Page 121 of Ruins
He blinks, caught off guard, then exhales through his nose. “I’ll make a fool of myself.”
“Then I’ll make a fool of myself with you,” I offer.
A moment passes, then he shrugs. “Fine.”
I beam and hand him a clean brush, gesturing toward a blank canvas. “Paint something.”
Luca hesitates, shifting the brush in his grip like it’s foreign to him. For a moment, I wonder if he’ll back out, but then he dips the brush into the paint and slowly brings it to the canvas. His strokes are rough, hesitant at first, but soon, something shifts. The lines become more confident, the colors bolder.
We paint in silence.
I steal glances at his work, watching as a landscape takes shape beneath his careful hand—a lake, ducks included. It’s simple, but there’s something peaceful about it, an unspoken longing captured in the water’s stillness.
I smile as I finish up my own painting—a quiet memory of my first kiss with Santo, captured in soft, blended hues.
Luca’s painting isnotwhat I expected.
With a final stroke of the brush, I sit back and take in his unexpected masterpiece. The lake is calm, the ducks peaceful, and for a moment, I lose myself in the serenity it exudes. He catches me looking, and I give him a soft smile.
“You have a talent,” I say sincerely, brushing my fingertips lightly over the canvas.
Luca scoffs, shaking his head. “Well, I had a really great teacher.”
I laugh wholeheartedly. “I sense sarcasm there.”
“No, no sarcasm involved. Just stating facts.” He chuckles, and the camaraderie between us feels surprisingly easy. “Thanks for encouraging me to paint. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
I nod. “Sometimes we need someone to push us to do things we wouldn’t normally do.” I pause before adding, “Even if it’s uncomfortable or scary at first.”
I glance back at my own painting, thinking about how nice it was to share this moment with someone. An idea sparks.
“We should paint together more often,” I suggest casually.
Luca exhales a short laugh. “I won’t have the time. Eventually, Santo will find someone else to—” He cuts himself off, jaw tightening.
I arch a brow. “To babysit me?” I finish for him, my voice soft, without accusation.
Luca opens his mouth, guilt flickering across his features, but before he can say anything, my phone rings.
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Damn it, if that’s him, tell him I was only joking.”
I glance at the screen flashing Mimi across it. “It’s not him,” I inform him, then add with a smirk, “But it wouldn’t matter what I say. He can hear us in here.” I gesture toward the security cameras hanging in the room.
Luca groans, running a hand down his face.
I chuckle, lifting the phone to my ear.
The moment I answer, Mimi’s tearful voice crackles through the speaker. My stomach drops.
“What’s wrong?” I ask urgently, my grip tightening around the phone as I try to steady my voice.
“Our parents are sending me to Andras Academy!” Mimi wails, her voice thick with sadness and fear.
I freeze. The name alone makes my chest tighten.Andras Academy.A school infamous for its rigid structure, designed to shape syndicate heirs like weapons from a forge. My parents had once threatened to send me there—worse, they wanted me to attendCambion, the university it feeds into. But I had managed to escape that fate. Mimi, it seems, has not.
“What? Why? When?” My thoughts tumble into a chaotic swirl.
“Today,” she blubbers between gasps for air. “They left for France this morning, and Pietro is taking me to the airport.”
