AMORE O LUSSURIA (LOVE OR LUST)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

If Ava thought she could burn the fox and walk away, she was wrong.

Dead wrong.

By morning, it wasn’t just ashes in the fire pit. It was whispers. Everywhere.

The entire camp buzzed with The Incident.

“Did you see her? She just whoosh into the flames!”

“Symbolic much? That was definitely about Ethan.”

“Poor fox, man. It didn’t deserve that kind of ending.”

Ava wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

She kept her hoodie pulled tight over her head as she trudged into the dining hall for breakfast. Maya walked beside her, humming happily, like someone who’d just watched the season finale of her favorite show live.

“Stop humming,” Ava muttered.

Maya ignored her. “You know, I counted three different TikToks about you this morning. One even set the fox burning to dramatic violin music.”

Ava groaned into her sleeve. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“I never joke about content,” Maya said solemnly.

When they entered, the room fell quieter than usual. Not silent just that noticeable dip, the shift where people lowered their voices, eyes darting toward her.

And of course, who was already at the center table, sprawled out like a king? Ethan.

He was leaning back in his chair, mug in hand, while Kara sat far too close, her hand “casually” resting on his arm. His expression was lazy, smug, like he was soaking in every ounce of attention this morning drama had given him.

And when his eyes flicked up to meet hers across the room? That smirk curled across his lips like a spark catching flame.

Ava turned away so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet.

“Graceful,” Maya snorted, steering her to a table in the corner. “Oh, this is delicious. He’s practically glowing over there. Look at him. All smug like the fox died for his sins.”

“Maya, please shut up before I scream.”

“Oh no, honey, you don’t get to scream. You set the bonfire stage last night, and now you gotta sit through the encore.”

Ava stabbed her spoon into her oatmeal like it had wronged her.

Across the hall, Ethan murmured something to Kara, but his gaze slid back to Ava again. Watching. Waiting. Testing.

And God help her… Ava’s heart stuttered.

The rest of the day didn’t get easier. Their professor had scheduled group work, forcing them all to sit together with maps and research notes sprawled across a cabin table. Ethan arrived late of course sliding into the seat directly across from Ava, his grin stretching wide when he saw the glare she gave him.

“Morning, princess,” he drawled, pen tapping lazily against his notebook.

“Don’t call me that,” Ava hissed.

“After last night? I think it fits perfectly.”

Her cheeks heated instantly.

Maya snorted beside her. “Careful, Ava. Don’t let him gift you another stuffed animal. The wildlife can’t take it.”

Ava kicked her under the table.

But Ethan leaned forward, voice low enough only Ava could hear: “You could’ve just told me you were jealous.”

Her head snapped up, eyes wide. “I wasn’t”

“Yes, you were.” His grin deepened. “And you were adorable.”

She wanted to throw her pen at his smug face. Or herself, for the way her pulse quickened when he said it.

Across the table, Kara leaned in sweetly. “Ethan, are you going to the lake later? We’re all hanging out there.”

Ava didn’t miss the way her hand brushed his arm again.

Ethan didn’t move it. Didn’t even glance at Kara.

He just kept his eyes on Ava.

“Well,” he said slowly, lips quirking, “depends if Ava’s going.”

Ava’s stomach flipped. Her face burned.

And Maya, of course, mouthed across the table: He’s obsessed with you.

By the time their study session ended, Ava was exhausted. She shoved her notebook into her bag and bolted before anyone could stop her. But outside, she heard footsteps lazy, unhurried, trailing her like a shadow.

She didn’t even have to turn to know who it was.

“Stalk much?” she muttered.

“Only when my favorite arsonist runs away,” Ethan’s voice teased.

She spun on her heel, glaring up at him. “You are impossible.”

His smirk softened slightly, though it never fully disappeared. “And you’re predictable.”

Ava blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You act like you hate me,” he said simply, shrugging. “But every time, you follow the same pattern. You glare. You argue. You burn things. And then..” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to that infuriating velvet tone. “you let me get under your skin.”

Her heart thudded so hard it hurt.

For once, Ava couldn’t think of a comeback. She just stood there, fists clenched, heat rushing up her neck.

Ethan’s smirk widened at her silence. “See? Predictable.”

And with that, he walked past her, leaving her frozen in place, her pulse a mess, her pride shattered, and her chest aching with something she refused to name.

By evening, the campus buzz had shifted to the lake. Everyone wanted one last night before midterm stress fully swallowed them, and apparently, the cure was music, beer, and floating lanterns some overachiever brought from home.

Ava had zero interest in going. Zero.

But Maya? Maya lived for drama.

“You’re coming,” she announced, shoving a pair of sneakers at Ava.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Maya”

Her best friend folded her arms. “Listen, you cannot set a fox on fire one night and then hole up like a hermit the next. People will assume things. Also, Kara will definitely be glued to Ethan again. And don’t you want to supervise?”

Ava narrowed her eyes. “Supervise what?”

“The way your future husband flirts with other women.”

“Maya!” Ava sputtered, face on fire. “He is not”

“Shoes on, princess,” Maya cut in with a smirk that could rival Ethan’s.

The lake glittered under strings of fairy lights. Music thumped from someone’s speaker, groups laughed along the shoreline, and lanterns bobbed across the water like glowing stars set adrift.

Ava stuck close to Maya, nursing a soda while trying desperately to blend into the background.

It didn’t work.

Because the second Ethan spotted her from across the sand, his lips curled into that slow, devastating smirk that made her stomach flip.

And Kara? Kara noticed too. Which meant she doubled down, clinging to his arm like static electricity.

“God, I hate her,” Ava muttered before she could stop herself.

Maya choked on her drink. “Did you just say that out loud? Progress!”

They found a spot by the dock, watching lanterns float. Ava tried to pretend her eyes weren’t darting to Ethan every other second. He was surrounded, as always, a gravity field everyone wanted to orbit.

But even as Kara leaned close, whispering something into his ear, his gaze slid across the crowd

and landed squarely on Ava.

Her breath caught.

And then, the bastard actually raised his glass at her. A silent toast.

Ava’s face went crimson.

Maya cackled beside her. “He’s having the time of his life tormenting you.”

“Shut up,” Ava muttered, but her chest was buzzing, tight, alive in a way she couldn’t control.

Later, when the crowd thinned and the music softened, Ava wandered down the dock to escape the noise. She crouched, dipping her fingers into the cool lake water, trying to calm her racing thoughts.

“Dangerous habit,” a voice drawled behind her.

She jumped, whipping around of course it was him. Ethan.

He strolled casually down the dock, hands shoved in his pockets, moonlight catching his sharp jaw.

“Following me again?” Ava snapped, standing quickly.

He tilted his head, smirking. “If you already know the answer, why ask?”

She rolled her eyes, turning back to the water. “Shouldn’t you be with Kara?”

“Shouldn’t you stop saying her name like it’s poison?” he countered smoothly.

Ava froze. Her jaw clenched. “I don’t care who you’re with.”

“Liar.” His voice was closer now, lower, velvet that slid under her skin.

She turned sharply. “I’m not”

But he was standing inches away, eyes glowing faintly in the lantern light, smirk gone. For once, his expression wasn’t teasing. It was intense. Focused.

“You really think I’d want anyone else,” he said quietly, “when you’re the only one who actually fights back?”

Her throat went dry. Her heart pounded.

“Ethan…”

He leaned down, his breath brushing her ear, his voice nothing but fire and smoke.

“Careful, Ava. You’re going to make me think you care.”

Her whole body jolted at the words.

Before she could respond, before she could even think, he pulled back with that damn smirk and walked off the dock, leaving her staring after him, shaken and burning.

By the time Ava slipped back into the cabin that night, her nerves were frayed.

The laughter from the lake still carried faintly through the woods, but in here, the air was quiet too quiet. She leaned against the door, pressing her hands over her face.

She could still feel him. The ghost of his breath against her ear, the way his words dug straight into her chest.

You’re going to make me think you care.

God, she hated him. She hated him so much.

But the heat in her cheeks, the tremor in her hands, told another story.

“You’re glowing.”

Ava nearly screamed. She yanked her hands away to see Maya sprawled across the bed, grinning like a cat who’d just eaten an entire flock of canaries.

“You were you...” Ava sputtered. “Were you spying on me?”

Maya sat up, her grin widening. “Please. I live to spy. And girl… the tension on that dock? Whew. I should’ve sold tickets.”

Ava grabbed her pillow and hurled it. “Shut up!”

Maya caught it easily, hugging it to her chest. “Oh, don’t be shy now. He was looking at you like you were dessert. And you? You looked like you were about to faint, kiss him, or push him into the lake. Maybe all three.”

“I wasn’t” Ava’s voice cracked. She sank onto her bed, burying her face in her blanket. “Maya, this is a disaster.”

“It’s a romance novel, babe,” Maya said, flopping onto her stomach to face her. “And you’re the heroine, whether you like it or not.”

Ava peeked out from the blanket. “No. I am the i***t who set a plush fox on fire and now can’t stop thinking about the smug professor who drives me insane.”

Maya’s grin softened into something gentler. “And maybe that’s okay.”

Ava groaned, throwing the blanket over her head. “You’re supposed to talk me out of this, not push me into it.”

“I tried that,” Maya said dryly.

Ava peeked out again, eyes narrowing. “You are the worst best friend.”

“And yet,” Maya sang, “you love me.”

Ava didn’t answer. She just sighed, staring at the wooden ceiling beams, her chest aching with something she couldn’t name.

Because the truth was, for all her protests, for all her denials Ethan’s words were still echoing in her bones.

You’re going to make me think you care.

And the terrifying part? She did.

Hours later, long after Maya’s breathing evened into sleep, Ava lay awake. The cabin was dark, shadows dancing across the walls.

She hated herself for it, but her mind kept replaying the scene at the dock. The smirk, the intensity, the way his voice slid under her skin like wildfire.

And when she finally drifted off, her dreams were full of gray eyes and firelit smirks, of hands almost touching and lips that never quite met.