After the long day was finally over, Luca and I returned to the mansion. The ride back felt heavier than usual, like the silence between us was carrying its own weight. My thoughts kept circling around the kiss. It replayed over and over in my head like a scene I couldn’t pause, each time making my heart flutter, each time leaving me confused.

When we stepped inside the mansion, the air felt different too—quieter, almost watchful. I excused myself right away, pretending to be exhausted from ...