I had never felt this hollow before.Standing there, watching Luca walk away from me, the ache in my chest deepened into something unbearable. It wasn’t anger in his eyes when he looked at me—it was worse. It was devastation.I broke him.And that realization shattered something inside me.The rain started to fall in slow, heavy drops, soaking through my sweater as I stood frozen on the edge of the rugby field. Luca’s figure disappeared into the darkness, his broad shoulders stiff, his entire body coiled with tension.I wanted to run after him.I wanted to tell him I was sorry a thousand times over.But the words weren’t enough.They never would be.I had lied. I had kept the one secret that could destroy him, and now that he knew, I wasn’t sure if I could ever fix this.A gust of wind sent a shiver down my spine, and I realized I was still standing there, clutching my arms around myself as if I could hold myself together.Ethan’s voice cut through the silence. “You should let him coo
I had never known silence could be this loud.The entire school was buzzing, but all I could hear was the roar in my head.Sienna Hayes.Lies.Betrayal.Her father.My father.It all blurred together, a tangled mess of deceit and destruction, and she was right in the middle of it.And so was I.I stood there, watching her across the hall, while students whispered around us, their gazes bouncing between the two of us like they were waiting for a fight to break out.But I didn’t move.I just stared.Because for the first time in my life, I didn’t know what the hell to do.She looked pale. Fragile. Like a gust of wind would knock her over.Good.Because I felt the same.I felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath me, like I was free-falling into an abyss with no end.And she did this.Sienna.The girl who made me believe in something more. The girl who made me think I could have something real—someone real.It was all a lie.The weight of it pressed down on my chest, suffocating
I couldn’t feel my legs as I walked away.Each step felt heavier than the last, like the weight of my own words was dragging me down.I’m in love with you.I had never said those words to anyone before. Not like that. Not when they mattered.And Luca hadn’t said anything back.Not a single word.I had braced myself for anger, for accusations, for him telling me he hated me. But his silence? That was worse.It was deafening.It was final.By the time I made it back to my dorm, I felt like I had left a part of myself out there on the rugby field. I closed the door behind me, leaning against it as my vision blurred.I should have told him the truth sooner.I should have fought harder.I should have—A knock at the door made me jolt.I wiped my face quickly before opening it.Mia stood there, arms crossed, eyes sharp.“You look like hell,” she said.“Thanks,” I muttered, stepping aside to let her in.She didn’t sit. She just turned to me, her expression unreadable. “What happened?”I swal
I should have let her go.I should have walked away the second I found out the truth.But I couldn’t.Not when she was standing in front of me, looking at me like she was waiting for me to end everything we’d started.Not when the only thing I wanted to do was pull her close and pretend none of this had ever happened.“I just need time,” I had said.A fucking lie.Because time wasn’t going to fix this.Time wasn’t going to change the fact that the girl I loved was connected to the man I hated most in the world.It wasn’t going to erase the fact that, no matter what I wanted, we were caught in a mess so deep there was no way out.The only thing time would do was make it harder to let go.And I was already drowning in her.I watched as Sienna left the library, her shoulders tense, her hands gripping the straps of her bag like they were the only thing holding her together.I clenched my fists.The easy thing to do would be to cut her off.To stay away.But I wasn’t built for easy.I was
I should have told him to leave.I should have pulled my hand away, put up the walls I had spent years perfecting, and reminded myself that Luca Russo was dangerous in every possible way.But I didn’t.Because when his fingers threaded through mine, when his body shifted closer in the dim glow of the moon, the war inside me collapsed.There was no logic.No reason.Only this—this thing between us, stronger than my fear, my past, my secrets.“I mean it, Sienna,” he murmured, voice low and rough. “I don’t know how to stay away from you.”His breath was warm against my cheek, the scent of him—cologne and sweat and something uniquely Luca—wrapping around me like a second skin.I turned to him slowly, my pulse hammering in my ears.“Then don’t.”His eyes darkened, the line between hesitation and inevitability snapping like a thread pulled too tight.And then—His lips crashed into mine.It wasn’t soft.It wasn’t careful.It was heat and desperation and weeks of tension unraveling all at on
“Run.”I barely got the word out before I was pulling her with me, our footsteps pounding against the damp grass as we sprinted toward the trees.Sienna’s breath came in quick, shallow bursts, her fingers gripping mine like a lifeline.“Who the hell patrols this late?” she hissed.“Ridgecrest security is full of hard-asses,” I muttered. “They’re like bloodhounds for trouble.”“Well, congratulations,” she panted. “We are trouble.”A smirk tugged at my lips despite the situation, but I didn’t slow down. The flashlight beams sliced through the night, sweeping the grounds behind us.“Hey! Stop right there!”“Shit,” I muttered.We broke through the tree line, branches whipping against my arms as I pulled her deeper into the woods. The rustling leaves and distant footsteps behind us sent a fresh shot of adrenaline through my veins.“We need to split up,” I said, yanking her behind a thick oak.She looked at me like I had lost my damn mind. “Are you insane? What if they catch me?”“They won’
I didn’t sleep.Not really.I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my heart still racing from the night before. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel Luca’s hand on my back, the heat of his body when he’d whispered, Trust me.God, I was so screwed.The thrill of almost getting caught still buzzed in my veins. It wasn’t just the danger of sneaking around that had my body on high alert—it was him.Luca Russo.The boy I swore I wouldn’t get close to. The boy I was failing miserably at resisting.The worst part?I didn’t even want to resist anymore.I turned onto my side, hugging my pillow to my chest, but sleep never came. By the time the morning announcements played over the intercom, I was already wide awake, staring at my uniform hanging on the closet door.I needed to pull myself together.This was getting reckless.Luca was dangerous—if not for my heart, then for my entire future.If he found out the truth about my father… about why I was really here…No.I forced myself to sit u
I should have walked away.Should have turned around and let it go.But I didn’t.I couldn’t.Sienna fucking Hayes had a grip on me I didn’t understand, and every time I tried to pull away, something yanked me right back.She didn’t say a word after I let her go in the hallway, just turned and disappeared down the corridor like she didn’t feel the weight of my eyes on her. Like she didn’t hear the pounding in my chest when she was close.And that?That pissed me off more than anything.Because she should know.She should fucking see it.I ran a hand through my hair, my jaw tight as I stalked into the locker room before rugby practice. The usual chaos filled the space—teammates throwing jabs, the clatter of cleats against the tile, the sharp scent of sweat and determination.But I barely heard any of it.“Jesus, Russo, you look like you’re about to kill someone.” Ethan’s voice cut through my storm, and I turned to see him watching me from his locker, one brow raised.“Not now,” I mutte
I should have walked away.Should have turned around and let it go.But I didn’t.I couldn’t.Sienna fucking Hayes had a grip on me I didn’t understand, and every time I tried to pull away, something yanked me right back.She didn’t say a word after I let her go in the hallway, just turned and disappeared down the corridor like she didn’t feel the weight of my eyes on her. Like she didn’t hear the pounding in my chest when she was close.And that?That pissed me off more than anything.Because she should know.She should fucking see it.I ran a hand through my hair, my jaw tight as I stalked into the locker room before rugby practice. The usual chaos filled the space—teammates throwing jabs, the clatter of cleats against the tile, the sharp scent of sweat and determination.But I barely heard any of it.“Jesus, Russo, you look like you’re about to kill someone.” Ethan’s voice cut through my storm, and I turned to see him watching me from his locker, one brow raised.“Not now,” I mutte
I didn’t sleep.Not really.I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my heart still racing from the night before. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel Luca’s hand on my back, the heat of his body when he’d whispered, Trust me.God, I was so screwed.The thrill of almost getting caught still buzzed in my veins. It wasn’t just the danger of sneaking around that had my body on high alert—it was him.Luca Russo.The boy I swore I wouldn’t get close to. The boy I was failing miserably at resisting.The worst part?I didn’t even want to resist anymore.I turned onto my side, hugging my pillow to my chest, but sleep never came. By the time the morning announcements played over the intercom, I was already wide awake, staring at my uniform hanging on the closet door.I needed to pull myself together.This was getting reckless.Luca was dangerous—if not for my heart, then for my entire future.If he found out the truth about my father… about why I was really here…No.I forced myself to sit u
“Run.”I barely got the word out before I was pulling her with me, our footsteps pounding against the damp grass as we sprinted toward the trees.Sienna’s breath came in quick, shallow bursts, her fingers gripping mine like a lifeline.“Who the hell patrols this late?” she hissed.“Ridgecrest security is full of hard-asses,” I muttered. “They’re like bloodhounds for trouble.”“Well, congratulations,” she panted. “We are trouble.”A smirk tugged at my lips despite the situation, but I didn’t slow down. The flashlight beams sliced through the night, sweeping the grounds behind us.“Hey! Stop right there!”“Shit,” I muttered.We broke through the tree line, branches whipping against my arms as I pulled her deeper into the woods. The rustling leaves and distant footsteps behind us sent a fresh shot of adrenaline through my veins.“We need to split up,” I said, yanking her behind a thick oak.She looked at me like I had lost my damn mind. “Are you insane? What if they catch me?”“They won’
I should have told him to leave.I should have pulled my hand away, put up the walls I had spent years perfecting, and reminded myself that Luca Russo was dangerous in every possible way.But I didn’t.Because when his fingers threaded through mine, when his body shifted closer in the dim glow of the moon, the war inside me collapsed.There was no logic.No reason.Only this—this thing between us, stronger than my fear, my past, my secrets.“I mean it, Sienna,” he murmured, voice low and rough. “I don’t know how to stay away from you.”His breath was warm against my cheek, the scent of him—cologne and sweat and something uniquely Luca—wrapping around me like a second skin.I turned to him slowly, my pulse hammering in my ears.“Then don’t.”His eyes darkened, the line between hesitation and inevitability snapping like a thread pulled too tight.And then—His lips crashed into mine.It wasn’t soft.It wasn’t careful.It was heat and desperation and weeks of tension unraveling all at on
I should have let her go.I should have walked away the second I found out the truth.But I couldn’t.Not when she was standing in front of me, looking at me like she was waiting for me to end everything we’d started.Not when the only thing I wanted to do was pull her close and pretend none of this had ever happened.“I just need time,” I had said.A fucking lie.Because time wasn’t going to fix this.Time wasn’t going to change the fact that the girl I loved was connected to the man I hated most in the world.It wasn’t going to erase the fact that, no matter what I wanted, we were caught in a mess so deep there was no way out.The only thing time would do was make it harder to let go.And I was already drowning in her.I watched as Sienna left the library, her shoulders tense, her hands gripping the straps of her bag like they were the only thing holding her together.I clenched my fists.The easy thing to do would be to cut her off.To stay away.But I wasn’t built for easy.I was
I couldn’t feel my legs as I walked away.Each step felt heavier than the last, like the weight of my own words was dragging me down.I’m in love with you.I had never said those words to anyone before. Not like that. Not when they mattered.And Luca hadn’t said anything back.Not a single word.I had braced myself for anger, for accusations, for him telling me he hated me. But his silence? That was worse.It was deafening.It was final.By the time I made it back to my dorm, I felt like I had left a part of myself out there on the rugby field. I closed the door behind me, leaning against it as my vision blurred.I should have told him the truth sooner.I should have fought harder.I should have—A knock at the door made me jolt.I wiped my face quickly before opening it.Mia stood there, arms crossed, eyes sharp.“You look like hell,” she said.“Thanks,” I muttered, stepping aside to let her in.She didn’t sit. She just turned to me, her expression unreadable. “What happened?”I swal
I had never known silence could be this loud.The entire school was buzzing, but all I could hear was the roar in my head.Sienna Hayes.Lies.Betrayal.Her father.My father.It all blurred together, a tangled mess of deceit and destruction, and she was right in the middle of it.And so was I.I stood there, watching her across the hall, while students whispered around us, their gazes bouncing between the two of us like they were waiting for a fight to break out.But I didn’t move.I just stared.Because for the first time in my life, I didn’t know what the hell to do.She looked pale. Fragile. Like a gust of wind would knock her over.Good.Because I felt the same.I felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath me, like I was free-falling into an abyss with no end.And she did this.Sienna.The girl who made me believe in something more. The girl who made me think I could have something real—someone real.It was all a lie.The weight of it pressed down on my chest, suffocating
I had never felt this hollow before.Standing there, watching Luca walk away from me, the ache in my chest deepened into something unbearable. It wasn’t anger in his eyes when he looked at me—it was worse. It was devastation.I broke him.And that realization shattered something inside me.The rain started to fall in slow, heavy drops, soaking through my sweater as I stood frozen on the edge of the rugby field. Luca’s figure disappeared into the darkness, his broad shoulders stiff, his entire body coiled with tension.I wanted to run after him.I wanted to tell him I was sorry a thousand times over.But the words weren’t enough.They never would be.I had lied. I had kept the one secret that could destroy him, and now that he knew, I wasn’t sure if I could ever fix this.A gust of wind sent a shiver down my spine, and I realized I was still standing there, clutching my arms around myself as if I could hold myself together.Ethan’s voice cut through the silence. “You should let him coo
My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the bathroom sink, watching the water swirl down the drain.She lied to me.I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the image of Sienna standing there, her face streaked with tears, her voice breaking as she admitted everything.I should’ve known.I should’ve seen the signs—the way she always hesitated when I brought up Matteo, the way she looked over her shoulder when we talked about my family.And now, after everything, after I let her in, after I gave her every part of me… she was connected to him.My father.The man I hated more than anything in this world.The man I was trying to destroy.I slammed my fist into the sink, the sharp pain doing nothing to ground me. My breathing was uneven, my heart racing, my body torn between fury and something else—something worse.Betrayal.I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, staring at my reflection, before a voice cut through the roaring in my head.“Luca.”Ethan.I turned, my chest rising and