All Chapters of Can I ride you, Luca?....Craving my best friend’s brother: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Emma’s POVThe walk back from the boathouse was a blur of adrenaline and creeping dread. The pre-dawn air was freezing, but my skin felt like it was still on fire, sensitive to the slightest brush of my leggings. Every muscle in my thighs ached with a deep, heavy soreness—a physical receipt of the hours I’d spent tangled with Luca. I moved through the woods like a shadow, my heart hammering against my ribs every time a twig snapped.When the Lodge finally came into view, it looked like a silent, watchful beast. I reached the oak tree, my fingers numb as I gripped the bark. Climbing back up to the window was twice as hard as coming down; my body was sluggish, drained by the three rounds of hardcore intensity that had left me reeling.I finally rolled onto my bedroom floor, panting. I stripped off the hoodie and leggings, which reeked of the boathouse—oil, cedar, and the unmistakable, salt-musk scent of Luca. I shoved them to the very bottom of my laundry hamper, burying them under a pi

Emma’s POVThe walk back to the Lodge felt like walking on air and shards of glass at the same time. I had done it. I had officially cut the cord. Tyler’s face—the shock, the crestfallen realization—stayed behind me like a ghost on the lakeshore, but as I stepped through the front doors of the house, the atmosphere changed instantly.The air in the Lodge didn't feel heavy for once. It felt... celebratory."She's back!" Hannah’s voice rang out from the kitchen, high-pitched and melodic. She wasn't just talking; she was practically singing.I walked into the kitchen to find Hannah and Mia standing over the island. Hannah was wearing a silk floral robe, her hair pinned up in a loose, elegant bun. She was humming a pop song I hadn't heard her listen to in months, her hips swaying slightly as she arranged a tray of expensive cheeses and grapes."I did it," I said, leaning against the doorframe, my voice a mix of exhaustion and relief. "He asked. In front of everyone. And I said no."Hannah

Emma’s POVThe morning after our sleepover was filled with the hollow sound of packing. Hannah was heading back to the house she shared with Luca. She claimed she needed to "restore order" and make sure her brother wasn't "spiraling" after the public drama with Tyler, but I knew the truth. She was marking her territory at both locations, keeping one foot in my world and one foot in his."I'll be back for dinner tomorrow, Em," Hannah said, lingering by the front door. She reached out, tucking a stray hair behind my ear with a touch that felt heavy, almost like a brand. "Mia is here if you need anything. Don't let the silence get to you.""I'll be fine, Han," I promised, forcing a smile.As soon as the door clicked shut, the atmosphere in the Lodge shifted. The "sweetness" Hannah had cultivated during our spa night evaporated, replaced by a cold, sharp tension that seemed to radiate from the kitchen.Mia was standing at the counter, nursing a mug of coffee. She didn't look up when I wal

Emma’s POVThe drive back from the quarry was a blur of high-stakes adrenaline and desperate scrubbing. I drove with one hand on the wheel, the other frantically using a pack of wet wipes I kept in the glovebox to rub at the faint, tell-tale scent of Luca and the outdoors. I pulled my trench coat tight, praying my parents wouldn't notice the lack of a proper outfit underneath.I pulled into the Lodge driveway just as Hannah was stepping out of her car. She looked elegant, her eyes narrowed as she watched my headlights sweep across the front of the house.My stomach twisted. I had to be perfect.I stepped out of the car, clutching a heavy textbook I’d kept in the backseat for months. I forced my breathing to slow, smoothed my hair, and plastered on a look of tired, academic frustration."Emma?" Hannah called out, her voice a mix of suspicion and genuine surprise. "Where have you been at this hour?""The library," I said, my voice steady, sounding exactly like a girl who had just spent

Emma’s POVThe morning of Environmental Day brought a crisp, unforgiving wind that rattled the windowpanes of the Lodge. With Hannah back at her own house for the night, the silence between Mia and me had grown teeth. We were supposed to be deep-cleaning—it was the campus-wide day for "spatial renewal"—but the air in the living room was thick with everything we weren't saying.I was scrubbing the coffee table, the scent of lemon polish stinging my nose, while Mia aggressively organized the bookshelf. Every time she slammed a hardcover into place, it sounded like a gavel."Mia," I said, finally dropping the cloth. I couldn't take the vibration of her anger anymore. "Can we just stop? Please. I want to break the ice. What is actually wrong? What have I done to you these past few days? You’ve been giving me nothing but attitude and cold stares."Mia didn't stop her work. She dusted a spine with a frantic, jerky motion. "Nothing is wrong, Emma. I’m just cleaning. Some of us actually focus