Semua Bab Can I ride you, Luca?....Craving my best friend’s brother: Bab 81 - Bab 88

Emma’s POVThe room was draped in the oppressive elegance of the Carters' wealth, but as Luca stepped further into the moonlight, the velvet and silver felt less like decor and more like a stage for a crime. The heavy oak door had clicked shut with a finality that made my pulse roar in my ears."Luca, you shouldn't be here," I whispered, my voice trembling as I clutched the lapels of Hannah’s silk robe. I backed away until my calves hit the edge of the high, mahogany bed. "Hannah is literally in the next room. She’s... she’s probably still awake. And your parents, they're just down the hall in the east wing. If they hear even a floorboard creak—"Luca didn't stop. He moved with a predator's grace, closing the distance until I could smell the faint, intoxicating scent of bourbon and the cold winter night clinging to his skin. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the silk at my throat, his touch a sharp contrast to the icy air outside."Nobody is going to hear anything, Emma," h

Emma’s POVThe walk across the manicured lawns separating the Carter estate from our new home felt like a march toward a firing squad. My legs were heavy, the silk of my borrowed robe swishing against my skin—a stinging reminder of the skin I had shared with a man who was now, for all intents and purposes, someone else fiancé."Mr. and Mrs. Carter, thank you for the hospitality," I had managed to choke out, my voice a hollow shell of itself. "Hannah, I’ll... I’ll text you."I didn't wait for them to respond. I didn't look at Sophie’s predatory, triumphant grin, and I certainly didn't look at Luca. I fled.The gravel of my own driveway was crunching under my sandals when the sound of heavy, rhythmic footsteps behind me made my heart stop. I didn't have to turn around. I knew the weight of his stride. I knew the way the air shifted when he was near."Emma! Stop!"Luca’s voice was a ragged command. He caught up to me just as I reached my front door, his hand shot out, slamming against th

Emma’s POVThe wind at the "End of the World" howled with a renewed ferocity, as if the cliffside itself was trying to drown out the explosive silence between us. Ethan’s hand was still a hot, possessive weight on my arm, and Luca’s eyes were fixed on that point of contact with such intensity I expected Ethan’s sleeve to catch fire.Hannah stepped forward, her face a mask of weary frustration. To her, this wasn't a battle for my soul; it was just another episode of her brother’s increasingly erratic behavior."Luca, stop it! You’re being a total caveman!" Hannah shouted over the wind, her voice snapping the tension like a dry branch. She marched right up to her brother and shoved his shoulder. "What is wrong with you? Just because you’re suddenly 'engaged' and stressed about the merger doesn't mean you get to hunt Emma down and dictate who she watches the sunset with! You’re embarrassing me, and you’re scaring her."Luca’s jaw worked, his teeth grinding so hard I could hear it. He did

Hannah’s POVThe world didn't end with a bang. It ended with the sound of sneakers on gravel and a voice that I had once found more comforting than a lullaby telling me that I was a "sister."Sister.The word felt like a physical weight, a jagged stone lodged in my throat. As I ran back from the edge of the woods, the twilight air felt thin, like it couldn't provide enough oxygen for my lungs. I reached the limestone sanctuary of our house, burst through the front door, and didn't stop until I had slammed the heavy oak door of my suite and turned the lock.I didn't turn on the lights. I didn't want to see the face masks we had used, the silk pajamas laid out for a sleepover that was now a funeral, or the photos of us pinned to my vanity. I just collapsed onto the floor, my back against the door, and let the first sob rip through me.It was a primitive, ugly sound. It wasn't the "pretty" crying you see in movies. It was the sound of a foundation cracking.I didn't move from the floor f