Lunar Crest University (Forbidden Fruit)

Chapter Twenty-Six

LUCA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2023

F inley doesn’t speak for the entirety of the flight home. She just slouches down in the seat, and I even hear her soft snores every now and again. Her arms are wrapped around her body, which trembles faintly as she sleeps. She’d take a sip of water here and there, clear her throat, and then sink down into the same position again.

It was obvious she was getting sicker by the hour, and I wanted more than anything to drape my jacket over her to keep her from shaking, but it would only add fuel to the fire.

Genevieve fucking knows about us.

That’s all my mind can focus on as I sit between the two of them. It’s like the elephant in the room—a flashing red sign pointed straight at me. I trust Finley, of course I do, but she’s clearly not the best judge of character. This could cost both of us everything, especially more so on my end. The job, the money—all of it is at stake here. It’s bad enough that I’ve already been killing Javier’s men—I could only run under the radar for so long before he put the pieces together. I can’t lose the money too. If I have the money, then maybe I have leverage when the time comes and all of this implodes.

Because it fucking will.

When the plane lands, it feels like it takes an extra ten hours to get off and retrieve all our luggage from baggage claim. Everyone around us seems to be in no hurry to get where they’re going, and from the way Finley is moving around sluggishly, I know we need to at least make it back to campus sooner rather than later so I can drive her home. She’s in no condition to drive with the way she can barely hold her tired eyes open.

But as I go to load our bags onto the bus to take us to the university, I can tell she isn’t going to make this easy. She’s clearly still mad at me.

She may not feel good, but she manages to attempt to load her giant suitcase into the compartment on the outside of the bus herself. When I try to take over, she grumbles under her breath and crosses her arms over her chest as she watches me haul it in with ease. Her nostrils flare as I peek over at her after before she stomps onto the bus without another glance. She’s so damn cute when she’s mad; I have to swallow down the grin that fights for a spot on my face as I climb onto the bus after her. Instead of sitting near her like I want to, I slide down into a seat at the front to give her some space.

How do I always manage to upset her like this?

Because I’m no good for her.

I’ve known this from the beginning, and yet, here I am. I should do the smart thing and take a step back. It has already reached dangerous territory—someone else knows. The best thing for both of us would be to protect her from afar. Do what needs to be done without any sex. Without any of it. From the way I look at it, I’m going to upset her regardless.

It’s what I’m good at.

But goddamn it, I care about her.

I care about her, and I’m a selfish fucking man.

As the bus drove back into Lunar Crest, it didn’t shock me in the slightest that thick clouds shrouded the sky. The ground outside was damp from where it had rained, but thankfully, the universe gave us a break long enough to make it back to campus and start unloading the bus without getting drenched. Genevieve wasted no time collecting all her luggage and heading straight to her car without even so much as a thanks , whereas Finley trudged off to the side as I gathered our suitcases. As soon as her bag touched the pavement, she was marching over to grab the handle and yanking it across the parking lot behind her as she hurried toward the bus stop to wait for the next one to come through.

This fucking girl.

Against my better judgment, I stomp after her.

“I’ve got it,” she says without looking at me.

It’s the first time I’ve seen her fiery side in a while, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it when she was pissed at me.

Letting go of my suitcase, I look around as I shove my hands into my pockets. Classes should be over by now, and by the looks of the empty parking lots, everyone has cleared out for the day. A drop of rain hits the lens of my glasses, and I sigh.

“No one is here,” she snaps.

“Finley.”

“Don’t worry,” she says in a mocking tone. “No one will see us.”

She ducks her head as she wipes at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater, sniffling quietly as she refuses to look at me. Her voice even sounds stuffy when she speaks. She doesn’t need to be standing out here in the rain waiting for the next bus.

“I know you’re upset. I know you’re not feeling well.” Licking my lips, I cock my head, willing her to look at me. “But we have to take this seriously. Seeing each other like this is dangerous, and you know it.”

“Yes, I know,” she huffs, crossing her arms.

“Anyone knowing about us is risky. Even if you trust them, Finley.”

“I know .”

The rain is picking up now, misting down on us as it clings to every surface it can find. The cold air seeps through my clothes, so I can only imagine how she feels.

“Let me take you home,” I say gently.

“I’m fine. I’ll take the next bus.”

Rolling my lips between my teeth irritably, I inch forward, lowering my face down next to her ear as I take a steadying breath. “You’re sick, Princesa . It’s raining. It’s cold. Just let me take you home.”

Her green eyes finally dart up at me, and her jaw clenches as she contemplates what I said. With a curt nod, she grabs her suitcase handle like a pouting child. I take her suitcase from her, despite the scowl she sends me, and lead the way across the parking lot to my car. She sulks behind me as I load my trunk with our luggage—the rain pattering against the hood and bouncing off the pavement.

Slamming the trunk closed, I walk around the right side of the car to open the door for her. As I turn to motion for her to climb inside, I’m met with even more defiance. She gnaws at the inside of her mouth as she scoffs weakly. The bags underneath her eyes are darker than before, and the tip of her nose is red from the cold air.

“I’m not a child,” she mumbles, storming over and yanking the door as she gets into the passenger seat. “I can do things for myself.”

Crouching down next to her, I watch her eyes widen slightly as I grip her chin in my fingers to force her to look at me. “You’re sure as hell acting like one. I don’t want to argue with you. You’re not feeling good. I’m taking you home. That’s it.”

She blinks her watery eyes. “Okay.”

As I stand up, I shrug off my coat and wrap it around her like a blanket. Her hard glare softens as she peeks up at me, but she tears her eyes away from me as she snuggles down into my jacket. Closing the door, I round the hood and climb into the driver’s seat, starting the car and immediately turning the heat on. The wipers squeak against the windshield as they swipe away the gathering drops of rain, and the sound feels so loud in the silent car.

“You don’t have to do this,” she whispers after a moment. “You’ll just get sick too.”

“Too late.”

Her head lifts as she looks over at me. “You don’t feel good either?”

I shake my head.

It’s a lie, but she doesn’t have to know that. She’d just push it even more if I told her the truth, and I refuse to have her ride a bus home feeling the way she does. Plus, I know she’ll make it home safely if I take her. The probability of someone creeping in her windows again is, unfortunately, higher than I’d like.

Finley goes quiet again as I pull out of the parking lot, and she remains that way for the entire ride to her apartment. The only sound is the heat filtering through the vent and the rain splattering against the windshield. She bundles up in my coat as she relaxes down in the seat, and I fight the urge to reach over and touch her. Comfort her.

Get a fucking grip.

I white-knuckle the steering wheel the whole way, but my muscles loosen as we park in front of her house and I see there’s no one stalking around outside. I haven’t gotten a chance to look inside the apartment yet for any signs of someone snooping around, but it can wait. Right now, she needs me.

Finley unlocks her door as I haul the luggage from the trunk to the steps, going as fast as I can, since the rain has shifted into a steady downpour. By the time we’re inside the warmth of her apartment, we’re soaked, and I’m practically panting as I drop all the bags on the wooden floor. With a deep breath, I take off my wet glasses and set them on the island in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry,” Finley squeaks.

I look over at her, and the dam cracks. She bursts into tears, her face falling into her palms as her body looks like it’s going to cave in on itself. My heart squeezes at the sight, and I take two long strides toward her as I pull her against my chest. She collapses into me as she buries her face into my sweater, her hat falling off and onto the floor.

“Don’t cry, amor .” I cradle her head softly in my hands. “It’s okay. It’s been a long day, and you just need to rest. I’ll run you a bath.”

“I’m being a brat,” she whines. “I’m s-sorry, Luca.”

With a swift kiss on her forehead, I say, “And you can be a brat all you want. It’s not going to scare me off. I’m staying here tonight, and I’m going to run you a hot bath with bubbles. Help clear up that nose.”

She lifts her head to look up at me, her eyebrows scrunching together as a few more tears spill from her eyes. I quickly swipe them away as I leave her standing there in the kitchen, walking into her bedroom as I make my way toward the adjacent bathroom. Sifting through the cabinet under the sink, I grab the almost empty bottle of bubble bath before twisting the faucet knob and pouring the remnants of the bottle in with the running water.

“Did you mean what you said?”

I look over to see Finley standing in the doorway, rubbing her arm as she frowns down at my crouched figure, my hand underneath the water to test the temperature.

“About not scaring you off,” she continues. “Did you mean that?”

Her eyes are starting to swell from crying, and she sniffles as she looks down at her shoes. Her dark hair is falling out of her bun, a few strands around her face. Even while sick, while being a crying mess, she’s so beautiful.

“Come here,” I tell her, extending my hand out for her to take.

She wastes no time hurrying toward me, placing her palm into mine as she stares down at our intertwined fingers. Pressing a kiss to her knuckles, I pull her closer as I simultaneously stand. Her head follows the movement as her neck cranes to look up at me. There’s a desperation that flits in her irises, or maybe it’s fear.

“Yes, I meant it.”

I reach for the hem of her sweater as I lift it up, tugging it over her head and arms before discarding it on the bathroom floor. A white lace bra rests underneath, and my eyes take in the swell of her breasts and her smooth, porcelain skin. She instinctively brings her hands up to her chest, as if she needs to hide herself, and I reach up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear as I cock my head at her.

“Don’t hide,” I say lowly. “Not from me.”

Her hands drop to her sides as she chews at her bottom lip, observing me closely as I help her take the rest of her clothes off. Her skin erupts in goosebumps as she stands in front of me, fully exposed, and she shivers slightly. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on—dusty rose cheeks, wild, curly hair in a messy bun, and supple curves that I want to sink my teeth into. Scooping her up in my arms gently, I lower her down into the bath water, watching as her body immediately relaxes as the bubbles shroud her.

I shed my own clothes, and she gapes up at me as I climb into the tub behind her. Pulling her back flush against my chest, I wrap my arms around her as I rest my chin on her shoulder.

“She’s into the football coach.”

I hum in confusion.

“Genevieve,” she clarifies. “She’s into the football coach, and she isn’t going to say anything because she’s doing the same thing. We have something on each other, so we’re even.”

What the fuck?

What the fuck .

The laugh that rumbles through my chest is louder than I mean for it to be, and Finley jumps in surprise as she twists in my arms to peek up at me, and that only makes me laugh harder. She could’ve easily told me this. All day, she could’ve told me this. And it’s… funny . It has been the longest fucking day known to man, and all I can do is laugh.

Finley starts to giggle along with me, and the bath water ripples, shifting the bubbles around as we both laugh so hard, we’re practically gasping for air.

“I’ve never heard you laugh like that,” she says after a moment, out of breath.

“I don’t think I’ve ever laughed like that before.”

She rests her cheek on my chest, playing with the bubbles around us. “I should’ve told you that earlier. I know I’ve been…a child today. I’m sorry for being mean.”

“That was you being mean?” I tease.

She swats playfully at me.

“I’ll run to the store after our bath for medicine,” I tell her. “And anything else you’d like. Soup, maybe?”

She frowns. “You really don’t have to do all of this.”

I stare down at her on my chest. “I know.”

Sitting up slightly, she rests her hand on my thigh for leverage as she studies my face. “Why are you, then?”

“ Para ti .”

“For…” She trails off, thinking. Her brows furrow as she looks at me questioningly. “Me?”

“ Sí, Princesa .” I reach up to cradle her head, bringing her back down to rest on my chest as I press a chaste kiss against her hair. Her arms twine around my waist beneath the water. “For you.”