Page 168 of All at Once

“Wait, if this isn’t a coincidence, then would you say it’sfate, or do you still not believe in that?” I tease.

“Ineversaid I didn’t believe in fate.”

“You implied it though, no?”

“I’ve had moments that made me question it for sure, but I’d say that this is as close as it gets to it.”

And with that, this all feels almosttoogood to be true.

_________

Despite driving to the airport, my mind is still pretending that I’m not about to leave this beautiful place and even more beautiful guy.

As I search through the music on Luca’s phone, he asks, “So did you tell Georgia you have a boyfriend now?”

My heart flutters. I look up with a beaming smile at the words I never expected to hear only to be met with his cocky smirk. “I actually haven’t told her much since we first kissed,” I admit.

Luca’s brows furrow even though his grin remains glued to his face.

“I don’t think I could repeat the majority of what we did over text,” I clarify, a rush of pressure teasing between my legs.

He licks his lips. “Does that mean I shouldn’t text you when your body’s on my mind?”

The warmth reaches closer to where I wish his lips could go back to right now. “Not unless you’re planning on flying over that same day.”

“Noted.” His self-satisfaction only increases, while my mind starts to spiral again. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

I laugh before placing my focus back on his playlists. Thankfully, I’ve had enough time to go over all of them now, already knowing my favorite as I select the one titled “haze,” (which also happens to be the raunchiest one). “I love how you basically have a sex playlist.”

Luca’s cheeks blush softly. “I don’t have a sex playlist. What are you talking about?”

“Have you listened to your songs on your ‘haze’ playlist?” I say, brows raised.

“Not in a while.” He smirks. “But apparentlyyouhave…”

As I’m looking for which song to choose, I tell him, “I just realized how most sex scenes in movies have music playing in the background, and it makes the scenes so romantic. I think it would be fun to try it with music too.”

Luca smiles at the way I say this, so innocently as if I’m referring to going on a jog. “Yeah?What song would you pick?”

“Well on this playlist, probably ‘Heavenly’ byCigarettes After Sex.”

“That one’s nice at night,” he says. I nudge his shoulder as a wave of jealousy hits me at the thought of him having a memory attached to his comment, when he quickly clarifies, “To listen to in general.”

I snort. “How about you?”

“Well I was going to say ‘Georgia’byVance Joy…”

“I’m sure Georgia would get a kick out of that.” I chuckle, knowing she definitely would. After leaving that playlist, I remember the double meaning behind the title of another one, and ask sarcastically, “So does ‘beach’ in your beach playlist stand for something else too?”

“Nope. That one’s actually just about the beach.”

“Of course it is.” I laugh, while pressing shuffle, when Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” starts to play. With eyes lit up, I practically squeal, “Are you kidding me? Okay, I know I keep saying this, but this is genuinely one of my favorite songs ofall-time.”

“Mine as well,” he says. “It’s a classic.”

I hold his shoulder gently. “You know we have to sing along.”

“Is there any other way?” he adds, while turning up the volume.

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