Always

46 : obsessed

The first thing I notice when I wake up is the emptiness. The spot next to me is cold, and the faint dent in the pillow is the only sign he was even there. My heart sinks a little before my brain fully catches up.

I sit up, squinting against the sunlight streaming through the curtains. The room is way too quiet, and I hate it. Where is he? I don't even know how I'm going to face him after last night.

I woke up feeling a thousand times better than last night, but I know it's going to be brutal today as well. Since he's not anywhere to be found, I decide to take a shower and get ready, as today we are going for a script reading and a warming party-where I really don't want to go, but these parties are quite useful. You get to know exactly who to avoid.

I put my clothes on the bed and go for a burning shower. After the shower, I finally feel clean enough to exist. I wrap a towel around me and I pull the bathroom door open, still adjusting the towel around me, but I freeze when I realize Luca is back. He's shirtless, sunlight from the window highlighting the sweat on his sinfully toned abs. His shorts hang low on his hips. Our eyes meet for a second, but neither of us says anything.

My mouth literally stops working around him-messy, damp hair sticking to his forehead, green eyes piercing and unreadable. His eyes roam all over me, and he looks away, swallowing hard, flexing his Adam's apple and his jawline, sharper than any knife.

"I-I'll be outside," he says in his raspy voice. He turns around to leave, still shirtless.

"Your shirt, Luca." I squint my eyes ,in embarrassment. I might be in an embarrassing position, but there is no way in hell he's walking shirtless in front of Katie. He's mine.

He turns around, taking the shirt, and his eyes roam briefly all over me once again, making my stomach flip. He wears his shirt, his veiny arms flexing hard. The door to the room closes, and I release a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I finally get dressed and leave the room. Katie is hitting on him again. He looks so uncomfortable. She makes my blood boil.

"Luca, you take the shower now," I say loudly, already pissed at Katie. She immediately steps away from him and out of the kitchen. This bitch has the audacity to smirk at me.

"Ivy," he calls me, but my phone's been ringing forever. I turn around, answering Grace's call. She ends up explaining the whole damn plan for the month. I end the call and go back into the room for my coat. The shower is on, which means Luca is still inside. I decide to quickly leave, but my eyes get stuck on something else. On my side of the bed stand is a basket full of chocolates, but not just any-exactly the ones I like, with a note.

I freeze, the packet still in my hands, my heart skipping a beat. I Turn around slowly, finding him standing by the door, a soft smirk on his lips, his eyes warm with something unreadable.How long had he been standing there?.

"I-" I start to say, but the words falter. How could he know? How could he be so... right?

"You've been craving it for days," he says, stepping closer. "And you're always so careful about the calories. But sometimes, you just need to give yourself a break."