I stretched out my toes, enjoying the warm covers over my body. I loved winter.

And it wasn't even winter. But you know, when it was cold, it was winter for me.

I turned around, deciding to sleep five more minutes when I felt Luca's eyes on me.

I jumped in fright and let out a big breath afterwards.

"Did I startle you?" He asked cautiously.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked rubbing my right eye with my fist.

"A while now. I just didn't want to go downstairs until you woke up."

"You should have woken me up." I muttered sitting up on my elbows.

"Riley... About yesterday... I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have behaved like I did."

"You don't have to apologize, Luca. I understand. Sometimes we need to let it all out."

"Yes, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you." He licked his lips.

"Luca, if it helped you, you can take it out on me whenever you want." I smiled.

"Don't say that." He furrowed his brow slightly as he stared at his fingers drawing circles on the mattress.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't have you for that. We're friends, friends don't do that."

I took his hand, stopping him from what his fingers were doing and put another hand under his chin, making him look at me. "Luca, I said it's okay. Stop over thinking. I like that you trust me so much that you can open to me about those things. I know it's not easy to talk about them."

He then seemed to remember that he had spent almost half of the night crying. "Shit, I'm so embarrassed. My eyes must look so puffy." He added rubbing them hard.

They did. But I said nothing. "You're as handsome as ever." I said with a little blush and a smile.

He rolled his eyes, a little smile appearing on his face.

"Come on, are you hungry?"

"Riri, the day I say no, take me to the hospital."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith managed to convince Luca to take him to the park. It wasn't too difficult, though. Luca was almost as eager as him. Seeing that Lauren was completely infatuated with Luca, she came too.

I loved the day after thanksgiving. People were usually in the streets, restaurants were full and there was a festive feeling in the air that I adored.

"Does she say anything?" Asked Luca, who had Lauren in his arms. She was looking at him and caressing his two days stubble with her little hand.

"I don't think so. Maybe 'mommy' and 'daddy' and some foods and stuff. My sister's a little worried."

"Oh. I thought I left her speechless." Luca chuckled.

I laughed rolling my eyes.

"She calls me 'key.'"Added Keith with a shrug.

"That's a start." I mumbled with a laugh.

"That's the park!" Keith started running towards a playground in the form of a pirate ship.

He started playing, and we brought Lauren to the swings. Luca started pushing her and she laughed clapping her hands. Some people greeted me, other shared smiles. We all knew each other in this town, and the looks they gave Luca showed that they were probably wondering if he was my boyfriend or something.

We talked and played for a while, until we got too tired acting like children that we had to sit down on a bench. Lauren slept in my arms, her little head resting on my chest. She loved sleeping on it since she was a baby.
I stroked her hair with my palm, her little breaths calming mine.

"Do you want to have kids, Riri?"

I turned to glance at Luca, the question startling me.

"I didn't want to before, but now I know I do."

Luca furrowed his brow, cocking his head. "Why? You didn't like them?"

I thought about it for a moment, biting my lips pensively.

Should I tell him?

It's not that I didn't trust him, it's just... it was too complicated. Too personal. I never talked to anybody about it.

And when I said anybody, I meant nobody, not even my sister knew it.

"What's wrong? If you don't want to talk about it it's fine, Riley." He said in a whisper, touching my niece's tips of her fingers unconsciously.

"I- I don't want you to judge me."

He frowned deeply, seeming really surprised. "I would never do that."

"It's- it's fine if you do... I mean... everybody has their own opinions... I would understand if you did." I sighed and gazed down at my niece. "I just don't want you to see me differently, or stop being my friend, or-"

"Riley, what are you talking about? Come on, you can tell me. Unless you killed somebody, I don't see why I would judge you." He chuckled.

I pursed my lips as a frown appeared on my face.

"Okay, you didn't find that funny." He added clearing his throat. "Come on, Riley. You know almost everything about me."

I took a deep breath, letting the cold fall air fill my lungs, and then let it all out as I talked quickly. "I had an abortion."

His eyes opened wide, his body fast to approach mine. "Oh my god."

"I mean, a voluntary one."

"Yeah, I understood." He whispered. His hand that was resting at the back of the bench came slowly towards the back of my head, touching my hair delicately.

"I-" I opened my mouth and closed it again. "Do you... do you hate me or do you wanna keep listening to the story?"

"Riley, I could never hate you because of that. Please, keep going." He encouraged me, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"I was nineteen. I lived with Max, my ex boyfriend, you know." I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and he nodded quickly. "He... we..."

"Riley, calm down, you're trembling." Luca squeezed my hand.

I nodded closing my eyes before I breathed in and out, calming myself. I opened them and stared at Luca in the eyes. I felt more assured if I did it. "We always used protection. I didn't take the pill because I seriously hate the way it makes me feel and we had always been fine with condoms. One day, he was angry with me." I chuckled humorlessly. "How weird." I said sarcastically. "He kind of forced me and we ended up doing it without protection. Days passed and I thought it would be fine but my period didn't come. And something inside me knew it, I was pregnant."

I frowned and stared at the playground. "God, it feels so weird saying it out loud." I sighed and kept going. "I knew Max would be furious at me, I knew it wasn't his plan to have kids that soon, I knew he would feel resentful towards me. He would blame me, for not have taken the pill afterwards. He would blame me just for having the ability to get pregnant."

"I- I couldn't do it. I couldn't have that kid. I didn't have a job, I didn't have the stability a kid needed. And I didn't want it. Maybe it sounds selfish, maybe it is. But I felt like it would ruin my life. Professionally and romantically. And I would end up ruining its life too. I didn't want to be a mom that young and I didn't-"

I didn't realize I was crying until Luca wiped a tear out of my cheek with his thumb gently.

"I had never cried about it. Not even once. Not because I didn't want to. But because I lived that process in a complete shock." I took a deep breath and Luca nodded encouraging me to keep going. "I remember the day I went to the clinic. I was wearing a white shirt that said STRONG in it." I scoffed. "The irony... I was far from strong. They put me to sleep and when I woke up, everything was gone. I felt a little dizzy the next few days, but other than that, I was fine. No weird feeling of emptiness or sadness, as other women tell you about. I didn't feel like I had a baby inside me just yet. I was just fine." I finished at last.

"Riley." Luca turned completely towards me, his hand still cupping my cheek. "You are seriously the strongest person I know. Strong for doing what you wanted, despite what people could think. Strong for suffering all that on your own, strong for still being here today. Life has given you so many obstacles, and still here you are. You wake up everyday, put a smile on your face and face the day. You're amazing, Riley. I can't judge you. I think you did what was best for you in your situation. What you felt was best for you. It's your body, Riri, and you're the only one that can decide on it."

"Can you give me a hug?" I asked, a small pout uncontrollably covering my mouth.

"Of course I can." He said with a little smile. He wrapped his arms around me, Lauren between the two of us hindering the embrace.

"You're the first person I tell this." I whispered after he gave me a kiss on the cheek.

He gave another one to the tip of my nose, his face close to mine. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Auntie, auntie! I found a worm! Can I take it home?"

Luca and I both laughed as I scrunched up my nose. I glanced at Keith and shook my head grossed out. "That's disgusting, Keith!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luca was taking a nap and I was feeling kind of hungry.

My period was surely coming.

I rummaged the cabinets in the kitchen, looking for something salty when I found a big bag of chips. Lucky me.

I took two slices of bread and set them on the counter. Then I started putting chips neatly in order on top of one of them.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm a growing child." I replied to my sister, who looked at me completely disgusted, as if I was out of my mind. Especially when I took the bottle of chocolate syrup.

She chuckled and went to the fridge, taking an orange juice. "I'm pretty sure you stopped growing a long time ago."

"There's no hope for me, then?" I asked eyeing my body down.

"I guess not." Camille laughed. She then pouted and glanced at my sandwich. "Give me some of that."

"Hell, no. You make one of your own. This is mine."

"Come on, just a little bite!"

"I said no! There's the bread and those are your hands. You can make it."

We usually fought like when we were kids, my sister always mocking me but copying everything I did right after.

"You're lovely." She said rolling her eyes.

"I know." I licked the side of the sandwich, where chocolate was leaking from the inside.

We stayed in silent for a moment, as she prepared one for herself.

"So... what's with Luca?" She asked all of sudden, pulling her blonde hair up into a bun.

"What's with him?"

Did she notice something weird about him? Did he have a tic I didn't notice?

"I can't seriously believe you're just friends."

"Oh no, here we go." I mumbled climbing to sit on the counter.

"You have a crush on him!" She gasped as if it was the realization of the year.

"Shut the fuck up!" I whisper shouted widening my eyes. "Do you want him to hear you?"

"So it's true!" My sister laughed. "I knew it."

I blushed like crazy, covering my face with my hands. "I hate you. Now that you named it, I know I will be even more nervous around him than I am now."

"Don't be silly! This is the prettiest part! Both of you are awkward and nervous and it's so cute because you're both still wearing your pink glasses-"

"Alright, hold your horses! Who says he likes me back?"

"He doesn't?" She asked cocking her head. "But I saw you guys, I thought-"

"He doesn't. We made out and he said he wanted to be friends. I'm kind of trying for him to trust me."

"And?"

"I think I'm getting there." I shrugged.

"Well, good luck. He has nice wide shoulders, you know."

"Ew, seriously stop. You're married." I pointed at her with what was left of my sandwich.

"So what? I have eyes too. Don't tell me you don't like checking him out." Camille said with a smirk.

"I do. But it's weird if my sister says it, okay?"

"I won't talk about his amazing butt, then."

"Oh, gosh." I slipped down the counter and flicked my sister's nose. "You're horny and I'm leaving."

I went upstairs, leaving my sister laughing her ass out behind me. When I arrived to our room, I opened the door slowly, not wanting to wake up Luca. The blinds were a little shut, just a little tray of sun coming from the outside. Luca was sleeping on his stomach, his cheek pressed against the pillow. His straight lashes slightly moving. He was surely dreaming of something.

He was wearing a T-shirt, but it was slightly raised around his waist, uncovering the tanned muscles of his back. I couldn't help but let my eyes go down, the waistband of his boxers showing under his sweatpants.

He did have an amazing butt.

Those sweatpants really fit him around the area, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Feeling my face hot, I decided to go cool down. Have a shower, go for a walk... anything but staying here.

I was about to do that when Luca's arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Stay with me." He demanded softly.

Was he awake all this time? Did he notice that I was checking him out?

His hot breath against the skin of my neck made the hairs around my body stay on end, my heart starting to beat faster.

"I'm not tired." I came lamely with that excuse.

His arm stayed pressing me hard against his body. "Just close your eyes. I want you to stay here."

Luca's raspy and sleepy voice was making my hormones go crazy. "O-okay."

I felt something that wasn't there before when I moved a little to get comfortable. Something at the back of my legs, right under my butt.

Something I knew all too well what it was but didn't want to recognize it.

Luca didn't seem to care or notice, since he kept on sleeping pressed against me.

I tried to relax, but against all my efforts, I was getting turned on. I wasn't made of stone. Luca on the contrary, felt like a statue behind me. He was hard, in all senses of the word.

Heat pooled between my legs even though I was trying hard to think of another thing.

The recognition of my crush towards Luca didn't improve the situation.

As I said before, I would feel even more nervous now that I have put a label on it, and that's exactly what was happening. I pressed my legs hard together, trying to ease my needs. I moved my hips breathlessly, my heart beating erratically.

I don't know what my body was doing, but I couldn't cease my movements.

"Shit, Riley. Stop... stop moving." Luca muttered against mine ear, even though his hips showed the opposite. He wouldn't stop his movements either.

He pressed my body harder against his, moving his erection back and forward against my butt.

I felt mindless, hot and an immeasurable pleasure between my legs. My nipples were getting hard as Luca's hand tightened against my lower stomach.

His hot breaths brushing my neck, his big arms squeezing my body. A moan escaped my mouth as I felt the release coming to me. Luca was near too, I could feel it.

"Fuck, Riley..."

My name felt so sexy in that voice of his.

"Luca." I managed to say.

A familiar warm feeling that I didn't feel since a long time ago surrounded my body. A wave of pleasure make all my limbs tremble, my hands squeezing Luca's arm tightly.

This had never happened to me. I came without even touching myself. Just the contact of him behind me, just feeling his pleasure.

Luca moaned lowly into my ear just a millisecond later. I sensed his hips shoving with his release.

He came too.

He got up quickly, disorientation all over his face, his hands covering his bulge. His face was all red just as mine probably were. "Fuck, I- I'll be right back."

What had just happened?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello everyone! Hope you had a great Halloween night! 

I arrived from Morocco just yesterday and somehow I managed to write another chapter!

I would ask about what Riley told Luca, but it seriously is a really controversial topic, so I'm not hoping you understand, or share her opinion. It's just so you can see other points of view.

On the other side, what happened at the end?! A little steam 🔥

What do you think what will happen next?

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you liked it! Don't forget to vote and let me know what you think in the comments ❤️