LILLY POV
I'd never been to the east wing auditorium before. It was usually reserved for performances, guest lectures, or art showcases—not places I had any reason to go. Until now.
A sign-up sheet for the Winter Showcase was pinned on the glass board near the entrance. Names were already scrawled across it in bold black ink: singers, guitarists, actors, slam poets. I stared at the empty slot near the bottom.
And then, out of nowhere, I heard—
"You're thinking about it."
Enzo.
He leaned against the wall beside me, looking annoyingly perceptive. "I knew you'd come check it out."
I shrugged. "Doesn't mean I'll sign up."
"But you're here," he said, pushing off the wall. "That's halfway in."
I smirked. "Are you always this persistent?"
"Only when I believe in something." His eyes softened. "Or someone."
I looked away, heart ticking a little faster than I liked. "It's just a poem. One I haven't even finished."
"Still," he said, walking beside me down the hallway. "You've got a way of making words feel personal. Like they belong."
I didn't know what to say to that. Enzo had a quiet, steady energy. Kind, encouraging. But I wasn't used to this kind of attention—from anyone.
And especially not when I kept catching myself wondering what Luca would say if he heard it.
---
LUCA POV
"That guy's everywhere lately."
Ethan said it casually, flipping a ballpoint pen between his fingers as we lounged on the steps near the quad.
"Who?" I asked, even though I already knew.
"Enzo," he said. "You know, the one with the tragic smile and the poetic vibe."
Julian raised a brow. "Is it bothering you?"
"No," I said, too quickly. "Why would it?"
"Because you've been watching him like a hawk all week," Alex chimed in. "Pretty sure you burned holes through his sweater yesterday."
I scoffed. "He's just... around a lot."
"Yeah," Ethan drawled, "around Lilly a lot."
Julian gave me that look—the kind that peeled back all your excuses without saying a word.
I ignored it.
Truth was, I didn't like how comfortable she seemed with Enzo lately. I didn't like how easily they laughed, how she leaned in when he talked like they were the only two people on campus. But it wasn't my place to say anything.
Because I hadn't said anything.
And maybe that was the problem.
---
LILLY POV
I was sitting in the library lounge, notebook open in front of me, when someone slid into the seat across from me.
Alex.
"Mind if I bother you for a second?" he asked, setting down a smoothie that was neon pink and probably illegal.
I blinked. "Sure… what's up?"
He leaned forward like we were sharing state secrets. "We're trying to convince Luca to stop acting like a zombie and talk to you properly again."
I blinked. "What?"
"He's been weird lately, right?" Alex said, sipping the suspicious liquid. "Moody. Silent. Like a brooding Victorian poet."
"I thought he was just busy."
Alex snorted. "Nah, trust me. He's mentally pacing in circles and writing sonnets about you in his head."
I stared at him.
"What I mean is," he corrected, "he's confused. And Luca doesn't do feelings well. But he does loyalty."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I closed my notebook slowly.
"Tell him to stop driving himself crazy," Alex added. "Or don't. I kind of enjoy watching him suffer."
---
LUCA POV
"She said what?" I asked, nearly dropping my phone.
Alex's voice crackled through the speaker. "I told her you were mentally writing sonnets about her. You're welcome."
I groaned and leaned back in my chair. "You're the worst."
"But honest," he said. "Look, man. You either say something or you watch Enzo beat you to it. Up to you."
I hated that he was right.
Later that afternoon, I spotted her walking out of the humanities building alone. She hadn't seen me yet. I had two options: pretend I hadn't noticed her, or catch up.
I caught up.
"Hey," I said, falling into step beside her.
She blinked in surprise. "Hey. Thought you were avoiding me."
"I wasn't. Just… busy."
She didn't call me out, but I knew she didn't believe it.
"How's the Showcase stuff?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"I haven't signed up yet," she said. "Still deciding."
"You should."
She glanced up at me. "That's what Enzo said."
Something inside me twitched.
"Yeah, well," I muttered, "I said it first."
She gave me a look I couldn't quite read—half confused, half amused.
"You okay, Luca?"
I stopped walking.
She turned back toward me.
I wanted to say something real. That I missed her. That I hated seeing her with someone else. That I wasn't sure what I was doing, but it scared me how much I cared.
But I just said—
"Yeah. Just tired."
---
LILLY POV
That night, I lay on my bed with my notebook open, the last page blank.
I thought about Enzo's encouragement.
I thought about Luca's distance.
And then I picked up my pen and started writing.
Not for them.
For me.
---
LUCA POV
Julian found me at the student gym later that night. I wasn't really working out. Mostly just tossing a basketball at the far wall and catching it again.
"You're spiraling," he said.
"Nice to see you too," I muttered.
He sat down on the bench beside me. "You care about her. She clearly cares about you. What's the holdup?"
"What if I mess it up?"
Julian shrugged. "Then you mess it up. But at least you tried. That's better than losing her to someone who didn't hesitate."
I stared at the ball in my hands.
He was right.
But being right didn't make it easier.
---
LILLY POV
The next day, I walked past the sign-up sheet.
My name was there now.
In soft cursive, near the bottom.
And when I turned around, I found Luca standing behind me, hands in his pockets, watching me with something unreadable in his eyes.
"You did it," he said.
I nodded. "Yeah."
There was a long pause between us.
Then he smiled—just a little.
"I'll be in the front row."