Hope.

• Chapter 28 •

• Luca •

My palms were so sweaty they were slipping on the steering wheel whenever I took a turn. I was terrified, my heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. When I asked Tyler to come on a drive with me I was almost certain I could tell him but now my anxiety was crashing on top of me harder than I had expected. I felt like I couldn't breathe like there was something heavy crushing my chest.

But mostly I knew this was because of the fact that I was hiding this from everyone I cared about. I knew this was too impulsive but I was scared when the torture of having this big secret would finally drive me to do something far worse than not telling anyone. At the back of my mind, I felt like maybe telling him could also drive me into the same place.

If he was as disgusted by me as much as I was, the chances are higher than ever.

I didn't want him to hate me. I was scared but something inside me knew I had to do this. I didn't want this to destroy me. I couldn't let it. It was a part of me after all. A part I feared I would be ashamed of for the rest of my life.

Before I knew it I was parked in front of Tyler's house.

"Carajo," I mumbled, hitting the steering wheel. I didn't know if I could do this anymore.

I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves but it wasn't working. I gripped the seat as hard as I could squeezing my eyes shut trying my hardest to compose myself, a sudden knock on the car window caused me to let out a gasp nearly jumping out of my seat. I turned to look at the person who nearly made me shit myself.

It was Tyler's sister.

I shot her a sheepish smile before rolling down the window.

"You okay?" she asked, her bright green eyes narrowing in suspicion. Stacy's eyes were nowhere as gorgeous as Tyler's, however, both of them had the same dirty blonde hair. I nodded biting my lip awkwardly. "You just gonna sit there or should I call Tyler?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, that would be appreciated," I mumbled, fumbling over my words like usual.

"You sure everything is okay?" she asked, just as she turned to leave.

"Yeah, everything is fine," I said, trying to be more confident and sound less suspicious.

Stacy didn't say anything after that, she simply walked into her house. I let out an angry sigh hitting the back of my head onto the seat. Why couldn't I just be normal?

After a minute I ended up stepping out of the car. The warm breeze brushing past my face causing my curly hair, that was getting longer than I could manage, to fall in front of my eyes. I dragged my hand down my face as I waited for Tyler.

As soon as I heard the front door creak open, my head immediately shot up.

Tyler walked outside, his lips stretching into a smile. Unknowingly my lips turned upward as well. I watched his eyes sparkle under the sun and I felt heat rush up my neck. He was perfect, and I was the farthest thing from it. "Hi, Tyler," I said, walking over to him.

"Hi, there, Luca." He said, flashing me his pearly whites and I was scared if I would melt into a puddle right then and there. "Everything okay? Stacy told me you looked sick,"

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly as I helped him to the car. My fingers awkwardly brushing his arm was making me more nervous than ever. "I'm okay,"

"Yeah, she told me you said that as well," he said, chuckling slightly.

I rolled my eyes, slamming the passenger door shut as he got in. I saw him get slightly startled which was followed by a pout forming on his lips.