I should have known peace with Luca wouldn't last long.
Nothing about him is peaceful.
It's Friday night when things start to unravel.
Lily drags me to a party at a house near the edge of town-one of those huge, loud gatherings where music shakes the walls and half the school shows up.
"You need to relax," she insists.
"I was relaxed at home."
"That's boring."
The living room is packed with people when we walk in. Someone has turned the lights low and colored bulbs cast strange shadows across the walls.
"Drink?" Lily asks.
"No thanks."
She sighs dramatically.
"You are the least chaotic person I know."
"That's a compliment."
Before she can argue, someone bumps into me from behind.
"Sorry-"
I turn.
Evan.
He looks surprised.
"Autumn."
"Hi."
He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.
"You came."
"Apparently."
There's a strange tension between us.
"What happened the other day," he says quietly, "in the stairwell-"
"Evan."
"No, just listen."
But before he can finish-
The room's atmosphere shifts.
Not physically.
Just the atmosphere.
Because suddenly people are looking toward the doorway.
And I know exactly why. I don't even need to turn around.
Luca just walked in.