Kate's POV:

The last few days had been nothing short of chaotic. Lucio had practically taken up residence in my room. It wasn't like he had no other place to go—this massive house had plenty of rooms. But no, he had to be in mine. Sometimes, he was already there when I got back from school, lounging on my bed like he owned the place. Other times, I'd find him asleep, only to wake up in the morning to find he'd vanished.

It was maddening, but tonight was particularly infuriating.

I had barely made it back into the house after what Lucio insisted on calling a "date," even though I had been dragged out of the house in my nightgown for pasta. I walked straight upstairs, shutting the door behind me with a satisfying thud. My mind was consumed with deadlines. The professor had been lenient about my late start to the semester, but I still had an avalanche of assignments to catch up on.

I sighed heavily, dropping my bag onto the desk. The silence in my room felt like a blessing—a rare reprieve from Lucio's constant interruptions.

Or so I thought.

I heard the door creak open, followed by his unmistakable voice. "You look tense, love. Thinking too much?"

I spun around, my arms crossed. "Lucio, what do you want? Haven't you had enough fun ruining my night?"

He leaned casually against the doorframe, his signature smirk plastered across his face. "Ruining? I thought I was improving it."

"Improving it? Dragging me out in my nightgown for pasta is your idea of improvement?"

He shrugged, the motion infuriatingly nonchalant. "You needed fresh air."

I let out a groan of frustration and turned back to my desk. "Whatever. I have homework to do."

He walked in, shutting the door behind him. "You haven't eaten yet," he said, ignoring my protests as he placed a bag of food on the nightstand.

"I'll eat when I finish," I replied firmly.

"You'll eat now," he countered, his voice low but commanding. He wasn't giving me a choice.

I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, reluctantly accepting the food. "Fine. But after this, you need to leave."

"Sure," he said with a mischievous grin, clearly not meaning it.

We ate in silence, and for once, it was almost peaceful—if I ignored the way he kept sneaking glances at me like he had some secret I wasn't privy to. As soon as I finished, he took the tray away and returned, his movements deliberate.

I turned back to my desk, trying to focus on my assignments. My pen scratched across the paper, but the sound of him taking off his shoes pulled my attention. I glanced over my shoulder and froze.

There he was, tossing his shirt onto the floor like it was the most natural thing in the world, leaving his tattooed chest on full display.

"Lucio, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice tight.

He stretched out on the bed, his arms behind his head. "Getting comfortable."

"Your room is downstairs."

"My room is wherever you are, Kate."

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks. "You're impossible."

"And yet, you can't resist me."

His words made me clench my pen tighter. "I can resist you just fine. Now, if you don't mind, I have homework."

He grinned, sitting up and leaning forward. "Homework can wait."

"Not for me, it can't," I snapped, standing up. "Unlike you, some of us have responsibilities."

His expression hardened, the teasing glint in his eyes replaced by something darker. "I have responsibilities too, Kate. Ones you wouldn't understand."

I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. "Then maybe you should go handle them instead of sitting here distracting me."

He stood, his towering presence making the room feel smaller. "You think this is a distraction?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yes," I shot back. "You're a walking distraction, Lucio. You act like the world revolves around you, but some of us are trying to build something for ourselves."

He stepped closer, his green eyes locking onto mine. "The world does revolve around me, love. And like it or not, you're part of that world now."

I pushed past him, pacing the room to vent my frustration. "You're insufferable," I muttered.

"And you're adorable when you're mad," he replied, his smirk returning.

I turned to glare at him. "Do you ever take anything seriously?"

He crossed the room in two strides, his hands gripping my shoulders as he pulled me close. "I take you seriously," he said, his voice soft but intense.

My breath hitched at his words, my resolve wavering. "Lucio, you need to leave," I whispered, though my voice lacked conviction.

His hand moved to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing against my skin. "Not until you admit that you feel this too."

"Feel what?"

"This connection between us," he said, his gaze dropping to my lips. "It's undeniable."

I shook my head, stepping back to put distance between us. "You're delusional."

He let out a low chuckle, running a hand through his dark hair. "Maybe. But I'm not leaving."

I sighed, giving up the fight. "Fine. Stay. But stay on your side of the bed."

His grin widened, and he climbed back onto the bed, patting the space beside him. "Whatever you say, love."

I climbed in, my back to him, hoping sleep would come quickly. But as his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him, I knew it wouldn't be that easy.

"Goodnight, Kate," he murmured, his breath warm against my neck.

"Goodnight, Lucio," I replied, my voice barely a whisper.

And despite my better judgment, I found myself relaxing in his arms, the chaos of the day fading away as sleep claimed me. 

I woke up to the steady rhythm of Lucio's breathing, warm and steady against the back of my neck. My body was cocooned in his arms, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. The weight of his arm draped over my waist felt both comforting and suffocating.

I twisted slightly, my eyes squinting at the pale light filtering through the curtains. Morning already? A glance at the clock confirmed my worst fear—it was late. Again.

"Lucio," I mumbled, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. "Let go. I'm late for school."

His grip tightened instinctively, pulling me closer. "Stay," he murmured, his voice heavy with sleep. "Skip school for once."

I twisted around to face him, glaring. "And do what? Lounge in bed with you all day?"

His eyes opened lazily, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Not a bad idea."

I pushed at his chest, which was far more solid than I'd anticipated. "Lucio, I mean it. Let go."

His green eyes gleamed with mischief as he finally relented, lifting his arm. "Fine. But you owe me a kiss."

I rolled my eyes, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "In your dreams."

"Every night, love," he called after me as I stomped toward the bathroom. "Every single night."

I woke up to the steady rhythm of Lucio's breathing, warm and steady against the back of my neck. My body was cocooned in his arms, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. The weight of his arm draped over my waist felt both comforting and suffocating.

I twisted slightly, my eyes squinting at the pale light filtering through the curtains. Morning already? A glance at the clock confirmed my worst fear—it was late. Again.

"Lucio," I mumbled, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. "Let go. I'm late for school."

His grip tightened instinctively, pulling me closer. "Stay," he murmured, his voice heavy with sleep. "Skip school for once."

I twisted around to face him, glaring. "And do what? Lounge in bed with you all day?"

His eyes opened lazily, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Not a bad idea."

I pushed at his chest, which was far more solid than I'd anticipated. "Lucio, I mean it. Let go."

His green eyes gleamed with mischief as he finally relented, lifting his arm. "Fine. But you owe me a kiss."

I rolled my eyes, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "In your dreams."

"Every night, love," he called after me as I stomped toward the bathroom. "Every single night."

By the time I'd showered, dressed, and gathered my things for school, Lucio was still lounging on the bed, watching me with a smirk that made me want to throw something at him.

"Do you seriously have nothing better to do?" I asked, slipping my books into my bag.

His smirk widened. "Nothing better than watching you, no."

"Get a hobby," I shot back, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "And stop being a nuisance."

He stood, stretching in a way that was annoyingly graceful. "I'll see you when you get back," he said casually, completely ignoring my irritation.

I rolled my eyes and left the room, determined not to let him get under my skin. But even as I climbed into Caleb's car for the drive to school, I couldn't shake the lingering heat of his gaze.

School was a blur of lectures and assignments, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Lucio. It was infuriating. He was like a storm, crashing through my life with no regard for the destruction he left in his wake. And yet, there was something about him that I couldn't ignore, no matter how hard I tried.

By the time Caleb drove me back home, I was exhausted, both mentally and emotionally. I stepped inside the house, grateful for the quiet, and headed straight for the kitchen where Kay was busy preparing dinner.

"Rough day?" she asked, glancing up from the cutting board.

I nodded, sinking onto a stool. "You have no idea."

"Lucio?" she guessed, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

"Always," I muttered, resting my head on the counter.

Kay laughed softly, her knife moving with practiced precision. "He has a way of getting under everyone's skin, doesn't he?"

I groaned in agreement. "I just wish he'd leave me alone for five minutes."

"Wishful thinking," she said, sliding a plate of fruit toward me. "Here. Eat something. You look like you're running on fumes."

I offered her a weak smile and picked at the fruit, grateful for her quiet presence.

When I finally made it back to my room, I half-expected Lucio to be there, sprawled across my bed like he owned it. But to my surprise, the room was empty. A small sigh of relief escaped me as I set my bag down and began sorting through my assignments.

I was midway through an essay when the door swung open without warning.

"Knocking is free, you know," I said without looking up.

"I don't knock in my own house," came Lucio's infuriatingly familiar voice.

I glanced up to find him leaning against the doorframe, his dark hair slightly tousled and a lazy smile playing on his lips.

"You need to leave," I said, turning back to my work.

He ignored me, walking over to the bed and flopping onto it with a dramatic sigh. "Long day?"

"Lucio—"

"Let me guess," he interrupted. "You missed me?"

I slammed my pen down and turned to face him. "What part of 'I have homework' do you not understand?"

He grinned, completely unfazed. "All of it."

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Why are you like this?"

He sat up, his expression softening ever so slightly. "Because I like being around you, Kate."

His words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn't know how to respond. But before I could find my footing, he was back to his usual self, smirking like he owned the world.

"Now," he said, patting the bed beside him, "come here."

"No," I said firmly, picking up my pen. "I have work to do."

He tilted his head, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Work can wait."

"Lucio," I warned, my voice low.

But he didn't listen. He crossed the room in a few quick strides, pulling me up from the chair and into his arms.

"Lucio—" I started, but he silenced me with a finger pressed gently to my lips.

"Shh," he said, his voice soft. "Just for a minute, let me hold you."

His green eyes searched mine, and for a moment, I felt the walls around my heart start to crumble. But then reality crashed back in, and I pushed him away.

"Enough, Lucio," I said, my voice shaking. "You can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Playing these games," I snapped. "Showing up when it's convenient for you, making me feel... making me feel like this!"

His eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. "Feel like what, Kate?"

"Like I'm losing my mind," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Then stop fighting it."

I shook my head, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "I can't."

"You can," he said, his voice firm. "And you will."

Before I could respond, he cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had escaped. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, and it made my heart ache in a way I couldn't explain.

"Kate," he said softly, his green eyes locking onto mine. "You're the only thing that makes sense in my world."

His words hung between us, heavy and unspoken, and for the first time, I saw the vulnerability hidden beneath his tough exterior. But before I could let myself fall any further, I stepped back, putting distance between us.

"Lucio," I said, my voice trembling. "You need to leave."

His expression hardened, but he nodded, walking toward the door.  And with that, he was gone, leaving me standing in the middle of my room, my heart pounding and my thoughts racing.