Shadows of Home

Sienna never liked going home. It wasn’t a place of comfort or safety; it was just four walls barely holding together the life she and her father tried to pretend wasn’t falling apart.

The house was a small, run-down bungalow on the edge of town. The paint on the walls was peeling, and the roof leaked every time it rained. But it was hers. Or at least, it had been.

She sat on the edge of her bed in the dormitory, her fingers brushing the fabric of her hoodie. It smelled faintly of detergent and something else—a trace of the life she left behind.

Growing up, she had spent her evenings cleaning tables at the diner down the street, saving every tip she could to help cover bills. Her father, once a lively and loving man, had become a shadow of himself. Losing her mother had done that.

Alcohol filled the spaces where her mother’s laughter used to be. Debt collectors filled the rest.

The scholarship to Ridgecrest had been her way out. But the guilt followed her like a specter, whispering that she’d abandoned him when he needed her most.

She stared at her phone, the cracked screen glaring back at her. Her fingers hovered over his contact name, but she couldn’t bring herself to call. What would she even say?

Instead, she tossed the phone aside and pulled her knees to her chest. The students at Ridgecrest would never understand what it felt like to grow up watching everything you loved fall apart.

Luca Deveraux’s world couldn’t have been more different.

The Deveraux estate was the kind of place people only saw in glossy magazines: sprawling lawns, marble floors, crystal chandeliers. But behind the grandeur was a family as cold and brittle as the ice sculptures at their lavish galas.

Luca stood in the dining room, staring at the long table set for dinner. His father sat at the head, scrolling through his tablet, while Caroline, his stepmother, sipped her wine and pretended to care about the conversation.

“You’re late,” his father said without looking up.

“I had practice,” Luca replied, his voice clipped.

His father finally looked at him, his eyes sharp and assessing. “I hope you’re keeping your priorities straight. Rugby is fine for now, but don’t forget what’s expected of you.”

Luca bit back the retort bubbling on his tongue. He knew exactly what was expected: straight A’s, a flawless reputation, and eventually, a seamless transition into the family business.

His father didn’t tolerate weakness. And he definitely didn’t tolerate failure.

“I’ll handle it,” Luca said, forcing his voice to stay steady.

“You’d better,” his father replied, before returning his attention to his tablet.

Caroline gave Luca a tight-lipped smile, the kind that never reached her eyes. “You should listen to your father. He only wants what’s best for you.”

Luca didn’t bother responding. He knew the truth. His father didn’t care about what was best for him—only about what was best for the Deveraux name.

As the dinner dragged on, Luca’s mind drifted. The laughter, the forced civility, the undercurrent of tension—it was all a game. And Luca had grown tired of playing it.

Back at Ridgecrest, the differences between their lives couldn’t have been more apparent.

Sienna was sitting in the library, her head buried in her notebook, when Luca walked in. She didn’t notice him at first—she was too focused on her work, her brow furrowed as she scribbled down notes.

He paused, watching her from across the room. There was something about the way she carried herself, like she was constantly bracing for impact. It reminded him of himself, though he doubted she’d believe that if he told her.

Without thinking, he walked over to her table.

“Studying hard, huh?”

Sienna’s head snapped up, her eyes widening. “What are you doing here?”

Luca smirked, sliding into the seat across from her. “Same as you, I guess. Trying to survive this place.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Somehow, I don’t think we’re surviving the same way.”

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady. “What makes you so sure?”

She gestured to him, her tone sharper than she intended. “Because you’re… you. And I’m me. We’re not the same.”

His smirk faded, replaced by something softer, something almost vulnerable. “You’d be surprised.”

Sienna stared at him, unsure of what to say. For a moment, she thought she saw a crack in his perfect facade, a glimpse of something deeper. But just as quickly, it was gone.

Luca stood, shoving his hands into his pockets. “See you around, Hayes.”

As he walked away, Sienna couldn’t help but wonder what he meant.

Later that night, Luca sat alone in his dorm room, staring out the window at the campus below. The lights of Ridgecrest stretched out like a city, glittering and untouchable.

He thought about Sienna—the way she looked at him, like she didn’t trust him, like she didn’t believe he could possibly understand her struggles.

She didn’t know the half of it.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. She was trouble, he knew that much. But for some reason, he couldn’t stay away.

And that terrified him.