The question hung over the table longer than it should have. Luca's teammate looked between us, clearly expecting the kind of answer Luca used to give without thinking. A joke. A smug grin. An arm around my shoulders. Something easy enough for everyone nearby to carry into the next conversation. Luca didn't do any of that. He kept his eyes on me and waited, which somehow made the whole cafeteria feel quieter even though nothing around us had actually stopped. I could feel heat rising into my face, but I also knew this was exactly what we'd agreed on the day before. No more performing because someone expected it. No more letting other people decide what our relationship looked like. So I answered before I could overthink it and said we were figuring things out.
It wasn't dramatic enough fo
