LILLY POV
The morning sunlight washed over Ravenholt's campus like a soft glow, waking the buildings from sleep. Students were streaming in from all directions, some rushing, others moving with that early-class daze. I tightened the strap of my bag over my shoulder and stepped down the last stair from my dorm when I heard the low, unmistakable purr of an engine.
And there it was.
Again.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire. Shiny black, sleek, and so out of place in the modest student parking lot that it made heads turn.
Luca stood leaning against it, sunglasses perched low on his nose like he owned the sidewalk.
"You're seriously doing this again?" I asked, crossing my arms as I reached him.
He grinned. "It's either this or I let you suffer the humiliation of riding the university shuttle."
"I don't mind the shuttle."
"You should. It smells like despair and instant noodles."
I rolled my eyes but slid into the passenger seat anyway. "One day someone's going to key this car just for fun."
"Let them try," he said as he climbed in and the doors sealed shut like something from a sci-fi movie.
We cruised through the main roads leading to the university's east entrance. Students craned their necks as we passed. I kept my face neutral, pretending not to notice.
"How's the poetry notebook?" he asked casually.
I raised a brow. "Still hidden."
"You should consider the Showcase."
I narrowed my eyes. "Since when do you care about poetry?"
"Since you wrote it."
My cheeks warmed. He always had this way of threading sincerity into his teasing. I never knew which part to hold onto.
"Besides," he added, "it'd be a crime for the campus to miss out on your voice. You've got something to say."
I looked away, focusing on the way the wind played with tree branches outside the window.
"I'm still thinking about it," I said softly.
LUCA POV
Watching Lilly from the driver's seat was becoming a dangerous habit. The way her fingers danced over the rim of her coffee cup. The way she scrunched her nose when she was thinking.
I wasn't trying to make a move. Not yet.
I just liked being near her.
As we pulled into the university lot, she spoke up again.
"Don't forget—group study for lit class after lunch."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I said, throwing the car into park. "It's the highlight of my day."
"Liar."
I opened my door. "You wound me."
She rolled her eyes, grabbing her tote. "See you in class."
I watched her walk toward the lecture halls, the morning sun catching in her curls.
The door to the Bugatti closed with a soft click.
And I sat there a moment longer, trying to steady the tight feeling in my chest.
LILLY POV
Class passed in a blur. I was distracted, scribbling notes but thinking about Luca's voice when he'd told me I had something to say.
He believed in me. Sometimes more than I believed in myself.
At lunch, I met up with Enzo outside the literature building.
"You still thinking about that performance slot?" he asked.
I nodded. "I might sign up. Still scared, though."
"You're braver than you think, Lilly."
His words were kind. Steady. Warm.
But when I looked across the quad and saw Luca sitting on the stone ledge near the fountain, laughing with Julian and Ethan, my stomach twisted in ways I didn't understand.
LUCA POV
Enzo again.
I'd seen them talking. Close. Smiling.
She looked relaxed around him. Like the world was less complicated.
It made something burn behind my ribs. Jealousy? Maybe. But I wasn't entitled to feel it.
I hadn't told her anything. I hadn't made a move.
Because I was scared of what I'd lose if I did.
Later that evening, I was parked under the shadow of the art building, waiting. She didn't know I was there. I wasn't stalking her. I just… hadn't wanted to go home yet.
And then, she walked out of the double doors—her notebook pressed to her chest. She stopped just short of the steps, pulled it open, and read something quietly to herself.
I watched her lips move, saw the way her shoulders tensed, then softened.
She didn't know anyone was watching.
And it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
I turned the engine on and drove off before she noticed.
Because I wasn't ready.
Not yet.
But maybe soon.