Chapter 98

Chapter 98

Luca didn’t want the moment to end.

Which was exactly why it did.

Because the universe clearly enjoyed tormenting him.

“ARE THEY FINALLY KISSING?”

Cassian’s voice echoed from somewhere inside the safehouse.

A crash followed.

Then Seraphine shouted:

“GET BACK IN BED!”

“TYRANNY!”

“YOU HAVE THREE STITCHES LEFT HOLDING YOU TOGETHER!”

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE A YOU PROBLEM!”

Luca closed his eyes.

Damon laughed beside him.

And that laugh

That stupid, warm laugh

Made Luca forget every terrible thing for half a second.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

The next morning was worse.

Because now Luca was aware of Damon.

Painfully aware.

Every glance.

Every smile.

Every time Damon stood too close.

It was unbearable.

The safehouse kitchen wasn’t particularly large.

Yet somehow Damon always ended up beside him.

Reaching over his shoulder.

Brushing past him.

Occupying entirely too much space.

Luca was beginning to suspect it was intentional.

“Coffee?”

Damon asked.

Luca accepted the mug.

Their fingers brushed briefly.

A tiny thing.

Meaningless.

Except Luca immediately forgot what he was thinking about.

Across the room, Cassian watched the interaction.

Then looked at Mira.

Mira looked at Cassian.

Both of them sighed dramatically.

Seraphine glanced up from her tablet.

“What?”

“They’re painful,” Cassian informed her.

“Agreed.”

“I can hear you.”

“Good.”

Damon sat down beside Luca at the table.

Not across from him.

Beside him.

Again.

Luca noticed.

So did everyone else.

Nobody said anything.

Which somehow made it worse.

A few hours later, Seraphine left to gather supplies.

Cassian was ordered to rest.

Which meant he immediately disappeared to do the opposite.

Mira stayed with Hale reviewing stolen Program files.

Leaving Damon and Luca outside.

Alone.

Again.

The afternoon sun warmed the vineyard.

Rows of abandoned vines stretched endlessly across the hills.

For a while they simply walked.

No mission.

No objective.

Just walking.

The unfamiliarity of it felt surreal.

Damon kicked a loose stone along the dirt path.

“You’re quieter than usual.”

Luca looked at him.

“I’m usually quiet.”

“Not around me.”

The answer came too quickly.

Too honestly.

Luca immediately regretted speaking.

Damon noticed.

Of course he noticed.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“You trust me.”

Luca looked away.

The silence answered for him.

Because yes.

Somewhere along the way

He did.

And that terrified him.

Before Damon could say anything else

A vehicle appeared.

A black SUV moving slowly up the vineyard road.

Both men immediately became alert.

Instinct replacing comfort.

The vehicle stopped near the safehouse.

A woman stepped out.

Tall.

Athletic.

Dark-haired.

Confident.

Far too confident.

She walked toward the house like she owned it.

Damon frowned.

“Friend of yours?”

“No.”

That was enough.

Both moved immediately.

By the time the woman reached the porch, Damon and Luca were already waiting.

She stopped.

Looked at Luca.

And smiled.

A very familiar smile.

“Oh.”

Luca froze.

Immediately.

“No.”

The woman’s smile widened.

“Luca.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed.

“You know her?”

The woman laughed.

“Know him?”

She stepped forward.

Then to Damon’s immense irritationv she wrapped both arms around Luca.

Hugging him tightly.

Luca looked horrified.

Absolutely horrified.

“Let go.”

“No.”

“Nova.”

“Still alive.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Aw.”

She finally released him.

Then turned toward Damon.

And immediately noticed his expression.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

A slow grin spread across her face.

“Well.”

Damon folded his arms.

“Well what?”

Nova pointed at him.

Then at Luca.

Then laughed.

“Oh this is incredible.”

Luca looked ready to throw himself off the mountain.

“Nova.”

“She has no idea.”

“Nova.”

“She genuinely has no idea.”

“Nova.”

“Is this the one?”

Dead silence.

Damon blinked.

Luca looked like he wanted the earth to open beneath him.

Nova looked delighted.

“The answer is yes.”

“It was not a question.”

“It absolutely was.”

Damon stared at Luca.

Luca refused eye contact.

Which was answer enough.

And for reasons he didn’t fully understand

Damon felt unexpectedly pleased.

Nova noticed that too.

Unfortunately.

The woman extended a hand toward Damon.

“Nova Rossi.”

Damon shook it cautiously.

“You worked with Luca?”

“Worked.”

She snorted.

“Survived with Luca.”

The distinction mattered.

Damon felt it immediately.

Because Nova knew parts of Luca’s life Damon never would.

Childhood.

Training.

The Program.

Shared scars.

Shared history.

And suddenly

Something unpleasant twisted in his chest.

Jealousy.

The realization annoyed him instantly.

Very annoying.

Nova spent the next hour talking with the group.

Mostly teasing Luca.

Entirely too much.

“You cried once.”

“I was six.”

“You cried.”

“You’re impossible.”

“You used to follow me around.”

“I was six.”

Damon listened quietly.

Watching.

Learning.

Seeing a version of Luca nobody else had.

A younger version.

A softer version.

And strangely

That made the jealousy worse.

Because Nova had memories Damon didn’t.

Memories he never could.

Later that evening, while everyone ate dinner

Nova casually rested her head on Luca’s shoulder.

For exactly three seconds.

Three.

Seconds.

That was all it took.

Damon’s fork stopped moving.

Across the table, Cassian saw it happen.

And immediately looked delighted.

“Oh.”

“No,” Damon said instantly.

“Oh yes.”

“Cassian.”

“You’re jealous.”

The entire table went silent.

Even Hale looked up.

Damon stared at him.

Cassian stared back.

A battle of wills.

Then Mira softly asked:

“What’s jealous mean?”

The table exploded into chaos.

And through all of it

Luca accidentally looked toward Damon.

Their eyes met.

Just for a second.

And Damon realized something.

He hated seeing anyone else touch Luca.

Even a friend.

Especially a friend.

Because somewhere between surviving together and falling apart together

Luca had become something terrifying.

Someone Damon was beginning to think of as his.