I'm having the best time in my life. I had spent every night with Luca, either tangled in his sheets or mine. But it doesn't matter which room we're staying at, as long as he holds me while we sleep, I'm content. I try to spend time with Sara and Ben. But they're both sick love birds so they don't mind that I'm spending less time with them and more with Luca.

Ben is bringing his, drumroll please... girlfriend for dinner sometime next week to meet mom. I've already seen her a couple times but never had a formal introduction. Mom is beyond ecstatic to meet her, she's been calling Ben and I nonstop for questions about what she likes for food, if she has allergies, if this or that recipe is good enough. Ben says she's an easy-going girl and is fine with whatever.

For the first time in history, Ben is not attending a party at his own house to celebrate a win tonight. He is going out somewhere with Victoria. Everyone is teasing him about it, saying he's become pussy whipped, but he's taking it like a champ and not letting all the comments bother him. His teammates tried bribing him and convincing him to at least make an appearance, but he says the plans he made require the whole evening and that he has to get going before the party even starts.

So when Sara told me there will be a bonfire at the beach at the same time as the party Ben is skipping, I immediately accepted. Not because I only go to the football parties because Ben is there. But if Ben, the team captain, can skip one, I sure as hell can do that too. It won't be my first time, anyway.

"You think it'll get cold?" I ask Sara as I'm standing in front of my closet trying to pick out what to wear.

"Probably, but it's bonfire. So there will be a fire in case you get cold." Yeah, no shit.

"It's crazy, right? That Ben is not at the party right now."

"I mean, I always knew he was a softie." She shrugs.

"Well, yeah. But he always attends the parties. Remember that one time when he had food poisoning. Even though he didn't play, he still was sitting in the kitchen and partying. He told me he was in so much pain but sucked it up for the party and his teammates." I shake my head.

"Love does that to you, I guess." I hum in response and my eye catches Luca's sweatshirt that he left this morning. I almost put it in the washing machine this morning but didn't want to lose his scent that's clinging on it so I just hanged it in my closet.

"So what's happening between you and Luca? You two are practically living together now."

"We're just having fun."

"Nah uh. Having fun is what you did with Jace. With Luca it's more than that." I don't even know what the deal is with him and I. We are having fun, but she's right. It is more than just that. I've known that since the very first time I slept in his bed. Never after a hookup have I stayed the night, I know it's more that a hookup with Luca at this point but I've been pushing back thoughts about what our...relationship is. He has given me complete control of the pace we're going in and what we are to each other.

"You're thinking pretty hard over there." Her voice cuts through my thoughts.

Sighing, I grab his blue sweatshirt and pull it over my head, then lay on my bed next to her.

"He's taking me to meet his cousins tomorrow." She gasps and sits straight.

"Really? Girl, he's already your boyfriend and you don't even know it."

"It's not like that. They have like a monthly get-together and he thought I'd have fun if I came with." She nods, but I know she's not believing me.

"Let's look at the facts, shall we?"

"Shall we not." I know where this is going.

"One, you're wearing his clothes. That only happens when two people are dating. Two, you always sleep in the same bed when you say it's just 'having fun'. I don't sleep over every night when it's not that serious and just a hookup. I mean, you never did that with anyone else. Not even Jace. For fuck's sakes, he made you breakfast in bed! Alex never did that for me, and he's my actual boyfriend."

"Really?"

"Don't change the topic." I groan at my failed attempt.

"Four or five or whatever number I was last. He is letting you meet his family. If that doesn't scream serious relationship, I don't know what does."

"Ugh. When you say it like that..."

"You don't have to put an official label on it. But don't lie to yourself and say that it's not somewhat serious." I know we're walking toward the more serious territory of this relationship between, but maybe I just didn't want to acknowledge that fact.

"I don't want to take it further and end up hurt like my-"

"Don't. Look at your brother. He didn't let that stop him from pursuing a relationship. Why should it stop you?" I stay silent, because she's right. I've used my father as an excuse for the longest time. Part of me knows that Luca is different and not like him, but I'd rather be careful.

"Okay, enough deep talk. Let's go. Our boyfriends are waiting for us." She gets up from my bed and walks out to the living room.

"He's not my-"

"Yeah, yeah. He's your having fun friend."

The sun is setting down, painting the sky a pretty collage of pink and orange. There are surprisingly many people here. I guess I forget that parties on a Friday night is not everyone's cup of tea. My eyes immediately search for Luca. He's standing near a table with kegs and cups, arms crossed and a soft smile on his lips. His eyes don't stay on the girl he's taking with for too long. They keep coming up to look around as if waiting for someone to show up. When they meet my eyes, his smile turns into a grin and after saying one last thing to the girl, he starts walking to my direction.

"Hey, Sarah." He gives her a kiss on the cheek.

Alex comes from behind him and hugs his girlfriend. When Luca's eyes see me wearing his sweater, they light up and his grin gets even bigger. He pecks me on the cheek and wraps his arms around me in a hug. "You look beautiful wearing my hoodie." Sara mouths the word 'boyfriend' to me behind his back and I flip her the bird.

There's a guy with a guitar singing all kinds of genres. He has a pretty nice and soft voice. The mood on the beach is lazy and relaxed. People are tipsy but not full on drunk like they usually are during fraternity parties. I like it. Someone even brought marshmallows, and I'm pretty sure I now have diabetes from how much sugar I've consumed.

Sara had been mouthing the word 'boyfriend' left and right at me every chance she gets. I keep rolling my eyes at her, but I can't deny the warm feeling I get when she says the word and I look at Luca to see he already has his eyes on me.

An empty lounge chair appears, close to where the water reaches. Luca makes me sit on his lap and I rest my head on his shoulder and my arms around his waist.

It's getting late and colder. A gust of wind rushes by and it makes me shiver slightly. Luca rubs his hand along my exposed thigh to warm me up. But he still manage to leave goosebumps on my skin, but not from the cold this time.

The guy with the guitar starts playing a tune I know, but it isn't until he sings the words that I recognize it. Say you won't let go by James Arthur. Luca's arms wrap tighter around me and his lips give my forehead a lingering kiss.

It's like the song is describing what I've been trying to ignore and push to the back of my mind all along.

Luca is unlike any man I've ever met, and hearing the lyrics of the songs is what I want with him.

Now I'm sure of it, and they're no need to deny that, even to myself.

I look up to meet his eyes, and I'm not surprised that he's already looking at me with such tenderness in them. I touch and caress his jaw and he smiles softly at me.

In this moment, I know I don't care if he ends up hurting me or not—the chance is bigger that I end up hurting myself, just like I did with my high school boyfriend. I don't care how long this thing between us is going to last. I know a hundred percent that it's going to be worth it, because the time I've spent with him so far has been so fucking worth it. I know that if we wake up tomorrow and never see each other ever again, that when I'm old and a memory of him passes by, I'll smile and remember that the time I've had with him is the best time of my life yet.

He rests his forehead on mine. And I know that I've fallen for him. Hell, I already am in deep. I don't want to keep using excuses to delay admitting the fact that I want to be with Luca. Even if it doesn't last long, I know I'll always cherish whatever I had with him for the rest of my life.

***

A/N

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