13. Chapter Thirteen - Luca
She looks ethereal…the way she lays in her bed–hair fanned out on her white pillow like a halo, her smooth skin glowing in the golden morning sunlight. Only half her body is veiled by the sheets, her breasts peeking out under the covers. She looks like a Renaissance painting of beauty, more alluring than the best artist could capture.
I”ve been staring at her for minutes now, like a creep. The chorus of the song ‘You are my sunshine’ by Johnny Cash repeats in my head as I watch the morning light dance over her skin.
Theoretically, I need to go home, return the car to Asher, get my sports clothes, and maybe have some breakfast before I need to get to the stadium. How I’m even going to think about anything but her today, I don’t know. All I’ve been thinking about while staring at her creepily is the moment our lips first met and the times she came with my name on her lips–even the thought of leaving this comfy, warm bed and her behind almost physically hurt.
She mumbles something under her breath, her eyes starting to dance behind her still-closed eyelids, then she scrunches her nose up, before she smacks her lips and goes still again. Tentatively, I move, turning so I face her completely. My hand finds a strand of her hair, and I twirl it between my fingers as I drink her in.
I want to burn this image into my mind. Her pouty lips, which I finally know taste like sunshine and caramel, her rosy cheeks, and her hair, messed up by my hands running through it and her turning in her sleep.
But I need to get up.
I try to soften my steps as I search for my clothes. Even though she’ll have to wake up soon as well, I don’t want to disturb her sleep just yet. When I have all of my clothes, I sneak into her bathroom to get dressed, chuckling when I see my back in the mirror. Her short nails have left the tiniest marks on my shoulders, and I puff my chest out. I’m wearing her marks with pride.
When I return to the bedroom, she lies the exact way I left her. She didn’t move an inch. I walk over and tentatively sit down on the mattress. Softly cupping her cheek, she instantly melts into my touch; like a pet cat, she rubs her face against my palm.
”Good morning, Sunshine,” I whisper, my thumb caressing her cheek until she blinks awake.
”Hmm?” She wakes up slowly, her eyes dancing around the room, disoriented.
”I have to go, Sweetheart.” I lean forward and drop a kiss on her head.
”Why?” she whines, nudging her face into my hand and reaching for the hem of my shirt.
”I need to make a stop at home before training.”
She sits up sluggishly, the sheet falling off her body, and I almost change my mind. God, if I didn”t know that Asher would kill me, I”d crawl right back into bed, right into her arms, and just call in sick today.
”I”ll see you at the stadium?” I press out, forcing myself not to look at her tits. I’m not very successful.
”Yeah,” she says softly, a smile slowly spreading on her face when my eyes drop. Then she purses her lips and lifts her face, waiting for a kiss. I oblige. The soft sigh that touches my face brings me so close to my resolve snapping.
”Can”t wait.” I brush my lips against hers one more time, then force myself to stand up. It feels weird to just up and leave her here, but she watches me go with a sultry smile on her lips, her tits in full display, and she fucking knows that she’s going to be all I think about today.
”I need to ask you something,” I tell Asher as we walk through the backstage labyrinth of the stadium toward where I assume the changing room is. We’ve been training here for quite a bit already, but I just can’t get it into my head. They should just hang up some signs because I’m definitely not the only one who routinely gets lost in here.
”Oh shoot, have you already reached that age?” he asks loudly, suddenly stopping and clutching his shirt right above his heart. ”So, you know, there are the birds and the bees–”
”Oh shut up,” I chuckle and punch his arm playfully. ”I”m trying to be serious here.”
”Okay, that sounds intense.” He starts walking again, but slowly. ”What”s up?”
”So, I want to date Millie–”
”No shit, Sherlock.”
”And we had a pretty serious talk yesterday–”
”Shocking.”
I sigh and shake my head. ”She warned me about the paparazzi and the lengths they go. I wanted to check in with you and learn what it”s been like for you. Now that you”re dating the other half of the duo.”
A deep sigh escapes him, and the grin slowly slides off his face. Shit. That”s not good. Within a moment, he schools his face and clears his throat.
”It’s good that she warned you,” he mumbles and pops his head around the next corner, which, I think, is not where we need to go. When he sees that the place is empty and no one is close by, he pulls me around the corner and starts to explain.
”They’re fucking vultures. You think you know the paparazzi?” He shakes his head. “No, you fucking don”t. What these two have to deal with is on a whole other level.” He runs his hand over his hair, gathered in a bun for training later on. ”They”re everywhere. I’ve heard they even tried to get into this fucking stadium. One of the staff girls was fired because she leaked pictures from their training. Really, it”s a miracle that their label lets them out of their apartments without security. They’re grown men, most of them taller than the two, and they scream at them, push them, try to get shots from under their skirts; it”s fucking crazy town.”
”The fuck?” The thought of someone trying to get a shot of Millie”s underwear makes my fucking blood boil. ”How is that legal?”
”I have no fucking idea, but I haven”t seen anyone getting arrested yet.” He shrugs, flexing his fingers with anger. ”Anyway. Van had to hire a security team for my parents. A whole damn team, Luca. Like…they’re taking turns and giving them 24-hour observation. They”re having fun with it for now, so that”s fine, but sheesh. Even the baker where they get their damned Sunday cake is starting to ask them about Kayla, and my parents haven’t even met her yet. It’s crazy!”
”Crazy indeed,” I answer half-heartedly, trying to wrap my mind around the new information. Well, not completely new. Millie warned me about this exact thing happening after all. But never in a million years did I think it would frazzle Asher, the coolness in person when it comes to paparazzi, to such a degree.
”Listen, man, I”m not saying it”s unbearable. But it”s different and definitely something to prepare for. So it”s a good thing she told you. I know you hate looking people in the industry up online and everything, but man, if she’s going to be your girlfriend, you really have to know what you’ll need to deal with on a media level. See for yourself what the media makes of them, and most important of all, warn your parents and Summer. Because want it or not, it”s going to affect them.”
I let out a deep sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. Why does it have to be so complicated? I like her. She likes me; that should be all that matters.
Asher gives my shoulder a friendly clap and starts walking to where we actually need to go. And after taking a deep breath, I follow him dutifully.
My thoughts race around the topic throughout the training. Thank God we”re in the gym today. I don”t really need to think. Only pick up, push, or pull heavy weights or run on a treadmill, nothing requiring much brain power.
My fingers are itching with curiosity, though, wanting to hide in a corner, pull out my phone, and check if what Asher said is true.
Deep down, I know he”s right, though. The question is, what I”m going to make of it? Is this something I can do to my parents? To Summer? This is much bigger than myself or even Millie”s and my relationship, and having to get the ‘okay’ from so many directions seems ridiculous.
But could I even let her go if they say no?
My gut says no. My heart says no. But my mind? My mind fears that I”ll have to make a decision, and deep, deep down, I know that if it came to a decision between my family and her, I would have to pick my family. Of course, I would.
And she knows it too. That”s probably why she has asked me to clear it with them now, instead of waiting for me to learn about it the hard way. She”s giving me the choice of ending things before she gets her heart broken again.
But I fear it’s still too late.
Even though we’ve met so few times, she’s wormed her way into my heart and made a little nest for her there. I meant it when I told her I wasn’t going anywhere, but now I’m questioning myself and whether I can keep that promise.
I need to call my parents.
Time with Millie passes so incredibly fast, but training today decides to go by in fucking slow motion. The relieved sigh I let out when our trainer finally announces that we”ve earned our break before continuing training on the field can probably be heard from outside the stadium. He continues saying something about team building, but I’ve long stopped listening.
”Come on, let”s find our girlfriends,” Asher teases me quietly and nudges my shoulder with his. I grab my water and trudge after him like a dog on a leash.
I have no idea where we”re going, but Asher seems to have a plan. Before I know it, we slip through an inconspicuous door and find ourselves in a dance studio, music blasting so loudly I have to cover my ears until they get used to the volume.
Asher motions for me to follow him as he crosses the room along the wall and sits down right where a giant mirror wall meets the window facing the field.
The three of them, Millie, Kayla, and their instructor, don”t acknowledge us. They don’t even look in our direction; they’re so focused on their choreography, and instantly, my eyes land on Millie. Her movements are fluent and graceful, with an ease that is just so damn impressive. I can certainly run, but sing at the same time? But she pulls off moves that look way harder than a relaxing jog and manages to sing this clearly? Incredible.
From the corner of my eye, I see Asher’s eyes follow Kayla. I wonder, do I look that love-struck when I stare at Millie? Like she hung the moon and the stars, and she’s the only reason the world turns?
No. I”m sure I look worse.
The song transforms right into the next one, leaving them no time to catch their breath. But they don”t show any exhaustion. They have smiles on their faces that don’t even look forced at all, and their movements never lose enthusiasm. I shake my head. Our girls are fucking amazing.
”Alright, take a break, you two,” the guy instructs. He doesn”t look much older than Asher, yet he has a no-bullshit attitude that makes him appear more like an adult than all of us. ”Keep it PG.” He points at the two of them, then shoots us a strict look until we give him a thumbs up, and winks at Millie and Kayla before he walks over to his bag and takes his lunch out of it, walking out of the room in a hurry.
”Hi there,” I greet Millie when she walks over to us with a spring in her step. With a happy but exhausted smile on her face, she leans down and presses a quick kiss to my lips, before sitting down right next to me, fishing for her bag behind her. Kayla has also sat down, not greeting Asher as enthusiastically.
”How”s your rehearsal going?” I ask Millie, and she jumps right into a detailed report on which parts of the choreography don”t work out yet.
”Well, I didn”t notice if it”s any consolation,” I tell her with a grin. She raises her eyebrow, the corner of her lip tugging upwards as she tries to fight a smile.
”You can”t dance for shit, how would that be consolation?” Asher, the traitor, chimes in, and I shove my middle finger right into his face.
I bite down a retort about how at least I know how to move my body in other contexts. Millie might already know I”m immature, but I don’t need to rub her nose in it.
At one point, Kayla and Asher leave the room, suspiciously having an important call to make at the same time. Sure. Make it any more obvious you want to leave us alone, why don”t you?
”Why are they still trying to set us up? Don’t they know they’ve been pretty successful?”
”No idea, but I”ll take it,” I say with a grin and cover the hand she”s using to brace herself on the ground with mine. It makes her grin widen and bite her lip, and it”s fucking adorable. No matter if she’s in bed after a night of fun, or sweaty after her dance training, I could sit here and just stare at her all damn day. In fact, I can’t think of anything more fun to do.
”Do you have any plans for this evening?” I ask her, pursing my lips, trying to look pitiful. ”There is no way in hell I can wait until our second pottery date next week.
She grimaces, and my heart sinks. ”I have interviews today and tomorrow. Naroa said they”re going until pretty late. How about Friday?”
”Done.” I lean forward, and so does she until our lips meet.
”Ewww, get a room,” Asher throws open the door, and Millie startles. Oh, I”m so going to kill him one day.
”Well hello there, best brother in the world,” my sister greets me when I call her in the evening. I have her on a video call, phone propped against a cushion on the couch as I sit on the ground in front of it. It seemed like the easiest way without having to hold my phone in front of my face the whole time, because I’ve been lifting so much today…my arms fucking hurt.
”Hello there, best and only sister,” I answer her with a chuckle and rub my eyes. The training was exhausting, but I decided that I really need to talk to Summer today about the whole situation. There’s no way I can sleep without having her answer. I’d only toss, turn, and imagine all the ways her reply could go, and I’m not doing that to myself. ”What are you up to?”
”Well, actually–” she starts, but is interrupted when my Dad’s head pops in from her right.
”Hello there, son.” My mother’s head joins the two of them from Summer’s left.
”Wow, it”s a spontaneous family meeting,” I chuckle and lay my head back. Great. I was trying to get Summer”s perspective, but I guess since it’ll be a family matter anyway, I might as well just rip the band-aid off. I should have known that with my family, there isn’t really a subtle way to go at this. ”How are you guys doing?”
”Same old,” my Dad answers, while Mom takes a breath to, without a doubt, fill me in on all her friends” gossip and every second that she filled her day with. She’ll probably mention again which of her friend’s daughters is single in an effort to set me up. Ignoring the thousands of times I’ve told her to stay out of my love life. Before she can start, though, Summer saves the day.
”So, one more week until the match, right?”
”Almost two,” I say and roll my eyes. I”ve lost count of how often she”s asked me to remind her of the date. That girl can”t remember an important appointment for the life of her. ”I got you tickets and everything, so you”re good to come.”
”No guest list?” my mother pouts, and I chuckle. She once told me she loves being on guest lists because that way, she gets to walk past all the people waiting for regular admittance, and it makes her feel special.
”Well, ticket income is going to charity, so we”re expected to buy tickets for once,” I remind her, making Dad and Summer chuckle. ”And before you ask, I’ll get you VIP, so don’t worry. That”s not why I called you guys, though.” I take a moment to gather my thoughts. I didn’t really think about how to go about this with the whole family. How should I approach it the best?
”Well, spit it out,” Dad scolds me playfully, worry making his forehead crinkle.
”So there”s this woman–”
”Tell me it”s Millie!” Summer shouts immediately, her eyes lighting up, while my parents look at her confused.
”Yes, it’s Millie.”
Summer jumps up, handing her phone to Dad while she runs around the room, shouting something I can’t make out. She’s dancing, though, so I assume she’s happy about it.
”Who”s Millie?” Dad looks at Summer, startled by her reaction, and Mom looks at me with a sparkle in her eyes, without a doubt seeing grandkids in her not-so-distant future. She”s been less than subtle about wanting them for the past six years already.
”The one who pranked me,” Summer says, taking her place between the two of them again while huffing, still rolling her eyes at our parents. As if that would tell the two of them all they need to know.
”Honey, I think you think you”ve told us more than you actually have,” Mom points out empathetically and pats her shoulder. I can”t help but chuckle, because Summer is definitely known to do that occasionally.
”Just look her up after this call; you’ll know who she is,” Summer says, grinning at Mom, before beaming at me. ”She”s on your playlist.”
”How lovely,” Mom sighs, her eyes moving away from the screen, and I know in her head she”s somewhere far away.
”Well, as you might gauge from Summer’s reaction, Millie and I are kind of dating,” I continue, finally having their attention. ”It”s not public yet or anything, but that”s what I want to talk to you about.”
”Alright, we”re listening.” Without looking, Dad lifts his hand and covers my Mom”s mouth before she can blabber away about the wedding plans she just created in her head. I’m sure she has a color scheme and catering menu ready to go.
”She”s kind of a big deal, and you might get swarmed by paparazzi,” I press out quickly, looking just beside the screen as I wait for their reaction. ”Like, big time. And I made that sound like I”m just warning you, I guess I should rather ask if that”s okay.”
The three of them exchange tense glances, their silence feeling heavy against the carefree atmosphere from only moments before.
”You mean the way Jade and Ellis are accosted now that Asher is dating that famous girl?” Dad asks, his eyes slowly widening as the wheels turn in his head.
”He means exactly like that because he”s apparently dating that woman”s best friend.” Summer shoots me a glance that I can’t quite decide between annoyance and happiness. ”Is she worth it, bro?”
Dad shoots her a shocked look, but I answer anyway.
”One hundred percent.”
”Then it”s settled,” Mom adds, taking a page out of Dad’s book and holding Summer”s mouth shut when she tries to interject. ”And if worse comes to worse, we”ll take a little or long vacation. There”s got to be a country where those people are forbidden.”
”Of course,” I assure them and nod. “All the vacations you want. You know that.”
Those might not solve all the problems that could arise with our relationship becoming public knowledge, but I guess it”s a start.
”I mean, there are worse things than a vacation or five,” Summer admits, tapping her index finger against her lip as though she”s thinking really hard about what to say next. ”Okay. You have my blessings.”
”Wow, thank you, oh best little sister I have. I really appreciate your blessings,” I say sarcastically, but by the soft look in her eyes, I know she can see how thankful I am. She mouths, ”You owe me,” and I give her a subtle nod.
Being my sister is hardly the easiest thing in the world. She doesn”t need to know, but I”d give her anything she asks for. Even though she sucks sometimes.
”Wonderful. Now tell me about all the other hot players,” she demands with a mischievous grin, and my parents quickly wave goodbye, and walk out of frame. I tell her about the training, but honestly, I couldn”t recall anything about the conversation, my thoughts circulating around only one person.
Her.