Chapter 0319

"Luca," I say, putting out my hands towards him.

He lifts his eyes a little to meet mine, but he doesn't move.

I just raise my eyebrows, a demand in them, and he sighs and presses up off the door, coming to take my hands and sit by my side. "Your room is so cute," I whisper.

He laughs, though his heart isn't in it. "Mom keeps it like a shrine to my childhood," he murmurs. "I had an apartment, obviously, in the city. But I sold it when I decided to run off to the Academy. Put the profits into the gym."

"Yeah, why didn't you tell me about the gym?" I ask, turning towards him and scooting closer, reaching out a hand to softly stroke his cheek. "It sounds amazing, what you're doing for those boys."

"Because...." he says, hesitating and leaning into my hand, "I don't know, Ariel, I mean who knows how long it will last. I don't want to tell you about a project that might fail in a few months when we can no longer afford to fund it."

"Well, you've got millions now," I say, my voice a little dry.

He looks up at me now. "No, I don't," he murmurs, his hands tightening on mine. "I'm giving you that money, obviously." "Okay," I say, a little too cheerful. His eyes widen in surprise - I don't think he thought I'd actually take it. "Except, I want my half donated anonymously to your gym. As long as the profits go to scholarships for the boys. I don't want to pay your uncle's salary,"

Luca huffs a laugh, but when he sees that I'm serious his face falls. "Ariel," he says, shaking his head like it's ridiculous.

"Luca," I say, mimicking the sound of his voice, because he's the one being ridiculous now. "I believe in you. If this is something you care about, then it's something I care about too. I think it's amazing. You should have told me about it sooner - you know that the rest of us would want to help. My mom is going to love it - she loves anything that helps kids who need a little boost in life." "I can't just...take your parents' money."

"Okay," I say, understanding. Money is easy for me, but I understand that it's not that way for everyone. "Then we'll help in other ways."

I smile, but Luca drops his head again, shaking it. "I'm so sorry, Ariel," he repeats, still stuck on it. "You're making this too easy. It never should have happened. My uncle - he crossed a line - and I'm so pissed at him - he's got way too much control of my life, and I think that he hates that I have a royal connection now, that someone else - especially a little blonde girl - might influence me more than he does -"

"Luca," I murmur, moving closer so that my side is pressed to his, sensing that he's on the edge of a rant that's going to take him deeper and deeper into a spiral of worry and sorrow and grief. I press his cheeks between my palms and force him to look at me. "I forgive you, all right? If there's anything to forgive - which I'm not sure there is - I forgive you."

He stares at me, a little baffled. And we stay like that for a long moment before he raises one hand, covering one of my own, still pressed to his cheek. "You're too good," he murmurs. "I don't deserve you."

"The Goddess doesn't make mistakes," I say with a happy little sigh, lifting my chin and pressing a kiss to his mouth. Luca takes a moment to respond, but then his eyes drift shut, and he wraps his arms around me and kisses me back, kisses me like I'm precious, and wonderful, and like he's terrified to lose me.

When we break apart a moment later, I know that we're all right. And that even if the situation isn't right yet - that he and I? We're good. We'll see it through.

"I'm going to go now," I whisper, staring straight into his brown eyes, my voice steady and warm. His eyes widen, worried, but I shush him softly, lifting my face a little to press a kiss to his cheek. "Not because I want to, or because I'm mad - but because you need to get your head back on your fight."noveldrama

Luca just blinks at me like he forgot all about that.

And I laugh - because he probably did.