Chapter 19
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Marigold
This is some kind of sick joke.
The universe hates me. It really does.
It was bad enough when Heath was expected to chaperone my date with Luca, but then I got into the passenger seat of his SUV and Heath told me there was a change of plans.
Wait, no Heath? Then who—
Horror of horrors, Reece and Derrick are sitting in the back.
Apparently, Heath has somewhere else to be today, so he drops me off at the small Midtown café and passes chaperone duties to the last person I want to see right now.
Great.
Only one of them looks like he wants to die right alongside me. The other holds my stare with a shit-eating grin that immediately gets my back up.
Luca is already there, so I join him at his table. He rises to hold my chair for me. “Miss Marigold, you look lovely today.”
I’m so unsettled I barely acknowledge the compliment.
I rip my gaze away from Reece and Derrick, who have taken up posts nearby and are trying hard to look anywhere else but at our table.
Derrick leans against the brick wall of the outdoor seating area, looking bored out of his mind.
Reece stands beside him with his hands shoved into his pockets, glasses catching the afternoon sunlight, and I’m…
trying to remember what it was Luca just said so I can respond appropriately.
Luca noticed, though. “Is something wrong?”
I force a smile onto my face. “No, of course not. Nothing’s wrong.”
It is absolutely not nothing. Apparently my brother woke up this morning and chose violence.
Small iron tables are scattered beneath striped awnings, and the summer air is warm without being uncomfortable. It’s a beautiful spot, a beautiful day, and normally I’d love it. But instead, I’m resisting the urge to glance up every thirty seconds.
Unfortunately, resistance has never been my strongest trait.
I look up again. Derrick has already found a spot to sit on the ground as though his legs have given up the fight of holding him up. Reece remains standing. Professional. Responsible.
Unwelcome.
I drag my attention back to Luca.
He’s handsome. Really handsome. Tall and broad-shouldered, with warm brown eyes and a smile that comes easily. And unlike most of the Alphas I’ve met this Season, talking to him doesn’t feel like pulling teeth.
That’s why I agreed to this date today.
Also, I had promised myself after the Highbridge ball and after talking to Iris that I’d refocus on what really mattered. Like being the Luxe Omega and finding the right mate.
A mate like Luca, instead of Mr. Pants on Fire over there.
“I appreciate you coming,” I say to Luca.
“I appreciate the invitation.” He smiles. “After the Highbridge ball, I wasn’t sure you’d like to see me again.”
Embarrassment heats my face. “I’m sorry about that. I was…a little distracted. It was a crazy night. I was overwhelmed.”
A waiter appears to take our order, and after we’ve settled on sandwiches and iced tea, Luca leans back in his chair.
“It was a crazy night, for sure,” he says. “To be honest, I’m discovering fairly quickly that I’m not much of a party person.”
“This is your first Season?” It’s less a question than a comment.
He nods. “Yeah, but I knew what to expect because of my older brother. He had his Season four years ago, but it was a short one for him. Managed to find his mate halfway through his first.”
“That’s extremely lucky.”
“It is. But they say when you know, you know, right?”
I think of Iris, Killian, and Xavier’s close bond, and Violet and Stephan’s, too. The itch to glance over at Reece is there again, but I force myself to stay locked on Luca. “It does seem that way.”
“But you know,” he continues, “I’ve been thinking about our last conversation. Our last real conversation. Back at your house?”
“Uh oh.”
He laughs. “Don’t worry. It’s a good thing, I promise.”
I wait.
“You told me I should start drawing again.”
“Yes!” Recognition dawns on me. “Yes, I did. And I stand by that.”
“Well, you should know that it bothered me. The advice, that is.”
I blink. I hadn’t expected that. “Oh, I’m sorry. I—”
He shakes his head and chuckles. “No, don’t be. It didn’t bother me because it was bad, or mean. But because it was good. You were right, Miss Gardener. I shouldn’t have given up on my dream. Drawing makes me happy. It brings me peace.”
Something softens inside me. I understand. “Art does that for me, too.”
“I knew you’d understand.” Luca reaches into the leather messenger bag beside his chair. “I actually brought something.”
My interest is piqued. “You did?”
More pencils, maybe? I did really like the brand he’d given me before. They glide smoothly on paper.
But to my surprise, he pulls out a thick sketchbook. No, not a sketchbook. A portfolio with several pages, defined panels, and scattered text.
My eyes widen when I realize what it is. “No way.” It’s a graphic novel. Not just any, but Luca’s.
His grin turns sheepish. “It’s embarrassing, but—”
“May I see?”
He hesitates before sliding it across the table. Excitement bubbling, I open it.
My eyes are drawn to the artwork first, naturally.
And it is incredible. Mostly sketches, but the details are there.
The characters leap off the page. The expressions are vivid and emotional.
Entire worlds fill the backgrounds. Superheroes and villains.
Secret lairs and fight scenes. It’s clearly just a first draft of a larger project, but I know talent when I see it. And Luca has it.
“This is good!” I tell him.
His shoulders visibly relax. “You sound a bit surprised.”
“To be honest, I am!” I laugh. “But seriously, Luca, this is really, really good.” I flip another page. “Amazing.”
A flush creeps into his cheeks. “It’s an old graphic novel idea I started when I was younger.”
“Younger? How much younger?”
He shrugs. “Thirteen?”
I stare at him. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” His smile widens, transforming his entire face. “It still needs a lot of work, of course. I’ve just started to go through it again since it’s been a while, but…”
Even though our styles are completely different, I can see Luca has put his heart and soul into this. His love for it is clear, on the page and off.
“It’s incredible,” I say. “I’m really glad you decided to go back to it.”
His smile is warm and makes my heart skip a little. That’s a good sign, right? It speaks to progress and growth, maybe something real I can rely on.
For a little while, I forget about Reece and his brother watching us. I already knew Luca was easy to talk to, but now that he’s excited about his art again, he’s lighting up in a brand new way.
When the food and drinks come, we barely touch any of it, we’re both so wrapped in our discussion.
We talk about everything we can think of.
Books. Movies. Our families. I discover he has an older Alpha brother, who he had mentioned before, and a younger brother, who is an Omega, so he understands what being the sibling in the middle is like.
We talk, we laugh, and it’s easy. The kind of conversation that makes hours disappear. At one point, Luca even shows me newer sketches he had tucked into his satchel’s back pocket.
They’re even better than his older stuff. There’s confidence in his strokes, and seeing his excitement makes me more and more confident that I’ve made the right choice in forgetting No One—uh, Reece—and shifting back to what’s right in front of me. What’s real.
The afternoon sun catches in Luca’s dark hair as he tilts his face, one hand resting on the portfolio between us.
“Miss Gardener—Marigold,” he says, correcting himself. “Can I ask you something?”
“Depends. And it’s okay. You can call me Mari. My brother’s not here, and I’m not so much into formalities.”
“I feel like I’ve known you for a long time,” he says.
I flash a grin. “Mm-hmm.”
“Which brings me to my question for you.” A moment passes with him watching me, but then he sucks in a deep breath. It doesn’t seem to lessen the stiffness in his muscles.
It’s the first time I’ve seen him so serious, and it makes my stomach flip-flop with nerves.
“I keep trying to tell myself it’s too soon,” he starts and licks his lips. “But then I think about my brother and Gabby and how happy they are together. And I wonder…”
My fingers tighten around my iced tea glass. Is he about to ask me what I think he’s about to ask me? There’s no way. “Luca…”
“I know it sounds insane.” Another tense laugh from him. “But Mari, I really like you.”
Not knowing how to respond to him, I don’t. I just stare and listen as his words begin to tumble out of his mouth in a clumsy rush.
“I look forward to seeing you. I replay our conversations over and over in my head afterward. You’ve got me drawing again and make me remember why I love creating things in the first place.
” His gaze doesn’t leave mine. “I know we’ve only spent a little time together.
But every time I leave, I wish we’d had longer, and I can’t help wondering if this is what it’s supposed to feel like when you find your true mate. ”
My next breath freezes in my lungs. Every young Omega dreams of the day an Alpha confesses their love and claims them, marks them. It’s the entire point of the Season. It’s what every upper class Omega and Alpha prepare for. Still, hearing it said out loud makes my pulse stumble.
“I realize we don’t know each other very well,” he goes on against my silence, “but—”
“We haven’t even held hands,” I say, finally finding my voice. “This is our first official date.”
“I know, I know,” he adds quickly. “I told you it sounds crazy, but if things continue to progress, and I were to speak with your brother and ask his permission, do you think you’d be interested in me claiming you as my own one day?”
My heart squeezes.
Luca’s a good man. A genuinely good man. The sort of Alpha any Omega would want for their mate.
The sort of Alpha Heath would probably throw a parade for.
So then why do I feel like I’m going to pass out? My body temperature must’ve risen at least ten degrees and my vision is suddenly hazy. I press my fingers against my forehead in hopes to steady myself. Thank God I’m sitting down, but at this rate, I may teeter over.
My gaze swings to Reece. He’s staring at me intently now, like he knows exactly what conversation Luca and I are having, and when our eyes meet, his frown deepens. Something in his eyes gives him away and my throat constricts.
My first thought is that I should tell Luca no. It’s too soon to be talking about claiming. But with the sting of Reece’s betrayal still a painful reality, I wonder if maybe Luca is right and I’m letting my nerves get the better of me. Any other Omega would snatch up his offer and be grateful.
Do I feel an intense, overwhelming spark with Luca? No.
But I have felt something like that before…with someone who doesn’t really exist.
The realization lands like a stone in my stomach.
I had the reaction I’d always wanted with No One. Except No One is a lie, and there is only Reece and his betrayal underneath the mask.
I hate this. I hate how even now my thoughts drift toward dark hair and a white mask. Toward stolen kisses and lies.
I genuinely enjoy being around Luca, I enjoy speaking to him, hearing about his art and watching him get excited about things.
But…
But what? He’s not the Alpha in White?
He’s not Reece.
There is no “me and Reece.” There never was and there never will be. It’s one of those irrefutable facts of our world.
I need to just get that through my thick skull. And this may be how I need to do it.
A new perspective, I remind myself. Right?
With a shaking hand, I pick up my iced tea and take a small sip. Just something to clear my head, even if only for a second. The icy, watered-down drink is freezing once it hits my too dry mouth.
“I…” I put the glass down, and taking a deep breath, I steel my nerve. “You know what? Why not. Yes.”
“Yes?” His excitement is immediate, and he jumps to his feet.
“Yes.” I laugh. “Why not take a chance on this? On us?”
Luca comes to my side of the table and drops to one knee, taking my hand in his much larger one. “Marigold—Mari—I’ve never been happier than the moment I walked through your door that day and met you. But today has definitely topped even that.”
His grin is infectious, and I find myself smiling back.
“I’ll set up a meeting with your brother right away to ask his permission and work out the details,” he says.
My stomach knots because this is becoming more real by the second, and the weight of what I just agreed to starts pushing down on me. But I don’t know what to say or do. I don’t know anything anymore.
But I do my best to ignore the persistent ache building inside me on top of the urge to look at Reece again.
I won’t.
I can’t.
This is going to be a good thing, I tell myself over and over.
It has to be. For both of us.