Chapter 15
Luciana was halfway through her sandwich when the bus finally pulled up. Only then did she realize she had been sitting there for over two hours. Moving on autopilot, she grabbed her bag and got on the bus heading back to her apartment.
It was well past rush hour, and the bus was nearly empty. She took a seat near the back, leaned her head against the window, and stared out into the night.
Outside, Jaxwell glittered–streetlights, car horns, neon signs, glowing windows. The whole city buzzed with life, but somehow, all that energy only made her feel more alone. She sat there wondering if there was even a place for her in a city this big.
Luciana had grown up in Netherfield, a small southern town. When she was a little older, her family moved to Januview, and for a while, she thought it was the biggest, most glamorous place in the world.
After middle school, she earned a scholarship to Silverlake High School in Jaxwell. It wasn’t until she got there that she realized just how tiny her world had been.
As she sat dazed, something caught her eye through the window–a black Rolls–Royce cruising alongside the bus.
Even in the bustling heart of Jaxwell, Rolls–Royces were a rare sight.
Seeing one now brought Luciana right back to that Friday after school, just before the college entrance exams. She had spent days writing a confession letter and carefully beading a bracelet. Then, with all the courage she could muster, she quietly followed Thiago to the school gate. She would never forget the image of him—tall and lean in his crisp white school uniform shirt–casually stepping into a black Rolls–Royce. It had been the same black Rolls–Royce as this one.
A middle–aged man in a tailored suit had opened the door for Thiago respectfully.
“Mr. Langston, Mr. Langston Senior is waiting at home. The private jet to Meadows is all set for next week.”
Luciana had frozen where she stood like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. That moment had shattered her.
That was the difference between them. Thiago traveled in luxury cars and flew overseas on private jets. Meanwhile, she went home every break using the cheapest bus ticket she could find.
Thinking back, she was thankful she never gave him that letter or bracelet.
Even so, the memory stung. She remembered feeling her chest tighten and her eyes burning, but she bit her lip and walked away quietly just as she always had.
Now, sitting on the bus, the ache came back. She pulled her high ponytail loose and slipped the black hair tie–the one Thiago had touched- around her wrist like somehow, that would bring him closer to her.
Luciana rubbed her eyes and forced herself to pull it together. She couldn’t afford to dwell on this–not now.
She had just lost her job. This wasn’t the time to get caught up in old feelings. She still had to eat, pay tuition, and cover rent. She couldn’t lose herself in some fantasy that wasn’t ever going to happen.
She must’ve been more tired than she realized because the next thing she knew, she had nodded off, her head drooping forward.
What she didn’t see was Thiago slipping onto the bus a few steps behind her. He sat a row back, his eyes fixed on the back of her head like he couldn’t look away
At that moment, Luciana’s waist–length hair spilled down like a waterfall, draping over the back of the seat.
Without thinking, Thiago reached out. The second his fingers brushed her hair, a jolt ran through him–like an electric current. He pulled his hand back almost instantly.
The bus rolled slowly through the streets of Jaxwell. With each gentle lurch, Luciana’s head drooped lower, her body swaying slightly with the rhythm of the ride. When she swayed too far to the side, nearly slumping onto the next seat, Thiago swing his legs around and slid into the seat beside her.
He was just in time, Her head landed softly on his shoulder.
She smelled warm and sweet, like milk and fruit or maybe vanilla ice cream. It made his breath hitch,
Thiago glanced down at the half–eaten sandwich still in Luciana’s hand and instinctively frowned.
She shifted a little, clearly uncomfortable in her sleep, and leaned closer, her body molding into his. One small hand flopped down onto his thigh
Every muscle in Thiago’s body went taut. It was like a fuse had been lit somewhere deep inside him. He shut his eyes and took a long breath, trying to calm the heat simmering in his blood.
“Tatiana, move your hand. Do I look like the kind of guy who just lets things slide?”
Chapter 15
Lanciana said nothing. She was still sound asleep.
A moment later, her other hand dropped onto his leg too. Thiago stared forward, dead silent.
