Rise and Shine by Helen Juliet

Author:Helen Juliet [Juliet, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-06T04:00:00+00:00

7

Luca

Bursting at the seams with pepperoni pizza, jalapeño poppers, chicken wings, and spicy potato wedges, Luca groaned and stretched out on the sofa, the games controller bouncing off his rounded belly. His character had just been killed – again – but he didn’t mind. In fact, he kind of loved it. He’d forgotten how fun it was to lose yourself in a game with a friend.

Was Ryan his friend now? Luca hoped so. They’d had a brilliant afternoon so far, just lounging about, forgetting their worries as they made their avatars run around, casting spells and battling monsters.

However, every now and again, Luca would glance over to the kitchen and see his clothes hanging from the rack. They had to be dry by now.

But he didn’t want to leave.

It didn’t feel like Ryan was angling to kick him out anytime soon, though. He certainly hadn’t made any comments to that effect. In fact, he kept making Luca tea and fussing that he was warm enough. At the first hint that Luca was actually a little chilly, Ryan came back with the most enormous hoodie for him to put on.

It smelled like Ryan. Luca wrapped himself up in it, feeling warmed through all the way to his heart.

Ryan also stretched and moaned, rolling his neck and making it click. “Urgh, I suppose I should take this mutt for a proper walk,” he said with a sigh, raising his eyebrows at Briar. “What do you say, Mr Poopy Bum?” Briar immediately jumped up from where he’d been lounging on the floor, doing his best to steal bits of pizza crust when Luca and Ryan were too engrossed with their game.

A walk? Luca’s stomach dropped. Well, that would be his cue to leave, wouldn’t it?

Except Ryan turned to Luca and grinned. “Wanna come?”

Luca’s heart flipped with hope and excitement. Ryan didn’t want to say goodbye yet? “Sure,” Luca managed to say without spluttering too much. “Give me a sec to change back into my jeans, though?”

“Totally,” said Ryan warmly. “You might want to keep the hoodie on. It’s sunny but it’s a little nippy.”

Luca didn’t trust himself to talk, so he smiled as he rose to his feet and collected his clothes to get changed in the spare room. But once he closed the door, he clutched his hands to his chest, squeezed his eyes, and danced on his toes. Not only had Ryan invited him to stick around longer, but then he’d also insisted on Luca staying in this damn boyfriend hoodie?

Luca couldn’t help it, his heart fluttered. Like, an actual physical sensation in his chest. How could he have had such a horrible start to the day, then be feeling like this by the afternoon? His already tender head reeled as he hastily changed out of Ryan’s sister’s stuff into his own jeans and T-shirt, still going commando as the thought of turning his underwear inside out was kind of icky.

Speaking of sisters, his own family were getting a little rowdy.

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