CHAPTER 65: 65-THE NAKED LUCA

Iris:

After having a meaningful conversation with Kash and deciding that we would be heading south in the next few days, I returned to the guesthouse, where my mother seemed to be waiting for me desperately.

"Spoke to Kash?" she asked, snapping her fingers to get my attention in case I hadn’t noticed her sitting there.

"I did," I replied, tiredly strolling down the hallway, wondering if going into my bedroom would bring me any peace anymore.

"And what did he say?" my mother pressed.

The curiosity in her voice was so clear. I wasn’t the only one waiting for Kash’s decision.

My mother seemed equally anxious, perhaps even more so, because she was willing to commit a crime and the sin of cursing someone else’s baby for the sake of her own.

"He said we can go south to visit the river in the next few days, under the guise of just wandering around for shooting," I explained, watching her smile brightly.

"That’s good. You better not mess it up," she instantly warned, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her words.

I walked over and grabbed the wine glass in front of her.

"I wouldn’t cause any trouble. I just hope you and Luca don’t mess it up. If he keeps irking Kash, I’m afraid Kash might start investigating him, and where he came from. You don’t want that, because if Kash finds out about Luca’s past, yours will be next to come out, since you’re connected to him," I told her carefully.

My fear must have reached her, because I noticed how she puckered her lips and let her eyes wander around, searching for answers.

"No, of course not. Luca wouldn’t make a mistake," she commented, and I scoffed.

"Well, for you to send Luca straight to my bedroom, of course he caught Kash’s attention. He just asked me where Luca came from," I lied through my teeth, taking a sip of alcohol to wash down the dirty taste of the lie.

"Well, it’s okay. His tracks can be covered," my mother tried to reason, but the fear on her face betrayed her words.

"Anyway, you should rest. We’ll see when you all go out there," she added.

My mother stood up and walked to her bedroom door.

She paused briefly, then turned back to me.

"Just so you know, I don’t hate you. You’re my daughter. I love you just as much as I love your brother. I’m just trying to teach you the hard way that you and your brother are supposed to stand up for each other, not go off and live happily with the werewolves—our enemies," my mother almost hissed.

Maybe she even believed her words, because small tears appeared in her eyes.

"Right," I replied sarcastically, gulping down the rest of the wine.

"Now go rest and don’t worry about Luca. He won’t touch you," my mother added.

My attention snapped back to her, but by then she had already turned her back and walked away.

Once I walked back to my bedroom, after giving myself a pep talk that everything would be alright, that I’d walk in and find the evil already asleep, my mood immediately soured.

The inconsiderate man had taken over my bed.

He was sprawled across it, shirtless, lying on his stomach with his arms spread wide, hugging most of the pillows under his arms and head.

The blanket covered him only from the waist down.

I was instantly annoyed, but there was nothing I could do.

This was my mother’s doing. With a sigh escaping my lips, I reached over and tried to grab one of the pillows from him.

He wouldn’t let go, it was as if his life depended on them.

Letting out another defeated sigh, I walked over to the couch and set a cushion down for myself.

I didn’t even feel like changing into a nightdress.

I pulled a comforter from the closet and lay down on the couch.

I fell asleep thinking about the day’s events.

They were really planning the engagement ceremony, and all the preparations were in full swing.

And here I was, being bullied by my own mother.

It felt like I hadn’t moved past my younger years. I was still the same Iris.

People grow with time; they become happier versions of themselves, or at least they can say they’ve achieved something.

Apart from my children, I seemed to have achieved nothing.

With all my worries tucked beneath my little cushion, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up early in the morning to the sound of Luca breaking something in the bathroom.

I had forgotten about him completely, so when I heard the noise, I thought an intruder had climbed in through the window.

I jumped to my feet, grabbed a vase on the way, and ran straight to the bathroom, ready to strike, until I saw who it was.

"Sorry, was that fancy little bottle your body oil?" Luca asked, making me instantly close my eyes and extend a hand toward him.

He was completely naked.

"What the fuck? What the fuck, Luca?" I yelled, turning away with a hand covering my eyes.

"What? It’s just a body. You’re so dramatic," he complained, following after me.

"Hey, you better go back in there and come out once you’re fully dressed!" I shouted, and thankfully, I heard him stop following.

I was genuinely getting fed up with him.

In a spoiled mood, I left the room without even changing and went straight to the living room, rubbing my eyes.

"Luca is all naked wandering around the room," I complained to my mother.

It was supposed to come out as a complaint, not playful banter, until I opened my eyes and saw Kash sitting on the couch with my mother, both of them probably waiting for me to wake up and talk.

However, the look he gave me was, in itself, a fucking threat.

My mother smiled, her eyes shifting toward Kash to see his reaction.

"Kash, what are you doing here so early?" I asked, feeling awkward because I didn’t want to give the wrong impression.

It wasn’t that I cared about his reaction or what he thought of me, I just didn’t want anyone to think I was that into Luca.

"I came here to talk about the shoot in the South. But it seems like you’re not as worried as you pretended to be."

His words came out harsh, wiping the smile from my mother’s face.

"Actually, the thing is, Luca, she was worried. Luca just has a habit of annoying her. Sometimes they get into these explosive fights," my mother explained quickly, clearly worried that her plan was about to fall apart.

"I’ll go change and then come talk to you," I said, rushing back into the room and finding Luca sitting on the couch, fully dressed this time.

As soon as he saw me, he started to smirk.

"Why did you run away?" he asked.

But I ignored him, running straight into the bathroom and slamming the door shut.