Page 27 of Siren's Heart

"I mean, that would definitely be a way to distract the media frenzy about Kayla and me." He chuckles, and my head shoots up just as my fingers close around the key.

"Shut up. Are you for real?" My eyes widen.

"Oh yes." This chuckle sounds less amused and more strained. "So, let me fill you in, because let me tell you, you missed so much in the thirty minutes we didn’t see each other.” I raise my eyebrow at him.

“So, when we arrived at Fantasia, there were all these paparazzi, and they started pushing and shit, so I grabbed her and pulled her behind me. And according to social media, we are now America's dream couple." A dry laugh escapes him. "Don't worry, though, from what I’m seeing, they really didn’t know you and Millie were there too. You’re welcome."

"Ehm…” I tilt my head, confused. “Thank you… I guess?"

Finally, I unlock the door and step inside my apartment. Asher continues to talk, something about Kayla not liking him, but I’m not listening to him. At all.

Throwing my jacket into a corner and walking over to my couch, my whole mind is occupied; no capacity for any thought but her.

The way she played around with her bracelet, the way she bit her lip when she wanted me to kiss her. The way her cheeks turned red, and she tried to hide her face.

I'm so smitten. My cheeks hurt from all the smiling I did today, and that’s when I realize I’m doing it again. The amount of power Millie has over me, even when she’s not in the same room. I only need to think of her and break into a grin.

"Hello? Earth to Luca?" Asher waves his hand in front of my face, looking at me worried and gently shaking my shoulder with his other hand. "Is everything okay? You looked like you were about to pass out."

"I'm not sure." But happiness starts bubbling in my stomach. Then, it rises until it breaks out of me in laughter. It starts as a chuckle, but it takes only a few moments until I'm lying on my couch, looking at the ceiling, full-on belly-laughing. "Shit, Asher, I’m so fucking happy."

He blinks at me. Once. Twice. Then his face softens, and he throws himself on the couch next to me, hitting my shoulder as he folds his giant frame onto the couch pillows.

"God, you got it bad," he points out and joins my laughter.

"No shit, Sherlock," I press out and put my forearm over my face in an attempt to calm down. "Holy shit."

"In a good way, though, right?"

"In a very good way," I confirm, laughter slowly subsiding until all that’s left are heavy breaths. "This never happened to me before. God, half a date, and I want to put a fucking ring on her finger."

"Well, that would be a bit creepy, so maybe hold off on that." The couch moves as Asher shakes his head. "I mean, she could be a witch for all we know. I’ll eliminate the gold digger option, because I’m pretty sure she’s worth more than you and me combined."

"Her being a witch would explain my infatuation, though. Maybe it's a love spell."

"Or maybe it was just good old love at first sight," Asher says in a high pitch, teasing me.

"Just because you don't believe in it, doesn't mean I can’t," I tell him and roll my eyes, even though he can't see it with both of us looking at the ceiling. "And, to be fair, it wasn't at first sight. It was at first date."

"Keep telling yourself that." This time, I can basically hear the eye roll in his tone. "Be honest with yourself, Luca. You were fucking whipped the second you asked me for her name when you saw her strut across that field."

"I hate you," I tell him with an exhausted sigh, and he chuckles, knowing I don’t mean it. Then he gets up and offers me his hand to pull me into a sitting position as well.

"No, you don't. So, what's your next plan of attack?"

"Well, I got her number, no thanks to you.” I glare at him, and he raises his eyebrow, daring me to keep the discussion going. But I don’t do him that favor. “I’m going to message her and see where it goes." Asher narrows his eyes at me, before he starts to shake his head disapprovingly.

"Luca, Luca, Luca." He clicks his tongue in an ‘I’m not mad, just disappointed’ way. "You need to have your plan before you ask her out."

"Says who?"

"Says me." He sounds way too cocky for his own good, but sadly, I know that he’s a pro at dating. "Trust me, she'll appreciate you taking charge."

"That sounds good and everything, but I don't know what to do. I’ve talked to her for the first time today; how am I supposed to find something out that would blow her away." Because if I approach her with an idea–it better be perfect.

"Okay, let's brainstorm then. What did she say she liked? Walk me through it." Asher nods and starts pacing the living room while I sit back down on the couch and bury my face in my hands, trying to relive all the conversations we had today.

"She had a bracelet on, and she made it herself," I remember, and I wrack my brain for other things she said she likes to do. "She said she likes creating things with her hands."

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