Sophia
Luca turned around and smiled at her. “You’re still noisy when you get moving in the morning. Have you ever been able to sneak up on anyone?” he teased.
“Ha, ha,” she drawled.
“Coffee is on the counter, and I’m making pancakes and bacon,” he said. Her stomach growled as if responding to him, and he chuckled.
“Well, you didn’t wake me for dinner,” she accused.
“To be fair—that’s the other thing about you that hasn’t changed.
You’re a pain in the ass to have to wake up.
I tried, really I did, but every time I poked you and told you to wake up, you mumbled something about not wanting to go to school.
” Sophia smiled. She had never been very happy about having to wake up for school every morning, but if she didn’t, she’d end up in a place much worse than any foster home she had been in.
“Sorry,” she breathed, “I don’t remember any of that.”
“You’re like a zombie, Sophia,” he teased. “I figured that you’d wake up if you got hungry.”
“Well, I’m hungry,” she said. Sophia walked across his kitchen and grabbed a mug from the cabinet over the coffee pot. She was going to down a cup of coffee, and then maybe she’d be able to keep up with Luca.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a sip, humming her approval, leaning her hip against the counter.
“I have to go to work today,” she announced.
She wasn’t really asking for his approval, but she was in a way.
Sophie had asked Luca to help keep her safe, and she would need him to agree to her going to work for a bit.
“No,” he breathed. He was always a man of few words, but his response was ridiculous.
“I need to let them know that I might be a little, um, distracted until this thing with Peter is over,” she explained.
Luca smiled at her, just enough to let her know that he was listening, but she could tell that he wasn’t about to give in to her request. “Where do you work again?” he asked. He knew exactly where she worked and what she did. She had kept him updated about her life, unlike him.
She took another sip of her coffee and sighed. “You know that I teach second grade during the school year. But I also work afternoons at the little independent bookstore downtown—Page he just sits around and waits for me to show up. Marlene told him yesterday that I wouldn’t be coming in anymore if he didn’t stop showing up.
I think that she meant it, too. He’ll cause me to lose my job, and I can’t let that happen. ”
“And you think that showing up at work, where he’s possibly waiting for you, is the best way to keep your job?” Luca asked. “I’m sure that there are other bookstores that you could work in.”
The air between them felt heavier. Luca pushed off the counter and dragged a hand through his already unruly hair. “Why didn’t you tell me that part to begin with?” he asked.
“I didn’t want you to lose your shit,” she admitted. “You already agreed to let me stay here with you. I didn’t want you to change your mind and send me packing,” she admitted.
He let out his breath. “Sophia, that’s exactly the kind of thing you are supposed to tell me—whether I lose my shit or not.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I’m sorry, but I really need your help, and I really need to go into work to talk to Marlene.”
He nodded, “Well, you’re not going back there alone,” he insisted. “I’ll go with you, and we can both talk to Marlene about your stalker and her letting you keep your job.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she insisted. “Marlene has already said that if Peter comes back again, she’ll call the police herself.”
Luca’s eyes darkened. “No, if he comes back again, I’ll be there,” he growled.
Sophia reached out and touched his forearm, and it grounded her the way that it had earlier. “I just don’t want you getting into trouble because of me. Don’t you have to train or something?” she asked.
“I’m due a little time off, so you won’t get me into any trouble down at the gym,” he said firmly. “And you’re not a problem.” She searched his face for any sign that he was lying to her, and when she saw none, she nodded her agreement.
They ate breakfast in quiet comfort after she agreed to let Luca go with her to the bookstore.
When they finished, Sophia set her fork down and looked around his kitchen.
“I feel safe here,” she said. That was the truth, but she had a feeling that it had more to do with Luca being with her and not his house.
“I’m glad,” he breathed. Luca met her gaze, and she could see something protective and dangerous flickering behind his eyes.
“You are safe here.” Sophia knew it was true, but hearing him say it was comforting.
But somewhere deep inside of her, she knew that this new chapter of her life—of their lives, was only the beginning, and that scared the hell out of her.