Chapter 525

"You win, you win," Luca sighs, letting me slip in his arms a little until we're face to face. "That was awesome - you improved so fast." He nudges me happily with his nose. "We should have got you in the gym long ago, Shrimpy."

"Well," I sigh, letting my weight fall back against his arm as I stretch my hands languidly above my head. "If we'd done that, it would have been me in the boxing ring against Atalaxia this Midwinter, and I just couldn't do that to you, champ -"

Luca laughs, pulling me forward against him and kissing me soundly. I smile and then give into it, taking his face between my hands, kissing him deeply and losing myself to him completely.

We're only brought back to reality by the sound of my stomach's fierce grumble.

Luca breaks away, glancing down at my belly. "Come on, Shrimps," he says with a happy sigh, putting me down on my feet. "Let's get you something to eat."

I lean against him for a moment, resting my forehead against his chest and taking a deep sniff of his lovely sunny scent before I peer up into his face with a happy smile, slipping my hand into his. "Okay," I say, cheerful. "Unless you think Rafe brought my food to Daphne again."

Luca laughs, shaking his head. "Poor Daphne, getting your cold plate. Honestly, I thought Rafe was good with girls - but if that's his best move, then I'm going to have to teach him a thing or two."

Laughing, the two of us grab our bags and head out of the gym.

On the long trip back upstairs, Luca and I take a moment to discuss our plans for the charitable donation I'm planning to send towards his gym, each of us quietly laying out our priorities for what is, apparently, becoming our joint partnership.

"I don't want to change your vision, Luca," I say quietly, looking up into his face. "I just want to help. But my dad was right - I should have some say in where the money goes."

"I get it," he says, nodding to me seriously. “Honestly, I liked the idea of hiring someone to take over the whole business - I mean, it would have to be the right person, but doing so could give my uncle the chance to just...concentrate on the boxing. And with the money wisely invested, we could help a lot more people."

"Okay,” I say, wrapping myself around his arm a little bit as we finish climbing the staircase to the floor that my room is on. "So, at the call later in the week with my parents, we tell them that's what we decided? To search for someone who can head up the organization business-wise, while your uncle stays on as like...head coach?"

"Yeah, I think that's best," Luca says, beaming down at me, clearly excited. "And then we can...move forward from there once they've found someone. Honestly, Ari, I think this is...really cool. I love that we're in this together now."noveldrama

“Me too,” I say, smiling so happily that my eyes crinkle up at the corners. Luca glimpses around the hall quickly but, seeing that it's empty and quiet, quickly dips his head and gives me another swift kiss. I return it happily, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck, very pleased and content.

Luca exhales softly as he pulls away and I can feel down the bond that he feels exactly the same as we move to the door to my room and Luca pushes it open.

Of course, all of those good feelings wipe quickly away from Luca the moment he sees Jackson sitting on the couch in the living room.

And unfortunately, to make matters worse, Jackson's sitting...precisely where Luca usually sits.

“Hey!” Rafe calls happily from his arm chair. “Come in, we had dinner served late so yours wouldn't be cold!"

Jesse and Ben call their hellos too but the room quickly fades to awkward silence when they see me and Luca just standing at the door, Luca staring angrily into the room, me just...grimacing a little as I look up into his face.

Down the bond, I can feel Luca immediately lose his temper at the sight of Jackson here, at dinner, when he expressly agreed not to be. Guilt rushes through me because of course his is my fault – I had every opportunity to tell Luca what to expect, but it just...completely slipped my mind in the chaos of my new daily schedule.

"Do you...not want spaghetti?" Jesse asks awkwardly, gesturing towards the plates still waiting on the coffee table. “Um, maybe we can send for something else?"