Can I ride you, Luca?....Craving my best friend’s brother의 모든 챕터: 챕터 71 - 챕터 80

Emma’s POVThe next morning air was brittle, a sharp contrast to the suffocating heat of the previous night’s secrets. I stood on the porch of the Lodge, my arms wrapped tightly around my chest, watching a sleek black SUV pull into the gravel driveway. Luca was behind the wheel, his face obscured by dark aviators, looking every bit the composed heir to the Carter fortune. Beside him, Hannah beamed, leaning out the window before the car had even come to a complete stop.She had insisted on this detour. Despite the long drive ahead to their family estate, she couldn't leave for the holidays without one last goodbye."I'm going to miss this place!" Hannah chirped, hopping out of the car to pull me into a hug that felt like a brand. She smelled of expensive travel lotion and a hope that made my stomach churn. "And I'm going to miss you. Promise you'll text me the second you get to your new place?""I promise, Han," I murmured into her shoulder.Mia stood a few feet back, leaning against t

Emma’s POVThe digital world exploded long before the physical one did. While I was staring at the ceiling of my new room, my phone vibrated with the relentless rhythm of a machine gun.Group Chat: The Lodge GirlsHannah: GUESS. WHO. IS. MY. NEW. NEIGHBOR. @MiaMia: I’m bad at games, Hannah. Just say it.Hannah: [Image Attached]It was a selfie Hannah had snapped when we were leaning against the stone wall. She was beaming, her arm hooked through mine, and in the background, Luca was visible, mid-stride with a crate in his arms, his jawline sharp and his expression unreadable.Mia: Wow. What a coincidence.Emma: 😲 I’m still in shock. My parents didn't tell me anything!Mia: Small world. Truly.A moment later, a private notification slid down. My heart did a slow, painful roll in my chest.Mia: Congratulations, Emma. Neighbors with the Carters. I guess the 'break' is going to be even more productive than we thought. See you soon.The underlying threat in her text was enough to make me

Emma’s POVThe next morning, the sun was far too bright for a world that felt as heavy as mine. It spilled across my new hardwood floors in long, mocking streaks of gold. My head throbbed with the ghost of the party’s noise, but the true ache was the vibrating weight of the phone on my nightstand.I hadn’t replied to Luca’s midnight threat. I couldn’t. Every word he sent was a tether, pulling me deeper into a labyrinth where the walls were made of his sister’s trust."Emma! Rise and shine, neighbor!" Hannah’s voice drifted up from the driveway at exactly 10:00 AM. She didn’t ring the bell; she didn't have to. She was already part of the architecture of my life.I pulled on a pair of high-waisted denim shorts and a simple white linen shirt—the kind of "clean girl" aesthetic that Hannah adored. I looked in the mirror and saw a stranger. The girl in the glass looked innocent, but her skin still felt the phantom heat of Luca’s hands in the pantry.Hannah was a relentless tour guide. She t

Emma’s POVThe secluded hot spring felt like a world suspended in time. Behind the thick wall of jasmine and ancient ferns, the thumping bass of the Harrison's pool party became a rhythmic heartbeat, distant and inconsequential. The steam rose in silver curls from the water, clinging to the mossy rocks and dampening the air until every breath felt heavy and sweet.Luca didn't just lead me here; he claimed the space. He stepped toward the heavy wooden door of the small, private bathhouse that overlooked the spring—a rustic, stone-walled structure designed for absolute privacy. With a deliberate, metallic clack, he turned the heavy iron bolt.The sound echoed, final and binding."Luca," I whispered, my voice caught between a protest and a plea. "The party... my parents...""Are busy discussing property taxes and vintage wine," he murmured, turning to face me. The golden light of the setting sun bled through the high, slatted windows, painting stripes of amber across his chest. He reache

Emma’s POVThe two days that followed were a cold, vibrating blur of fury. I didn’t just ignore Luca’s messages; I treated my phone like a radioactive object. Every time the screen lit up with his name, every time he tried to explain away the "Sophie situation" with a "It’s not what it looks like" or a "Sweet, talk to me," I felt a fresh surge of acid in my chest.I was a "secret." Sophie Miller was a "family friend" who got to kiss him in the moonlight.Hannah, ever the loyal soldier, spent those forty-eight hours hovering over me. She brought over heating pads, specialized teas, and a mountain of dark chocolate, convinced I was in the throes of a biological war."I'm fine, Han," I said on the second afternoon, pushing away a bowl of soup. "I think I overreacted. It wasn't my period—just a weird reaction to the move, I guess. Stress.""Well, thank God," Hannah sighed, flopping onto my bed. "Because you cannot miss tonight. The whole neighborhood is going to be at Sophie’s. It’s the l