Page 160 of Bitter When He Begs

His lips twitch, but it’s not a real smile. “Just wanted to hear you say it.”

“I’ll be there,” I promise, without hesitation. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

He nods, but that look doesn’t go away. Whatever’s chewing at him, it’s still there. I study him for a second longer, then press another kiss to his chest, just under his collarbone this time, right where his heartbeat pounds steady.

“You gonna tell me why you look like you’re gearing up to take a punch?”

Luca’s jaw ticks. He looks at the ceiling again, and I feel his body shift—subtle, but it’s there. That tightness. That hesitation.

“Luca.”

He sighs and finally meets my eyes. “My dad’s gonna be there.”

Oh.

That’s all he says, but it’s enough. Enough to explain the quiet tension in his body, the far-off look in his eyes, the fact that he’s been lying here next to me, not sleeping while the sun came up.

I don’t say anything right away. Just watch him as he avoids looking at me.

I reach up and run my fingers along the line of his jaw. “You just found out?”

“Got a text late last night.” His voice is clipped, a little hoarse. “Apparently, he’s in town. Said he’ll be there on the sidelines. Front row. Like always.”

I know what “like always” means. It doesn’t mean support or pride. It means pressure and scrutiny. It means everything Luca’s worked to keep buried clawing its way back to the surface just because of one man’s presence.

I know enough about his father to understand that Luca’s relationship with him is strained at best and completely fucked at worst. I remember the way he almost relapsed after that loss in his hometown, how a single phone call from his father sent him spiraling.

“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.

Luca clenches his jaw again, his hand coming up to rub over his face like he’s trying to scrub the frustration away. “I will be,” he says after a long pause. “It’s just a game. He’ll show up, he’ll be a dick, and then he’ll leave. It’s not like I can sit out because my dad might say something that makes me want to put my fist through a wall.”

I don’t like the way he says it, like he’s already accepted whatever bullshit his father is going to throw at him. Like he doesn’t even expect anything better.

I reach out, brushing my fingers over his ribs, grounding him. “You want me to kick his ass?” I offer, only half-joking. “I could take him.”

Luca lets out a soft laugh, shaking his head. “Appreciate the offer, Sunshine, but I don’t think anyone wants to see my twink boyfriend throw hands with my father in the middle of the goddamn stadium.”

“Oh, so now I’m your twink?” I quip, raising an eyebrow. “That’s cute.”

“You were always mine,” Luca says, his voice softer now. “I just had to make you see it.”

I roll my eyes, but my chest feels warm, and my heart full in a way I’m still not used to. “You’re so full of yourself,” I mutter, leaning down to kiss him.

Luca hums against my lips, his hands sliding up my back, pulling me closer. “Can’t help it,” he murmurs. “You make me like this.”

I pull back, narrowing my eyes playfully. “I’m still kicking your dad’s ass,” I say. “You can’t stop me.”

Luca grins, his fingers threading into my hair as he pulls me back down, kissing me again, deeper this time. “You’re fucking ridiculous,” he murmurs against my mouth. “But I love you for it.”

And fuck.

I love him too.

Even when he’s stubborn, even when he’s frustrating, even when he’s carrying shit he shouldn’t have to carry alone.

I don’t know what tonight is going to look like. I don’t know if his father is going to fuck with his head again. But I’ll be there, screaming his name loud enough to drown out any ghost.

Luca Devereaux is mine, and his father is going to have to deal with that.