Deliverance (#2) | ✓

twenty-seven: the three words

Am I supposed to be this nervous? I ask myself as I brush my hands over my dress for the sixth time in two minutes. Jori walks by my side, hand in mine as he leads me to the front door and out of it — per his request.

The entire walk to this very position was basically me hyping myself up continuously just to tear myself down about my body, my face, my past.

What if Luca doesn't like it? What if I hate whatever this is? It's been so long since I've been on a date — if one even counts spinning the block with one's gangster boyfriend a date.

Yeah, that doesn't count.

But who's to say this is even a date? I'm just being dramatic and overthinking everything at this point.

When we finally walk outside and descend the many steps, my breath is caught in my throat at the sight that lays before me.

Luca, dressed in a black fitted suit, stands by the door of an all-black Maserati Levante, tattooed hands folded in front of him, a rose hanging from his fingers. His nose ring glimmers under the many lights lining the driveway, his skin clear and well-moisturized.

Jori releases my hand and runs over to Luca who lifts him up, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Luca ..." I exhale, clasping my hands in front of me so I have something to focus on that isn't my knees buckling from right under me. Approaching him, slowly but surely, I watch as he puts Jori down and stares at me, eyes scanning every inch of my body.

And before this, I've never felt as sexy as I feel in this moment.

"You are ... mozzafiato (breathtaking), Remi." He says and while I don't know what the Italian word means, that doesn't stop the heat from rising to my cheeks.

He meets me halfway, Jori's hand in his. Luca bows his head though I can't take my eyes away from his handsome face. He lifts the rose.

"This is for you." He purses his lips almost nervously, "From Jori."

Jori jumps up excitedly, "And Luca!"

I can't fight the wide grin that grows on my face. Taking it from his grasp, I lean forward and press a kiss to Luca's lips. It's sweet yet short due to Jori standing right there. Looking up to the sparkle in Luca's eyes, I open my mouth to say the three words tempted to leave my tongue, but I stop myself. I settle for three other words, "Thank you, Luca."

I look down to Jori and give him a dramatically big kiss, "Thank you, baby."

A moment passes, Luca opening the door to the car for Jori to go in his car seat then opening mine and holding my hand to help me step in.

I don't even care where we go. I'm just happy to be with my son and the man I'm falling in deep for.

•••

The destination is beautiful. It's a beach house, well more like a villa, right along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Just feet away from it is a path leading to an abandoned castle, the regality of it enough to make me swoon.

With a hand from Luca to exit the car, my bare toes land on sinking sand. Jori is way ahead of us in running to a well-decorated blanket laid out, stones on each corner to keep it down.

Staring at the calm waves that pass through the water, I turn to the man who stands beside me. "Luca, this is beautiful." I say, my heart racing as a soft breeze passes by.

He rests a hand on my face, his rings cold against my skin, "I know it's not much."

I shake my head, feeling tears gather in my eyes, "This is more than enough." I snicker, glancing down, "Who knew the quiet man that walked into that coffee shop would be the one to make me feel so happy for the first time in so long..." I feel a tear escape but I don't stop it from falling.

Luca does.

"Hey," He whispers, lifting my head up to look at him, "You deserve everything you want and more. Plus, I can't take all the credit." He looks behind me to Jori who's clapping his hands in excitement and waving over to us.

"Can we eat now?" He yells. "The pizza is getting cold."

I laugh and Luca's head falls forward as a chuckle escapes him, "Pizza was his idea by the way."

i go back to school in the ninth of january; do y'all think i can finish this book before then?