Chapter 155

I watch Luca’s face change as he realizes that he’s causing a scene, and that this does indeed look like a press setup. Luca coming running out of the house to clasp my face in his hands, when he could have easily just let us come inside?

Yeah, it really does look to everyone here – the press included, probably - like he deliberately came outside so that the press could get a shot of us on the front porch.

But no one else can feel Luca’s emotions like I do right now – he’s devastated, completely out of control of how he’s feeling. Which, I mean, really could affect his choices, right?

“I’m sorry,” Luca mutters, his eyes back on me now as he drops my face and stumbles back towards his screen door, yanking it open. “Please – yes, come inside –“

We do, and I duck my head, staying close to Rafe’s side, hoping that the paparazzi didn’t get anything that they could use. I mean, it’s not like anything bad happened – but if pictures of me on Luca’s porch this morning come out with Rafe and Jesse by my side? Who knows where social media is going to take it.

The speculations, I’m sure, are already wild.

Jesse closes the door behind him and shakes his head at Luca, clearly pissed off. “What the hell was that all about?” he asks, gesturing towards the press.

“They’ve been here all day!” Luca explains, shooting out a hand, I think desperate to be believed. I watch him closely, and honestly I don’t think that he’s acting – not at all. He seems to me to be really upset. I take a step towards him, wanting to comfort my mate, but Rafe reaches out to touch my arm just slightly – asking me, silently, to hold back for a minute.

I hesitate, but do as Rafe asks, letting my brother take charge. “You’re not an idiot, Luca,” Rafe says, his voice low, his eyes narrowed. “You’re a celebrity – you know how press works. You know not to go running out on the front porch unless you want them to see it. So, what the hell was that? What the hell is all of this?”

Rafe crosses his arms, getting angrier at Luca as the moments pass.

I look between my brother and my mate, thinking again that this whole thing doesn’t look great for Luca.

And my heart sinks because…I mean, honestly, I think this whole time I didn’t really believe that he broke the story. But…did he?

“Come on,” a voice rings out from behind Luca, and I peer around him a bit to see his mom standing there, her face very serious, her arms crossed over her chest. “They can still see you,” she says, lifting her chin to where press are gathered around the porch, aiming their cameras through the large window in the front door. I mean, I doubt they’re getting anything they can use, but Linda is right – they can see us.

“Why don’t you all come into the living room, where there’s a bit more privacy?” Linda gestures towards the room before walking into it, clearly suggesting we follow.

Luca sighs, shaking his head and gritting his teeth, realizing that he’s doing this all wrong. But then he turns, gesturing to where his mother is waiting. “Yes, of course, please come inside,” he says, falling back on the manners which I’m sure his mom drilled into him as a child.

Rafe and Jesse glance at each other but then move, following Linda into the living room. I go last, glancing at the window and all the hungry press outside, wondering how the hell we’re going to get out of here.

Inside the living room I see Luca murmuring his introductions between the Crown Prince, the Duke, and his mom, but the whole time his eyes are searching for me. I just cross my arms and wait for him to finish, my face not giving anything away.

Linda smiles politely at Rafe and Jesse, shaking their hands, before sighing and recrossing her arms. “Well, I’m not going to insult you by pretending that I don’t know why you’re here, and why you’re upset.” She gives Luca a little glare that makes my stomach drop – because, I mean, if his own mom is mad at him…

“We didn’t mean to disturb you, ma’am,” Rafe says, nodding apologetically. “But –“

“No, you’re very welcome here,” she says, holding up a hand to stop him as she turns away. “I’ll let you talk and will bring you some iced tea.” With that she leaves the room, leaving the three of us to turn back to Luca.

“I didn’t do it,” Luca says immediately, holding out his hands towards us.

My heart instantly lightens and I grit my teeth, wanting so terribly badly to believe him.

“I promise,” he says, locking eyes with me now and shaking his head slowly back and forth. “Ariel, I didn’t know that the story got leaked – I swear it, I didn’t tell anyone, and I was completely shocked this morning when the reporter asked me if you were my mate –“

“You were shocked?” Jesse asks, stepping forward, wanting more details.

“Yes!” Luca says, almost shouting in his need to be believed. “She was asking me about the match, and life at the Academy, and then she just dropped the question about my mate in there casual as hell! I think she knew I was going to be shocked – wanted to surprise me! And if you read the way it’s written in the article – that I blushed, and stumbled over my words – that was all me having no idea that this was coming!”

Rafe and Jesse just glare, not buying it – not yet.

“Do you think I don’t know how much this fucks things up for her!?” Luca says, gesturing towards me now and then looking into my face, ignoring my brother and my cousin now, knowing that this is – deep down – about us. “Ariel,” he says, stepping forward, though Rafe puts out a hand to stop him from getting to me – knowing that my judgment is compromised by physical touch with my mates.

Luca glares at Rafe for a second but then gives in, dropping his hand and looking at me again. “Ariel, I would never do that to you,” he says, pressing his hands to his heart and willing me to believe him. “I know that this is not my story alone – that you have a right to hold your secrets, and that you live a very private life on purpose! You have to believe me.”

And as Luca stares at me with his big brown eyes, passing all his love and earnestness and truth down the bond to me – I believe him. I do, instantly. There’s just…no room for deception here – he’s too raw, too open.

“Okay,” I say, my voice breaking a little as I step forward, reaching for him. Rafe drops his hand and Luca groans aloud as I dart to him, wrapping my arms around his waist as he gathers me close. “Okay, Luca,” I whisper. “I believe you.”

Jesse sighs, believing my belief in Luca, but still not finished here. “Why didn’t you deny it, Luca?” he snaps, still mad. “That would have fixed a lot –“

“You can’t lie to the press, Jesse,” Luca says, frowning at him. I loosen my arms around him a little so that I can look to see Jesse’s expression, but I don’t let Luca go. “The best you can say is no comment, but you can’t lie – if it ever comes out one day that Ariel is my mate then they have me on record as a liar, and you can’t get away from that –“

“Well then why didn’t you say no comment?” Rafe asks, folding his arms and still frowning at my mate, I think pleased to know that our friend didn’t betray us but still unhappy with the whole situation.

“I basically did!” Luca says, his voice raising again in self-defense. “I just said a lot of noncommittal things about how Ariel’s a lovely girl and how my love life is private – I thought that was all better than a cheeky, blushy ‘no comment,’ which just sounds staged!”

“It makes sense, Rafe,” I say softly, wanting to come to my mate’s defense. Because if he didn’t do this, then he’s on our side and doesn’t deserve to be interrogated anymore. But if he didn’t do it…

I see the same question forming on Rafe’s tongue, but before he can ask it, there’s a soft cry from the kitchen and then the door bursts open, a blur of grey and blue dashing through it.

“Principe!”

The tiny figure dashes immediately for Rafe, shouting his name in desperate tones, sounding almost as if she’s crying. And then suddenly Luca’s Gran has her arms around Rafe’s waist, squeezing him tight as she shouts his name and his title over and over, her eyes pressed shut with little tears at the corners.

Rafe stumbles back, a little shocked, and Luca groans, reaching for her, but I hold him back, letting her have her hug. Jesse grins, a little delighted, and Rafe glances around at us for a second before lowering his arms and patting Gran warmly on the back.

“Principe Rafe!” Gran cries, clearly having the best moment of her life. “Mio preferito!”

I have a very, very hard time keeping the smile from my face as I watch her meet her idol.

But my smile falls immediately as Luca’s mom comes back into the room with a tray of iced tea, followed closely by his uncle.

And Luca’s uncle looks stern as hell, and ready for battle.

Which can only mean…one thing.