Page 99 of Spring Tide

I already sent Stella away, and I’ve prepared something special to help him relax. If he’s not ready to talk yet, then I guess that’s okay, too. I can help him in other ways.

When I hear his knuckles rap against the front door, I shoot up from my spot on the couch, practically running to greet him.

“Hi,” I say, suddenly nervous as I take in his slumped posture. “You okay?”

“I’m alright.” Luca lifts a hand to my face, cupping the side of my cheek. “It’s good to see you.”

I lean into his touch. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” He follows me inside, softly closing the door behind us. “I know we haven’t talked much this week, but you’ve been on my mind a lot.”

That perks me up. “Really?”

He takes a step closer, placing both hands on my shoulders. “Of course,” he says, surprise flickering behind his eyes. “I think about you all the time. Don’t you know that?”

I drop my gaze, staring at a spot somewhere in the middle of his chest. “You’ve been pulling back a little bit this week, so I wasn’t sure.”

“I just have a lot going on.” He shakes his head, tightening his grip in a firm squeeze. “It’s nothing to do with you, or us, or anything like that.”

“I know, but I want you to know that I’m here for you. If you need to vent or if you need a distraction ... even if you just want to spend the night together and avoid all of our problems. I can do any of it.”

“I do know that,” he says, allowing emotion to grip his voice. “I’m sorry for being MIA, Harper. I just get wrapped up in my own head sometimes, and everything else seems to fall to the wayside, but I don’t want to do that with you. I told you I needed you, and I really do. Right now, you’re pretty much the only good, consistent thing in my life.”

My nerves instantly dissipate, his earnest expression wrapping a blanket of confidence around me.

“I’m glad I can be that for you. Does that mean you finally want to talk about what’s been bothering you?”

“I do, yeah.” He releases his grasp on my shoulders, bending down to remove his shoes. He places them in a neat little pile near the door before training his gaze back in my direction. “I could use a minute to decompress first, though. It’s been a hell of a day.”

“Okay, well, if you wanted to relax ... I, um, I ran a bath for you.”

He stops in his tracks, brows lifting. “Wait, what?”

“Yeah, I got the bath going right before you got here. I bought some bubbles and this, like, manly soap. And a candle—peach scented because I know you like that.”

“Harper.”

“Luca,” I echo his stunned tone. “I’m forcing you to relax tonight whether you want to or not. It’s not a big deal.”

“Itisa big deal.” He flashes me a rare, heart-stopping smile. “Baby, you are so fucking perfect that it makes my head spin.”

A furious blush heats my cheeks.Baby. I’m fairly certain the only other time he’s called me that was when he was inside of me. At the time, I was too distracted to realize just how much I liked it. I’ve never been someone’s baby before, never dated anyone long enough to have a real pet name.

It’s a harmless four-letter word that millions of couples use, but when it comes from Luca,my God, it is so damn cute.

“Oh,” I hum. “Thank you. I think you’re pretty perfect, too. Now, come with me.”

I take his hand, guiding him down the hallway and into the dark bathroom. There are a few candles lining the shelves, but I haven’t lit them yet. The bathwater is still steaming hot, condensation fogging up the mirror and swirling in the humid air. Bubbles overflow from the tub.

“This looks like exactly what I needed,” Luca says, voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

“I’m glad.” I open the bathroom cupboard and pull out a lighter for the candles. Once they’re lit, the sweet smell of peaches filling the room, I turn back to Luca. “You should take your clothes off now.”

He chuckles. “You’re always trying to get me out of my clothes.”

“I happen to like you out of your clothes.”

His smile widens, instantly melting me into a puddle on the floor. “I like you out of your clothes, too.”

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