The next morning at Crescent High, the halls were alive with chatter, laughter, and the subtle undercurrent of competition that defined every corner of the campus. Aria Moretti moved through the crowd, clutching her books tightly, aware that every glance carried judgment—or curiosity. Her mind, however, was elsewhere.
Luca’s confession from the previous day played over and over in her mind. The warmth, the vulnerability, the sincerity of his words—everything about them made her heart ache and her stomach twist. And yet, no matter how hard she tried to push the thoughts aside, Damian Cole kept intruding, his dark eyes, teasing smirk, and the way he had looked at her last lingering in her memory.
She stopped at her locker, trying to organize her notes and settle her racing thoughts, when a
