Chapter 19
ALEX
My final year of high school passed by in a flash. Until Bastian and Damian pulled away from me, they occupied most of my time. They showed me the attention I had always craved. And they made me feel so damn good that my insides burned for them.
They showed me how amazing an orgasm felt, never asking for anything in return. But then, one day, they stopped touching me.
Lost interest overnight.
Out of the blue, Luca turned on the charm. He took me to meet famous artists and to form connections with people in the art world.
But I saw right through him.
Luca only wanted to win.
He also never touched me.
And I missed the orgasms.
Whenever we got too close, Luca would pull away. Sometimes, he let me sit on his lap at lunch, but not for long.
He hated intimacy.
That much was crystal clear.
It was the last week of classes before graduation. I was already planning my move to Providence with Aiden. We were leaving at the end of the summer, but it could not come soon enough.
Luca, Bastian, and Damian would leave for The Devil’s Knights initiation after graduation and attend Harvard University in the fall. Cambridge was a driving distance of Providence. We could still keep in touch… if they even wanted to see me after the six-month no-contact part of their initiation.
When I arrived at my locker, Luca stood against it, arms crossed over his chest, staring at me. His dark blues held so many unanswered questions. Even when we were alone, I never felt like I knew him. He spoke only when necessary and shut down when I asked him anything personal.
On our limo ride to Manhattan, I was sick of the silence and said, “What’s your favorite color?”
It was easy enough.
Luca looked out the window and sighed. “I don’t have one.”
So, I tried another route and said, “What’s your favorite song?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Do you like anything?”
Luca snapped his head at me, jaw clenched. “I like you.”
It was a lie.
I felt the tension clinging to the air in that limo, thick like fog. His words said one thing, but his hateful expression told another story. I wanted to believe that people could change. That one day, Luca would eventually take his head out of his ass.
But I knew better.
Luca, Bastian, and Damian gathered around me as I opened my locker. My eyes widened at the black box with a pink ribbon stuffed inside.
“Oh my God,” I said, removing the box with Damian’s help. “What is this?”
“Open it,” Luca muttered and started rummaging through his locker.
Damian took the box from my hand so I could open the lid. Inside was a black Valentino dress. It was pretty and expensive… and nothing like what I had owned growing up. All of my clothes were from second-hand stores. But this dress would fit perfectly with my new wardrobe.
Alex Fox was a poor loser.
Alex Wellington was an heiress.
“Wow! Which one of you bought this?”
Luca shut his locker and looked at me, his black hair extra spiky today. He reminded me of the devil in the best way possible.
“I did. Of course. I’m the only one with any taste in this family.”
“Speak for yourself, brother,” Bastian snapped, the anger practically radiating off him.
Whenever I asked Bastian and Damian why they wouldn’t touch me, they avoided the question. I felt the tension pouring out of them in Luca’s presence as if they were holding back their anger.
Luca shrugged, giving Bastian one of his evil grins. “It’s the truth.”
“You really got this for me?”
I had to ask. It seemed so weird that the Luca I met all those months ago would buy me a dress like this. And why?
Luca’s right eyebrow rose a few inches. “It was in your locker, Drea. Who else would it be for? Do you like it?”
My cheeks hurt from smiling. “Are you kidding? I love it.”
I hugged Luca to see if he would let me. A sickened expression crossed his handsome face when I peeked up at him. I especially noticed how much he squirmed when our skin touched.
“It’s beautiful.” My arms slip away from Luca’s lean but muscular body. “But why did you buy this for me? I don’t have anywhere to wear it.”
Luca backed me into a locker, smirking, his fingers skimming up my right thigh. “Because you’re mine. And I won’t have you attending our graduation party without looking like a queen.”
“Luca,” I whispered when his lips were inches from mine. “Thank you. It’s perfect.”
“You’ll wear it on Saturday. And you’ll come as my date, understood?”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Gripping his shoulders, I stood on my tiptoes and got in his face. “You’re not the boss of me.”
He cupped the side of my face with possession. “You are mine, Drea. Say it.”
“No.”
It would take more than fancy dresses and favors from famous artists for me to choose Luca. But this was a good start.