Sofia’s pov
I’ve been putting off having a conversation with Ryan.
Not because I was nervous to do just that.
Or perhaps I was a little bit nervous… or, a lot nervous.
It was still extremely unnerving to think of, because I was still yet to actually fully wrap my head around it.
Ryan had actually murdered someone for me. That thought was enough to make me shudder from nerves. The kiss has been the most unexpected out of everything, because it was something I hadn’t seen coming at all.
It had kept me up last night, even long after Luca had drifted off to sleep. It was the exact thought I woke up to, and the reminder that I do need to have a conversation with him, that same one which Matilda had suggested I told with him weeks ago.
A small sigh escaped my lips as I trudged into the closet while toweling my hair dry. Thinking about having that conversation alone was enough to make my head start to pound, it’s undoubtedly going to be awkward as hell, a scene which I’d rather not be involved in any way.
Since it happened yesterday, I had steered clear of him, not wanting to set my eyes on him hence I’d be reminded of it once again. The thought of Luca finding out about that was to make my stomach twist nervously on Ryan’s behalf.
He definitely doesn’t know what he was doing yesterday when he kissed me. There’s no way he doesn’t know how ruthless and territorial Luca is, especially when it comes to me, which is why I really do need to have that particular talk with him as soon as possible, without putting it off this time.
Perhaps he got the wrong impression from me or something, because I definitely don’t see him as anything other than a good friend of mine. To think I had been super grateful for having a friend in him, only for it to be that he had something else in his mind all those while.
And killing someone because of me? That thought made me shudder once again and I let out another sigh as I picked out a large shirt and a pair of shorts to shrug into.
It’s nighttime, I had spent the entire day indoors, mainly because I didn’t want to set my eyes on Ryan just yet, because it’s going to be awkward as hell. The ride back home yesterday evening had felt awkward for me and I had felt very relieved when the car pulled up in the compound.
I discarded the towels and ran a comb through my hair and then I exited the walk in closet. My heart squeezed on instinct as soon as my gaze settled on the bed, where Luca was currently in.
He was in the middle, legs spread forward and a MacBook positioned between them. He had his back pressed behind the headboard and a phone pressed against his ear. It seems like he’s currently on a call with someone who is also working on the same thing as him on the MacBook. Hid deep voice rang around the room as he spoke and I felt my inside tingle in response to that voice as I shuffled towards the bed. My eyes settled over his bare chest and for a moment, I dwelled on the realization that this piece of cake sitting right here in the bed is all mine and a satisfied feeling bubbled in the middle of my chest.
A slow sigh eased out of me, and that caught Luca’s sense of hearing because he regarded me with an arched eyebrow and then he beckoned me over with a flick of his fingers. I took him on the offer at once, crawling into the middle of the bed to straddle him and sink into the warmth radiating off him like he’s summer in human form. His arm settled around my middle and I felt myself sinking into him some more as I dug my nose into his neck while my hands got tangled around his shoulders.
He kept on talking to the person on the other side of the call and it continued for some minutes, and during those times, I got lost in my thoughts while my hands absentmindedly played with the curls at the back of his head. I didn’t realize when his got off the call till his other hand joined the one laying loosely on my hips and then I was being tugged out of his chest till I was staring into his eyes.
“You okay, bunny?” He asked after regarding me for a few minutes. It had probably been obvious that I had been in deep thoughts. I nodded my head and even wore a small, reassuring smile as I responded.
“I am!”
“You sure? You’ve been a little bit out of it for most of today.” He commented and I silently cursed his sense of picking out any change in my usual mood like this right before I made sure to convince him that I’m indeed fine.
I reached up and cupped his face in my palms and leaned forward to give him a light kiss. I kissed his nose and chin too before whispering against his lips.
“You’re the best.”
A small smile made the side of his lips get crooked as he breathed out. “What brought that on?”
I shrugged a little as I kissed him lightly again. “Nothing, I just felt like reminding you in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Trust me, it’s something I’d never forget, but I don’t mind you reminding me every now and then.” He responded with a soft laugh as he kissed my forehead and I found myself giggling into his throat while my grip tightened around his shoulders, heart feeling filled to the very brim with so many emotions.
Hours later, when I got a hold of Armani around 1:00am after I went to get a cold drink since I was still awake after Luca had fallen asleep, I made sure to drag him along with me into my arts room where I presented him with the painting I made of him. His reaction was priceless as expected and I wished I caught it on recording.
I threw my arms around him and sighed into his chest. “I’m glad I got to know you for you. I’m glad I can refer to you as my friend. Somehow, I’ve come to care about you so, so much.”
The grin on Armani’s face was splitting. “Best believe the feeling is fucking mutual! I’ve been feeling like this for a really long while.” He admitted and I felt a grin spread out on my face as well. Next, I found myself suggestively wiggling my eyebrows at him.
“So, the person you’re seeing? How’s it so far? Cause you were definitely just coming back from their place right before I sighted you, and don’t bother lying cause you smell like sex and smoke right now.”