Luca drives us away from the party without another word.
The moment I closed the passenger door he started the engine and pulled away from the house like he couldn't get out of there fast enough.
The music fades quickly behind us, replaced by the quiet hum of the road and the faint sound of wind rushing through the open windows.
For a while neither of us says anything.
But the silence isn't calm.
It feels heavy.
Like something important is waiting to break open.
Streetlights slide across Luca's face as we pass through town, brief flashes of gold and shadow revealing the tension in his jaw.
"You keep acting like you're protecting me," I say finally.
His eyes stay on the road.
"I am."
"From what?"
He doesn't answer.
My frustration grows.
"Luca."
"Autumn."
"No. Stop that."
I shift slightly in my seat so I can look at him fully.
"You don't get to keep secrets forever."
His hands tighten slightly on the steering wheel.
"You really want to know?" he asks quietly.
"Yes."
"You're not going to like it."
"Try me."
He exhales slowly, the kind of breath that sounds like he's bracing himself for something.
"I've been in trouble before."
"What kind of trouble?"
He stares straight ahead, his expression hard to read.
"The kind that follows you."
The words settle heavily in the car.
I study his face, the way his shoulders stay tense even as he drives.
"You say that like it's something permanent," I say.
"Sometimes it is."
"That doesn't mean it has to define you."
He glances at me briefly.
"You really believe that?"
"Yes."
I hold his gaze for a moment before looking forward again.
Because the truth is…
Whatever Luca Hayes is hiding, I'm starting to realize something important.
I'm not scared of it.
I'm scared of losing him before I even understand what this is between us.