Chapter 528

"It's okay," he murmurs back. "What I want is...not the most important thing. I just...feel like I'm losing you, Ariel."

"What?" I gasp, whipping my head up to look at him.

He shakes his head sorrowfully at me, raising a hand to trace his thumb across my cheek. “I don't want you to feel bad. I probably shouldn't have said anything -"

"Of course you should, Luca," I whisper, my eyes filling with tears. "You're allowed to have your emotions too - and I want to hear them -"

He just shakes his head again, his mouth a determined line. "You're growing closer to him. I guess I...didn't think that would happen - thought that when you spent time with him you'd realize he's dull as a brick and then come running back to me. But...he's not, and you're not. And it's just... terrifying to me. I don't want to lose you, Ari."

"You're not losing me," I whisper, pressing myself closer to him, looking desperately up into his face. "I'm right here."

"I know, gorgeous," he murmurs, and he traces his thumb over my cheek one more time before he dips his head and kisses me softly. "Just...let me stick around too, okay? While you explore whatever this is with him? And...maybe don't kiss him in front of me?”

"You got it, Luca," I say, starting to smile a little, hope burgeoning in me that...that maybe this could work.

"And maybe I could...come to your Blaze workouts?" he whispers. "As long as I'm not a distraction, and he doesn't mind?"

I nod eagerly, loving the idea of having something that's just for Luca and I, absent of everyone else.

"Good," he murmurs, dropping one last kiss to my mouth and then heaving a sigh as he pushes up from the wall, taking me with him so that we're both standing straight, holding each other tight. "Come on, Shrimp," he says with a sigh, loosening his grip on me but keeping on arm around my shoulder as he turns towards the door. "Let's go have dinner with your family and your other boyfriend. And Ben."

I laugh a little, though I'm still shaken emotionally, kind of unbelieving that this is...all coming together. That Luca not only didn't lose his temper but... agreed.

Luca pushes open the door and lets his arm fall from my shoulder as the two of us step inside. As one, everyone in the room turns to stare at us. Jesse, useful as always, breaks the silence by pointing sharply at Rafe. "I stopped him from eating your garlic bread. You're welcome." Rafe just scowls. "They never even would have known that there was garlic bread if there was none left on the table - it was a victimless crime -" "No way,” Luca says, crossing the room with me and taking his spot in his usual seat which I notice that Jackson has interestingly vacated in order to move to my side of the couch. "I'm Itablio, man, and a wolf. You know I can smell the presence of garlic bread from a mile away." Almost cheerfully, Luca reaches for his plate as I settle down on a pillow on the floor next to Ben.

Ben gives me a wink as he slides my dinner over to me and my stomach growls audibly as I take it.

"So!" Jacks says, his voice booming out in the room a little, apparently forcing the conversation on for all of our sake as I wrap some spaghetti around my fork and take a big bite. "Anyone...do anything...interesting today?"

He grimaces a little, realizing that he is very, very bad at this.

But Ben chimes in, ever a good conversationalist, and lets us in on the on-goings of the Ambassador track, including the potential to have a conversation with actual ambassadors to Atalaxia next week, about which he's incredibly excited.

As Ben details the opportunity, I don't miss the way that Rafe reaches out a hand to clap Luca warmly on the shoulder, murmuring something soft that sounds a great deal like "good man."

And my heart warms as Luca smiles, concentrating on his plate, apparently making himself get used to our very strange, slightly awkward, new dinner crew.

But even as I feel a little awkward, my wolf pounces around excitedly within my heart like an eager pup. And for her sake, I can't help but smile as I stab a meatball on my plate and eat it whole.noveldrama