought out a folded blue handkerchief. His expression softened slightly as he inched closer again, pressing the cloth gently against the cut beside my lip.

“You got hurt pretty badly back there,” he murmured then looked at me smirking.

“It’s tiny.” my voice cracked at the end.

“You say that now,” he replied. “Wait till you wake up tomorrow looking like you lost a boxing match.”

I rolled my eyes softly and kicked him away playfully but he caught my ankle. My eyes shot up at him in surprise but Luuca smiled before flicking my forehead lightly.

“Couldn’t you run without injuring yourself?” he teased, letting go of me.

“Excuse me? I wasn’t the one punching people today.”

“That guy deserved it.”

Before I could reply, the loud school bell rang throughout the campus, signaling the end of break.

“Oh no.”

“What?”

“My literature paper!” I gasped. “I left everything under the tree.”

Luca blinked once before laughing softly. “You're more forgetful than Tom. Come on. I’ll walk you back before Denver decides to crawl out of somewhere like a fox.”

We hurried back through the garden paths together while my body still refused to calm down from what had almost happened minutes ago. The atmosphere between us had changed slightly now, filled with an awkward tension neither of us acknowledged directly.

When we finally reached the tree, relief flooded through me after spotting my notebook partially hidden inside a small opening beneath one of the roots. It just have fallen there during the scruffle.

“Thank God.”

I crouched quickly to retrieve it while Luca scratched the back of his neck nervously beside me.

“I uh…” he started awkwardly. “Sorry about earlier.”

I looked up at him in confusion.

“For what?”

“For dragging you into trouble.”

I stared at him for a second before slapping his arm lightly.

“That wasn’t your fault. Denver's a dickhead.”

Luca smiled sheepishly, and just like that, the strange tension faded enough for us to continue walking back toward class like nothing life-altering had nearly happened behind the greenhouse.

Thankfully, Maxson Denver was a senior.

That fact alone became my only source of comfort for the rest of the day.

He was in his final year, which meant expulsion or suspension would destroy his chances of graduating smoothly and it would be in his permanent record.

But despite knowing that, I still spent the remaining hours at school operating in complete stealth mode.

I even avoided the soccer field completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Literature ended up being our final class for the day, and unfortunately, Mr. Davenport looked unusually energetic when he walked into class which was never a good sign.

“As you all know,” he began dramatically after the final bell rang, “tomorrow is the deadline for your literature paper and your continuous assessment test.”

A collective groan filled the classroom immediately but Mr. Davenport ignored us heartlessly with a huge grin on his face.

“You are expected to know all three novels thoroughly,” he continued while pacing around the room. “Front and back. Character analysis, symbolism, themes, historical context, everything. I could pull questions from absolutely anywhere.”

Wonderful...this man looked more than happy to fail us.

As much as I genuinely loved literature, there was absolutely no way I could finish my paper and revise three ridiculously thick novels all in one evening.

By the time he left, my brain already hurt.

“I’m staying back in the library,” I told Luca while packing my bag. He had rushed into my class to walk me home. He always did.

His brows furrowed into a frown. “Till when?”

“I don’t know. A few hours maybe.”

“Just come over to my place instead. Leo made lasagna." He said tantalizingly drawing 'lasagna' like it was a spell.

I have to admit, it was tempting because hey, it's lasagna!

But I'd rather eat the leftovers than flop my test.

 “No.” I said firmly averting my gaze his eyes. Luca is literally the only person I've ever met who I can never say 'no' to with a straight face.

Luca blinked his large green puppy eyes. “Why are you saying it like that?”

Because after what almost happened today, sitting alone with him inside his house while Leonardo worked shirtless in the garage on his motorcycle somewhere nearby sounded like the worst possible environment for concentration.

“My house is too close to yours and I know you won't be able to stop yourself from visiting me,” I lied. The silence there is unbearably loud even for me.

Luca studied me carefully before sighing softly.

“Fine.”

He stepped closer and wrapped his arms loosely around me in a quick hug that instantly made me warm all over again. I melted into his arms and hugged him back.

“Beep me twice every hour,” he said, his face in my hair while pinching my cheek lightly. Then he pulled away. “So I know you’re still alive.”

I laughed before smacking his butt playfully.

“Leave already you goof.”

Luca gasped dramatically. “Violence again?”

I nudged the back of his leg with my knee, forcing him toward the hallway.

“You’re annoying.”

“You love me.”

I ignored that statement completely. It was debatable.

Before finally leaving, Luca pointed toward me seriously. “Call if you need help. I may be a science student, but I still possess intelligence.”

“Debatable.” I say using my hands to shoo him away.

He clutched his chest in fake pain before finally disappearing down the corridor.

Once alone, I headed straight toward the library.

An hour passed painfully slowly.

I revised study notes left behind by former students, highlighted important sections from the novels, and tried piecing together my paper all at once, but somehow I still felt incredibly behind.

The next hour later I was still stuck on the same book. Frustrated, I pulled out my phone to check the time.

6:10 PM.

Only a handful of students remained in the library now. Most tables were empty now and most of the students moved to the window seats for the evening breeze.

That was when reality finally sank in. There was no way in heaven or hell I am finishing all this alone.

Maybe I should’ve accepted Luca’s help after all. I thought painfully then groaned. But we almost kissed!

As if summoned by my buried thoughts, the library doors suddenly opened slowly. A soft creaking sound echoed in the quiet reading space and he walked in. Leonardo.

My entire body tensed up. I look at him by peering over my book as he shut the door behind him.

Even dressed casually, he somehow still looked painfully attractive. His dark jacket was gone now, leaving him in a loose black polo shirt paired with black jeans and white sneakers. His hair looked slightly damp as usual, his messy curls brushing against his forehead carelessly.

I don't know who their father was but damn he must be fucking lucky to have been blessed with curls this beautiful.

How did someone look intimidating while literally just walking?

I lowered my head toward my books immediately before he could notice me staring.

That gesture was too late probably.

Only a few students occupied the window seats nearby, and unfortunately I had chosen the very last table near the back.

Which meant there was absolutely nowhere else for him to sit unnoticed.

My pulse quickened slightly as his footsteps approached.

Then without saying a single word, Leonardo pulled out the chair directly across from me and sat down.

The rich scent of cedarwood and musk drifted toward me almost instantly.It smelled warm, masculine, and dangerous.

I gripped my pen tighter. His cologne probably cost an arm and a leg.

'Say hi.' my brain that had refused to speak ever since he walked in urged.

'No don’t.' I reply it internally.

I stared at my book intensely instead till ten whole minutes passed.

Ten unbearable minutes of pretending to read while understanding absolutely nothing because my heart refused to behave normally around him.

Finally, unable to endure it anymore, I looked up.

Leonardo slowly lifted his eyes toward mine too.

God, those green eyes felt unfair.

Sharp and unreadable, they looked straight through me and it made me feel exposed somehow.

“Are you…” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Busy?”

He said nothing initially then after a moment, he tossed the book in his hands onto the table lazily.

“Your friend sent me to help you with your literature paper.”

I blinked in complete shock.

“What?”

“He wouldn’t stop bothering me.”

Warmth spread through my chest instantly at the thought of Luca caring that much.

I looked Leonardo over briefly and immediately realized Luca had most likely dragged him away from whatever he had been doing earlier.

The mental image nearly made me laugh.

Leonardo stretched his hand out impatiently.

“The paper.” he demanded.

“Oh.”

I quickly handed him my notebook and pen.

Leonardo took it from me and wrote effortlessly while I focused on revising my notes properly this time. Occasionally I caught myself glancing toward him accidentally.

And you really can't blame me for it. Everything about him looked...sharp.His jawline, his fingers, his emerald green eyes. Even the way he held the pen is attractive.

When the clock finally neared seven, Leonardo dropped the pen onto the table and slid my notebook back toward me.

“Go through it properly,” he said calmly. “In case you’re asked to defend your work.”

I looked down at the beautifully structured pages in disbelief. Leonardo had written the whole essay on Oliver Twist in fine cursive.

“You finished all this?”

He shrugged slightly.

“Thank you,” I said earnestly.

“You’re welcome.”

“You can go now though,” I added quickly. “You’ve already helped enough plus you look like you hate being here.”

“Luca told me to make sure you get home safely.”

I sighed internally. Did Luca genuinely think Maxson Denver was hiding in bushes waiting to attack me? Still, by the time Leonardo finished helping me, the library had practically emptied out completely.

Reluctantly, I returned the study materials to their shelves before walking outside with him.

Only a few students remained scattered around the school courtyard, and despite myself, I found my pace quickening slightly to keep up beside Leonardo who had trees for legs.

What if Denver actually was nearby?

We continued walking silently toward the parking lot until I finally noticed something surprising.

Leonardo hadn’t brought his car.

Instead, parked beneath one of the lamps stood a sleek midnight-black sports motorcycle gleaming like something expensive enough to bankrupt an entire family.

I swallowed hard. Of course he owned a bike.

Leonardo grabbed one of the helmets before tossing it toward me casually. I awkwardly caught onto it, my bag almost slipping from my shoulders due to my sudden movement.

“Get on.”

I didn't understand him for two seconds before it finally clicked.

Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea how motorcycle helmets worked.

I struggled awkwardly with the chin strap while pretending not to panic. The last thing I wanted was to annoy him further when he already permanently looked irritated with life itself.

After several failed attempts, I left the strap unlocked and tried climbing onto the bike anyway.

The helmet slipped off my head as I tried to balance myself on the seat and clattered loudly onto the pavement.

Leonardo stared at me blankly, then at the helmet, and then at me. I wished he'd just stare at the poor helmet instead.

An embarrassing moment of silence dragged by.

“I told you to put it on.”

“I tried!” I defended quickly, pushing myself off the bike and coming to stand in front of him. “I don’t know how the strap works.”

At that exact moment, my stomach growled loudly in the silent parking lot...mortifyingly loud.

Heat flooded my entire face for the nth time that evening.

Leonardo exhaled slowly before dragging one hand through his messy hair.

Then without another word, he picked the helmet up, stepped closer, and carefully placed it back onto my head.

His fingers brushed lightly beneath my chin while fastening the buckle properly.

“There,” he muttered.

Before I could even recover, Leo placed my arm on his neck and knelt down a little, allowing me to use his knee as a step to climb properly onto the bike before positioning himself in front of me.

“Hold on.”

I barely heard him because the motorcycle roared to life at the exact same moment.

The bike jerked forward suddenly and a soft gasp escaped me as I nearly lost balance completely.

Instinctively, my arms wrapped tightly around Leonardo’s waist while my body pressed against his hard, rigid back.

The scent of cedarwood and musk surrounded me instantly again, stronger this time beneath the cool evening air. Beneath my arms, I could feel the hard planes of his stomach and chest even through the thin fabric of his shirt.

My face burned violently inside the helmet.

This was actually humiliating.

We rode through the city for nearly twenty minutes before slowing a few miles near the estate entrance.

Unexpectedly, Leonardo parked the bike near a small convenience store before getting off.

“Wait here,” he ordered simply then he disappeared down the street.

Three minutes passed...then five.

While waiting, his phone suddenly began ringing loudly from the holder attached near the handlebars.

I ignored it the first time. Why would I pick up his phone anyway? It rang again for the second time yet I still didn't answer it.

But when it rang again for the third time, curiosity finally got the better of me. I had a good guess it was Luca checking in on us.

I glanced down at the screen expecting to see a message from him. What I saw left me shocked. The caller ID was a girl's name with a blue heart beside it.

Linda.

My chest tightened painfully.

A girlfriend? He had a girlfriend...?

For some reason, the realization hurt far more than it should have. For someone that hot I knew it was impossible to remain single but seriously...

It hurt a lot.

I was still holding his phone when the little bell placed above the entrance to the convenience store jiggled.

"What are you doing?"