Balling my hands into fists, I kept myself from grabbing her by those beautiful black locks and smashing her face into the trashcan. How dare she pretend like I didn’t love her? Like I didn’t give her all my time. Like I didn’t change for her. This bitch wanted to get fucked up.
Before I could act on my homicidal thoughts, she grabbed Courtney’s hand and stormed away.
I took a deep breath and turned to Luca, but his eyes stayed glued to the spot where Beth had just been.
Without looking at me, he asked, “That’s your ex?”
“Yeah.” Unease settled between us.
“She’s pretty awful.”
“Yeah.”
When he finally looked at me, the joy from earlier was gone. “Must have been a pretty nasty breakup.”
“Look. I’m not perfect by any means, but what she said was bullshit.” I waved my hand in the direction she’d gone. “I did my best, but she was always pushing me to do things that weren’t me. To be someone I wasn’t. We weren’t right for each other.”
Luca grimaced. “Things like going to the farmer’s markets and waking up before noon on a Saturday?”
“No, more like fundamental changes to my personality and life.” I huffed out a breath. “I don’t want to get into the hellscape that was my relationship with Beth. Just know, if I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be.”
“I guess. It’s just, we’re so different, and I’m—”
Grabbing his hands in mine, I tugged him closer to me. “Luca, I can honestly say no one has ever caught my attention quite like you. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
He stared at me for a moment before eventually smiling. Placing a short, sweet kiss on my lips, he pulled his hands from mine and cradled my face. “Good, because I wasn’t lying when I said I can’t stop thinking about you.”
A blush crept up my neck. He was too sweet, and it made me nervous. “You’re exaggerating.”
Luca’s thumb brushed my bottom lip,andmy skin prickled with goosebumps. “I’m not, Sasha. Can you promise me one thing?” I didn’t move an inch as his eyes clouded over. “Will you tell me if you start to lose interest? I would rather know before you move on with someone else, maybe have a chance to turn it around.”
My heart thumped in my chest. This was real. He was asking for all the trappings of a relationship; exclusivity, honesty, early mornings at the farmer’s market, sex that meant more than coming.
I crossed my trembling hands behind his neck. Luca scared me, but what was even scarier was that I wanted all those things with him.
“I promise.”
SIX
After salvaging our morning at the farmer’s market, Luca dropped me off at my apartment.
“My place, 7 p.m. Don’t be late.”
Pressing a quick kiss to my lips, Luca didn’t give me a chance to take it any further.He pulled away, laughing at my whine of disappointment. “Oh,come on. We aren’t having sex in my car at 11 a.m. on a busy street.”
I shuffled out of the car, grumbling. I honestly didn’t care if my whole neighborhood brought out lawn chairs and enjoyed the show.
My phone buzzed against my hand as I searched for my keys at the bottom of my purse. Mom’s smiling face flashed across my screen.
“Hey, mom.”
“Honey! How are you?”
The keys slipped from my fingers as I tried to jab them into the lock. “Shit.”
“Language.”
“Sorry.” I blew the hair out of my face and pushed through the door. “I dropped my keys, and it’s been a rough morning.”