Page 95 of Shiver

A slight smile grazes her lips. “A tall, lanky Luca had answered the door, and when he saw me sobbing, he tried to make a joke about how out of all his brothers, Dante wasn’t usually the one who left the ladies crying on his doorstep. And, of course, that made me cry more because my brain was fried. I was just so tired. I couldn’t even explain who I was, and when I tried to leave, he convinced me to come inside. And again, I felt so safe with him. It was different with Luca. Like my soul had already known that Dante was the one for me, but that Luca was an extension of that, and that I’d be safe with him too.”God, I hate how I know that feeling too.“I shouldn’t have felt safe with anyone after what I’d gone through, but there’s just something about those damn De Laurentiis boys,” she says, the corner of her lips curving in a smirk.

Don’t I know it?

“Luca brought me in, explained who he was, and told me that Dante was away for the week taking Gloria for a clinical trial for her MS.” Her eyes soften at the memory. “Unfortunately, nothing ever came of the trial, but regardless, Luca was apartment-sitting for him while he was gone and taking care of Dante’s cat. I poured my heart out to him, blubbering all over his chest, and he just held me.”That damn firm chest of his really is calming.

“He let me get it all out, and when I was less of a mess, he asked me what I wanted to do, and when I didn’t know, he started looking into options. He sat with me for hours, searching through images and websites to explain what each procedure would be like, how they would feel, and what I could do if I wanted to keep it or put it up for adoption.”

This doesn’t surprise me at all. After getting to know Luca better, I have no doubt that’s exactly what he’d have done.

“I was a scared seventeen-year-old with no money, no home, and barely a future if you’d have asked me back then. And more than that, I didn’t want to carry a child who would remind me every day of the abuse they’d been brought into this world as a result of. So when I decided I wanted an abortion, he made me promise to sleep on it. He brought me back to the shelter and swore he’d pick me up the next morning to take me to a clinic if I still wanted it. And the next day,he saved my life.”

Tears are freely streaming down my cheeks now. I swipe at them with the back of my hands, my eyes burning.

“I hadn’t realized it then”—she breathes, her voice wavering—“but I know now that if Luca hadn’t done what he had, I wouldn’t be here. I’d have done anything to end the cycle of abuse for myself, and I was in such a dark place, I would have ended it all if it weren’t for him.”

She smiles down at her feet, a sad smile that has my heart clenching in my chest. When her baby-blue eyes meet mine, unshed tears are rimming them. “Luca thinks the women’s shelter is what saved me.” Her voice cracks. “But that’s just not the truth. It was him. He may think he’s undeserving of love or that he’ll never be enough, but he’s so wrong, Samara. That man has so much love to give, it’s bursting at the seams. Did you know that he’s been teaching self-defense to the women at the shelter for over a decade?”

My eyes widen. I’d put pieces of that together but had no idea it had been going on that long.

“Yeah.” She nods. “After Dante and I finally got together, Luca had decided he wanted to give back to the shelter and ensure none of those women ever felt defenseless again. Then, when he got drafted to play for the New York Monsters, he continued teaching those classes every week on Wednesdays over video call, like clockwork.”

“I had no idea,” I answer honestly.

Her eyes soften as she assesses me. “There’s a lot to Luca that doesn’t meet the eye, Samara. I’ve seen the way you look at him, and I’ve had long conversations with that man about his feelings for you, and believe me, you two are it for each other. I think you’d just be prolonging the inevitable if you didn’t go after that man and make him yours. The invisible string tethering you together will always win in the end; it’s better not to fight it. Trust me, I’d know better than anyone,” she says with a wink.

She extends her hand for me to take. “Now come on, let’s get back before they send out a search party for us.” She giggles, but the sound isn’t the same as it usually is, but she clasps her hand around mine and gives me no time to recover.

She’s right. There’s so much I don’t know about Luca, but I think I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that I want to.I want to know everything about him, and it’s time I finally tell him that.

***

I looked all over for Luca, but by the time I made it in, he had left with Gia. Alessandro mentioned that he was dropping Gia off at Cici’s so she wouldn’t miss out on her Friday with her daughter.

He really is doing an impressive job with co-parenting Gia, but I can’t help but feel like I missed my shot.

Though, I guess having the night to fully think through what I want to say to him wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

Chapter seventy-eight

Luca

Saturday, September 26, 2026

The sun is starting to rise, and the shit-eating grin spread across my face is growing with every step we take toward Kat’s room in the cabin.

As Italian Americans, we have a lot of traditions we follow, especially on wedding days. We wouldn’t want to fuck up the good luck.

We crouch down outside Kat’s window, with Ale holding the ancient boom box we’ve used for every family wedding since I was a kid.

“You ready?” I ask him.

Ale nods emphatically, excited to get the day started, I’m sure.

Seconds later, music is blaring from the speaker and straight into Kat’s room.

I see her head pop up first, followed by Aiyana’s, who looks more pissed than I’ve ever seen her.

She practically climbs over Kat as we continue singing along to the obnoxious music, serenading the bride on her big day.

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