The lantern's glow painted the room in pale gold, and there he was—Luca.
Completely bare.
My entire body froze. My eyes widened before I caught myself, snapping them away so fast my neck ached.
W-what the… w-what the hell is he doing… sleeping like that?!
Heat bloomed across my face, an involuntary blush prickling up to the tips of my ears. I clenched my jaw, willing the color to vanish, but the warmth wouldn't leave. My chest rose too sharply as if even breathing had become a betrayal.
Don't look. Don't look. Don't—
And yet my gaze slid back, unbidden, stealing a glance… then jerking away again. My fingers fidgeted with the edge of my sleeve, restless, traitorous. My lips pressed thin.
This is absurd. Absolutely absurd.
W-what should I do now? W-why did I come here a-again?
I turned toward the door, steps sharp and hurried. I should leave. Right now. Before this humiliation eats me alive—
But my feet stopped. Locked.
A single thought clawed its way into me.
