chapter three

Gosh all I want to run my hand through his hair and lick his chest because fuck they so neat

I lost it for a moment, he noticed I was drooling he snapped

"Hello, pervs," he said casually.

I froze.

Perv?

Did he seriously just call me that?

I looked at him, completely offended.

"Perv? Did you just call me a perv?" I pointed at him. "You walked downstairs wearing nothing but a towel, and somehow I'm the pervert? Come on, Luca."

A small smirk tugged at his lips, clearly enjoying my reaction.

I could feel my face heating up, so before I embarrassed myself any further, I turned around and walked upstairs as quickly as possible.

Of course, I tried to make it look graceful.

Keyword: tried.

The moment I closed my bedroom door, I leaned against it and let out a frustrated sigh.

Why did he have to look like that?

My mind immediately replayed the scene I was desperately trying to forget—the way his hair was still damp from the shower, the drops of water disappearing as they slid down his skin.

I covered my face with my hands.

This was a disaster.

Ariana's words suddenly came back to me.

"You have to make him realize you're not the little girl he remembers."

I sat on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

"How exactly am I supposed to do that?" I whispered to myself.

Because the biggest problem wasn't that I liked Luca Bennett.

The problem was that he still saw me as Noah's annoying little sister.

And I had no idea how to make him see the woman I had become.

A few moments later, there was a knock on my door—or at least, what was supposed to be a knock.

Before I could answer, Noah walked in.

"Seriously?" I shouted, quickly turning around. "Can you please learn to knock? What if I wasn't decent?"

He looked completely unfazed.

"My bad," he said casually. "I'll knock next time."

The way he said it made it obvious he wasn't even slightly bothered.

Typical Noah.

He leaned against the doorframe. "Anyway, Luca and I are going out tonight. Do you want to come?"

My head snapped up.

"Yes."

The answer came out so quickly that even I was embarrassed.

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Wow. That was fast."

I cleared my throat, trying to act normal.

"I mean... sure. Why not?"

He shook his head with a small smile.

"Whatever you say."

Then I remembered something.

"Can Ariana come too?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

And just like that, he walked out of my room.

The second the door closed, I grabbed my phone.

Ariana was the first person I called.

---

She arrived less than thirty minutes later, and she didn't even bother saying hello properly.

Instead, she walked into my room, looked around, then looked at me.

"Okay," she said dramatically. "Now I understand."

I frowned. "Understand what?"

"Why you've been acting like Luca Bennett is the only man on earth."

I gasped.

"Ariana!"

She laughed.

"Don't even deny it. The way you talk about him? I thought you were exaggerating, but now I see it."

I threw a pillow at her.

"You're so annoying."

"Yet I'm right."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop smiling.

That was Ariana. She had a way of making everything feel less terrifying.

"Come on," she said, opening my closet. "Tonight is important."

I looked at her suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Because you're going to stop letting him see you as Noah's little sister."

My heart skipped.

She picked out an outfit and started helping me get ready.

For the first time in a long while, I looked in the mirror and didn't see the awkward fourteen-year-old girl who used to hide whenever Luca walked into the room.

I saw myself.

Nineteen.

Confident.

Growing up.

"Okay," Ariana said, stepping back proudly. "Now this is the Evelyn I wanted to see."

I laughed.

"You're so dramatic."

"And you're welcome."

Before I could reply, Noah's voice echoed from downstairs.

"Evie! If you're not ready in five minutes, we're leaving without you!"

I rolled my eyes.

"He's impossible."

Ariana grabbed her bag and smiled.

"Come on. The night is waiting."

I took one last look at myself in the mirror.

Tonight wasn't about making Luca fall for me.

At least, that's what I told myself.

But deep down...

I knew I was hoping he'd finally see me differently.