Page 85 of Lunar Crest University

She sighs happily, placing a swift kiss to my cheek. “You’re anángel. If you’ll set the table for seven for me? And please, call me Ana.”

“Ana.” I smile.

I feel his intense stare as she shows me where all the plates and silverware are, then arranging it all as perfectly as I can manage in front of every seat. He talks with his mother while I work, and every so often, I peek up to catch him looking at me. I can’t quite make out the expression on his face. Awe? Confusion?

The front door opens just as I finish, and my nerves flare up all over again. My head lifts hesitantly to find two of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen walking into the kitchen, two guys following a few feet behind. The taller one looks a little older than the shorter one, even older than me, and from the way her dark eyes narrow in on me, I can already tell that she must be Emilia. She looks more like Luca with how dark her eyes are, and her hair falls all the way down to her waist in loose waves. Luca wasn’t kidding when he said Carmen was a duplicate of their mother. She’s her twin—it’s almost jarring.

While Emilia scrutinizes me, Carmen smiles so brightly, I can’t help but mirror it. My eyebrows raise almost to my hairline as she comes bounding over to me, bringing me into a tight hug like she has known me all her life. She hugs me before her own brother, who I remember saying hadn’t seen his sisters in a while. I’m frozen for a second before I wrap my arms around her too.

“Finley, right?” she asks, pulling back as she gives me an excited once-over. “Oh my God, you’re real. I was sure Luca had just made you up.”

I laugh softly.

“Think I’m not capable of meeting someone, Carmen?” Luca says, walking over to us. “And running right past me like that?Ouch.”

He wraps his hand around the back of her neck as he pulls her into a bear hug, and she giggles as he presses kisses all overthe top of her head. She peeks over his muscular arm at me, her hazel eyes crinkling from laughing so hard.

“He’s never brought anyone home,” she says. “Literally ever. You’re the first. We were beginning to think he had a heart of stone.”

He lets her go just as Emilia makes her way over, her arms crossed over her chest as she raises a brow at him. “Or that you were gay.”

Luca rolls his eyes as he yanks her into one of his bear hugs next, and her stoic façade falters just slightly as she fights against a small smile. Whereas he’s gentle and warm with Carmen, he’s rough with Emilia, rubbing his knuckles harshly on the top of her head as he ruffles her hair. She groans loudly, her smile disappearing as she shoves him away with a pout.

“Seriously, though,” she continues, and her attention turns to me. Her gaze pierces through me like a laser, and I swallow thickly as I try not to squirm. “How old are you?”

In the midst of everything, I hadn’t even thought of the age gap. It never mattered to me, and it clearly didn’t matter to him either. Still, I never considered that it might seem weird to others, especially his family.

“That’s enough, Emilia,” Luca warns lowly, shoving her playfully away as he winks reassuringly at me. “This isn’t a dick-measuring contest. Put it away.”

Oh my God.

“Luca,” Ana gasps, throwing her dish towel at him from her spot in front of the stove. “Cuida lo que dices!”

Reaching up to put my palm over my mouth, I force the laugh back down as I watch her march over to him, pick up the towel from the floor, and swat him with it. A pair of hands encircle around my arm, and I look over to see Carmen beaming at me with a snicker.

“Ignore them,” she insists, tugging me back toward the table. “They’re like this all the time. Come sit with me?”

And she’s right—the banter thrown back and forth during dinner has my stomach and cheeks aching from laughing so much. Watching Luca be playful with his sisters and the way his mother scolds him for his language every two seconds has my heart doubling in size. I’ve never seen him so happy, so…calm. He looks so content here, when he’s with his family, and I can see how much they mean to him, like he doesn’t see them nearly enough. I know that look because it’s the same when I’m with my parents.

He looks over at me every so often, giving my hand a squeeze underneath the table to check on me or just blatantly staring. It’s the same expression from earlier that I couldn’t decipher. But based on how dinner went, I don’t think it was abadlook.

I think, after tonight, that everything might actually be okay.

After dinner,Carmen and Emilia’s boyfriends leave, Ana insists she clean by herself, and Luca shows me up to our room for the next few days.

He assures me it’s just a guest suite, but it looks larger than my living room and kitchen combined in my apartment. There’s a vast window on the farthest wall, looking out at the river that rushes outside, framed by black velvet curtains, the same wooden floors as the rest of the house. The bed is definitely king-sized, with a large wooden headboard and black sheets. There are more candles than lamps to illuminate the room, and giant modern paintings hang on the walls. It’s the most luxurious bedroom I’ve ever stayed in, even more so than the one at the hotel in England.

“Did your mother build this house?” I ask, running my hands along the soft comforter. “Or did she buy it like this?”

He scratches faintly at his stubble for a moment before he answers. “I built it for them.”

I stop, lifting my head to raise my eyebrows at him. “Youbuiltthis entire house?”

He nods.

“Is that why you need money?” I joke with a small laugh, plopping down on the bed and kicking my feet aimlessly.

He doesn’t smile, doesn’t even chuckle. Instead, he just rests his hands on his hips like he’s exhausted as he stares at me from across the room. His chest heaves so hard, I can visibly see his shoulders rise and fall with each breath. Something is clearly wrong, but I don’t know what could’ve happened between now and dinner.

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