Take "no" as an encouragement to redouble his efforts, so it was easier to say "yes" right away 
~𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧~

𝐋𝐢𝐚

The following day before everyone left to go back to their lives, we sat outside for lunch at around 1 pm, facing the green plastered grass the guys had spent the previous day playing football. There was laughter, talking over each other, and the clattering sounds of cutlery filling the room as much as our laughter, reflecting the joy of being together.

Once we were done, we cleaned the dishes together, putting them into the cabinets and leaving a few in a dish rack above the sink. 

Finally, it was time for them to leave. I sat outside waiting as they all went to their rooms to prepare. "Are you sad?" Luca questioned, standing on the step above where I sat. I looked up at him, shaking my head, and then said, "a little."

He lightly touched my hair, almost in reverence, like he was comforting me. I felt his touch right to my bones, wanting more than anything to get up, embrace him, and feel the rhythm of his heart beating to mine.

We did not speak again until the guys started descending from the house. The first was Zion, carrying a small bag that perhaps carried not a single cloth but books, business plans printed out that he liked on file, perfume, a laptop, and maybe a gun or two.

He was growing up at such speed; I thought as he opened the trunk of the black Mercedes to put his bag. His glossy black hair was still a little wet from the shower, his eyes shooting up mischief when he asked Luc to respect the speed limit while driving Nic, Alyssa, and Sienna to the airport.

"I will try," Luc stated in a humor coated tone. He didn't have to drive, but Luca never turned down a chance to. He was an obsessed driver. It was ingrained in his blood, just as his genes were.

I kissed and hugged them all before they slid into their respective cars.

"Wanna come with us to the airport?" Serena asked, pulling me into a tight hug. I shook my head when she released me. I would have loved to, but the anxiety swirling within me to decide to go all in with a relationship with Luca kept me on edge.

Yes. I was ready to begin a physical relationship. However, I wanted us to keep it a secret. I had more to lose if it came out now when my career had not begun than gain, in my opinion. A public relationship with him would probably open opportunity doors for me just as it had done to Caterina. That is not what I wanted. My plan had been to pull myself up with the resources given to me.

I would do it. I had sworn I would make it when I decided to leave home.

Once everyone was settled, I waved at them; they waved back, their cars pulling out the driveway, leaving a louder silence than our voices had been. I stood in the driveway longer after their cars disappeared, feeling lonely and alone. I imagined everybody had this feeling after every goodbye.

"You'll get a chill," Dev told me. It was the two of us again, as it had been since I moved from home. We had become closer, each other confidants even though I had never told him about Luc and me. He was my bodyguard, a member of my family as well as a friend.

"You're right," I murmured, turning back and entering the house and walking to my bedroom. There was clothes on top of the bed, some of which I had tried on in the morning after a shower because I wanted to look good for Luc.

My need to appear gorgeous in his eyes was making me feel needy, angry, as well as chipping into my self-esteem.

I folded the clothes neatly, hanging coats and some tops in the wardrobe waiting to hear the sound of a car to signal Luca's return.

In a sudden realization to cool my nerves, I called my mom.

"Mom," I said when she picked up the call.

"Hi, honey. Are you alright?" It must have been the sound of my voice that had her panicking.

"I'm okay, mom." I lied. She knew there was something that prompted the call.

"Are you hurt? Aren't the others with you."

"They left." I could hear tears smarting in my eyes.

Why in hades was I about to cry?

"Tell me what's is wrong, sweetheart." she insisted, her sweet voice reaching through my heart to calm me just as it did when I was a little girl.

"Nothing. I wanted to hear you voice." I lied again, wiping off the twin tears that had escaped without my knowledge.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I suddenly felt lonely and homesick when they left. "

My mom chuckled. "I understand. It's totally normal to feel that. I feel it every time you all leave home after a visit."

I let out a gentle yet audible laugh hearing that. I guess it was normal to feel lonely. However, that wasn't the entire reason I called her. I wanted advice from a mother to a daughter on how to start a physical relationship, but my case was different because the boy I considered was like a son to her.

"Are you excited to see Zion?" I asked instead of opening up to the topic at the core of my heart.

"And Serena, too. I'm beyond excited," she responded, making me miss home.

"I'm glad. Will you be coming home anytime soon? Everybody misses you."

"I'm not sure when, but I will ensure I get some time to come down there," I told her, and then I heard the roar of an engine.

He was home. My heart skipped several beats, knowing he would be up any moment now.

"Goodbye, mom. Say hallo to everyone for me." I didn't want to continue our conversation without blurting out why I had called. She had a gentle way of pulling out information from me though she hasn't been able to make me tell about the intimate history between Luca and me.

I kept that hidden within the veins of my blood.

I was right; a few minutes later, I heard his footsteps coming closer and closer until there was a knock on my door.

I hesitated before I could answer.

"Yes," I called almost breathlessly, the thudding on my heart too loud my ears heard it.

He opened the door, nudging it open with his leg. He stood with two cups of Starbucks, his hair ruffled, perhaps from the wind, his green gaze intensely on mine as if he was searching for something specific.

It dawned on me, that I didn't tell my mom Luc was staying with me for a while. Was it by design or an honest mistake? I wondered.

Giving him a nervous smile, I got up but couldn't walk to him. My feet felt as if they were planted on the ground. "Please tell me on e is mine." I playfully wiggled my eyebrows.

He stretched his arm to hand over one cup. I took it, my gaze leveling his. "caffè Mocha" he nodded, " with a single shot of expresso?" He nodded again, a grin stretching his beautiful mouth. "With vanilla extract," he added, beating me to the question.

"Thank you." I mumbled, taking a sip, a moan involuntarily passing through my month at the first taste of my drink. I threw a look at Luc but found him looking at me in a gaze so naked of need that it almost tossed me to the floor.

"Don't do that," He whispered, turning and walking out of the room. I sat there confused at what I had done that made him react that way. He had seen me drink that particular latte a million times, so I ruled that out as the reason he looked as if he wanted to swallow me alive.

I followed him down the stairs to the living room, but he wasn't there. As I was about to run outside, my phone rang; I pulled it out thinking it was my father after talking to my mother. I knew she would tell him I sounded sad which would mean my father calling me and Dev to find out exactly what was making me unhappy.

It wasn't my father, though. The caller was Estelle Ruiz, my agent. My hands shook when I swiped to answer, the booming of my heart erratic; the butterflies swimming in my stomach had me reaching for the wall.

"Hallo," I said, almost breathless.

"Lia," there was excitement in her voice this time as opposed to the countless times I have received her calls, which gave me hope.

"I have good news," she laughed, a sound that sparked more than excitement; it had a fondness, giving me the impression that I was growing on her. She was growing on me too. She was the first person I was friends with out of my family.

"You do?" My voice shook. "Would you please share because I'm going out of my mind with anticipation."

Another laugh erupted. I could imagine her pacing her small office, perhaps running her fingers in her dark curly hair. She had the most tangled hair I have ever seen, a narrowed face with laugh lines, and kind eyes. She always seemed joyful, like she didn't care whatever came her way as long as the universe gave her the chance to make it right.

"You have two scenes..." she paused for dramatic effect, something else she really liked.

"Talking scenes?" I held my breath.

"Yes."

"Both of them?"

"Yes," I swear my heart stopped. I smiled like a lunatic. I couldn't imagine it was beginning—my career was about to take off—father Josè was right. Good things do happen to those that patiently wait.

I loved that man so much. He might be a priest, but he was our defacto grandfather. He raised our fathers, he may not know it, but some of the choices they've made so far have been because of who he was and what he taught them in their youth.

"Okay," I tittered, too excited to be able to keep the conversation going. I went silent, basking in the moment.

"Do you want to know whether it's a movie or a show?"

I honestly did not care. I was going to have speaking lines.

"It's a show." she eventually said when I stayed for long without asking.

"Children of blood and oil."

I squealed, finally sliding off the wall to the floor.

I saw Dev and Luc come into the house brandishing guns. I signaled with my hands to let them know I was okay.

Children of blood and oil was an ongoing melodrama with over-the-roof good ratings. It was so popular it was available in almost every country. 

"Oh, my god?! That is cool." I muffled, exhaling loudly.

"It's more than fucking cool." Estelle stated loudly.

"Damn straight." I laughed,  exhilarated at the news.

"I will send you the itinerary in thirty minutes. Congratulations, Lia. You've worked hard."

"Thank you." tears fell down my cheeks unchecked as she disconnected. Luca knelt in front of me, his hands on my arms, eyes fixed on my face.

"I'm okay. I just got my first real speaking gig on children of blood and oil."I whispered, wiping the tears off the corner of my eyes, but then stopped because I couldn't stop crying. Luca drew me into his arms, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I got a good job, Dev." I broke into a half laugh and sob, hiding my face in Luca's check but not before I heard Dev hoot with as much excitement as I felt.

"Congratulations, baby." I felt my heart melt into a puddle. It was the first time Luca had called me that. And it was so much accepted, given that this was my first breakthrough. In a way, I saw as if my career was taking off at the same time my relationship with Luc had taken a detour into a romantic one.

"Thank you," I whispered, burrowing into his neck.

"Would you like me to take you to celebrate?"

"We can't be seen together yet; you know that."

I felt him stiffen, and I couldn't help feeling bad for causing him unhappiness. However, I couldn't risk being seen with him before establishing my career, which was so close I could taste it.

"We could go to Pulse." His muffled voice touches my ear, one of his hands rubbing my back as if he was comforting me, making me forget, albeit for a minute, that he had invited me to an evening at Pulse—our family nightclub. It would be private, ideal, perfect. But the only drawback would be my family knowing of it. I wasn't ready to tell them until I filmed at least one scene. I had their hearts broken a million times every time I didn't get a part after auditioning.

"You know that means we'll have to go home, right?"

"Is that so bad?" He asked, pulling me out of his embrace.

"I'm not ready to tell them yet. But...I have an idea how we could celebrate."He raised his perfected trimmed brows in curiosity, jumping into his feet, then pulling me up in front him. I tipped my head to see whether we had an audience, but neither Dev nor Matteo were there.

"Let's have sex." I blurted. I watched him go still, his eyes wide open in shock. I knew that was the last thing he had expected me to say. I stared as emotions crossed his face from shock. Amused. Impressed. Conceited. "You want a piece of me, don't you?" I was ashamed to admit, even to myself, how turned on I was at how hoarse his voice was when he asked that.

"Yes," I responded, getting closer to him until our fronts were touching. I felt him inhale when my breast pressed his chest.

"I can't do this, Lia," His voice trembled, losing the playfulness, suddenly moving from me. I felt the loss of his warmth first before I registered what he had said.

"What? You don't me?" was that my voice. Why did I sound that desperate?

"I want you!" he shouted, running his fingers on his hair in utter despair. I saw it. The sadness in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Luc."I whispered, taking two steps towards him, but he took one back as if he didn't want to touch me.

"Don't." he snapped

"You don't want me. I thought he had lied to soften the blow." It wasn't a question but rather a statement, making me feel not just alone, but lonely. It was the worst feeling ever.

"Why?" I chocked, threading my hands together to keep them from trembling.

He laughed humourless. "Oh, I want you. I want you so badly I wake up in the middle of the night, hard, thinking about you. I jerk off with the thought of you, your smile drives me crazy; when you laugh, no matter where I am, my dick twitches. Does that answer your question?"

"It wasn't a question."

He looked at me with exasperation, and I smiled, shly, wanting to jump into his arms. I don't. Instead, I stand still looking at him, conscious of his every breath.

"Then why won't you?"

"Because you might regret it tomorrow."

I started shaking my head, then he cupped my cheek. you're happy, you want release; I get that. But I can't."

"Luc..." I snapped.

"No. You know how I respect it when you say no. I need you to respect my no."

"Damn it! Luca!"

He grinned. I noticed glee in those green eyes; he'd lost the sorrow. That made me happy. Not satisfied, obviously, but happy.

I let it go. Hoping he would change his mind tomorrow.

Hi, babes. I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. Remember to leave me a comment.

      ❤️