Sophia hated to admit it, but having someone who walked her to and from work was something she was growing fond of.
Not only did she feel safer, but Luca also listened to her while she recounted the day or expressed frustrations about what had happened. He even shared a few words of his own, having been by her side from open to close each day.
Luckily, things were happening as usual. There weren't any more strange encounters and Sophia's cramps were light but they hadn't been as bad as the first day Luca was at the bakery. It was confusing for Rosa to suddenly have to call him Luca rather than John, but she didn't ask further questions.
Even Ethan had been getting used to the large man taking up space in their house. Nothing changed for Ethan except he had to watch his back a little bit more because Luca seemed to move silently and sneak up on people quite easily despite his size.
At least he knew Sophia wasn't spending most of her time alone like she normally did. Ethan had always had something against Grant because he didn't seem to want to spend quality time with Sophia in the way that someone soft and sensitive like her probably wanted.
The strangest part of their situation, however, was the uncertain closeness between the two of them.
It was impossible to go back to how they were before she was in pain and found solace in his arms. She had clung to him only to realize what she was doing after it happened. She didn't blame him for needing space from her after that moment. The signals she was sending him were inconsistent and confusing.
After it happened, they were quiet with one another. Each time they bumped into the other person or accidentally made contact whatsoever, there was a nervous energy and hesitation.
The worst part was that Sophia wondered if he liked the way she felt in his arms. Thinking about him kept her up at night. Sometimes she would stare at the door that connected her to the bathroom that connected to his room, wondering what he would do if she were to knock on his door. Would he allow her to come inside? Perhaps he would hold her again in a way that she had never experienced. In his arms felt so safe at a time when she was feeling scared.
For the first time in years, she was no one's but her own. The future terrified her because, for once, it was uncertain. The only stability she had was her bakery. If someone didn't pull her out of it soon, she would bury herself within it and run herself to the ground.
After a night of staring at the door and wondering if Luca was affected by her the way she was affected by him, 4:30 am came swiftly and she was exhausted.
As she waited downstairs for Luca to finish his shower, she sat on a bar stool that sat next to the island in her kitchen and leaned into the white quartz countertop. Normally she was able to push things aside, knowing that sleep was important in being able to go all day but something about the man she was calling her new roommate was changing her.
Luca, who moved surprisingly quietly, walked down the stairs after getting on his clothing and brushing his hair. His dark eyebrows rose when he saw Sophia leaning against the counter.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he approached her.
For a moment, his worry for her overtook his desire to keep space between them since he couldn't seem to get a grip on himself whenever she touched him. He reached forward and gently put the back of his hand against her forehead to see if she seemed warm. Rather, she seemed cold.
"Are you coming down with something?" he asked.
However, he regretted it when he pulled his hand away and her green eyes stared up at him with surprise. The ivy pools had a way of pulling him in that he found particularly terrifying. Even though he didn't know much about himself, he knew that he should have self-control.
"I couldn't sleep," she said. "Sometimes I just have a lot on my mind."
Luca nodded, but he didn't ask further. He didn't want to know if she was thinking about that bastard, Grant, and wondering where things went wrong. He didn't know how someone so gentle and beautiful could be so caught up over someone so clearly below her. Yet he didn't want to show her that he was upset about this so it was better to keep his mouth shut.
Since she was tired, he felt a little more on edge on their way to the bakery. He felt a bit prickly and sensitive as his protective nature pushed itself forth and his sharp blue eyes didn't allow anyone to get close.
As usual, they opened the bakery together. He assumed the position of taking down the chairs and making sure things were organized as she started making dough in the back. When things were set to rise, she came to the front, intending to make their morning coffees but she saw him already at the espresso machine.
Luca observed Sophia who had put her light brown hair into its usual messy bun and wore a sage green apron. He always wondered how she always seemed to artfully do it in a way that framed her face perfectly. He realized quickly he preferred her hair up when he could see more of her neck and face, but he would never tell her that because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.
Sophia handed him his grey apron and raised her eyebrows at him being in an unexpected place. She helped him tie it as she usually did but once she didn't have to anymore, she put space between them, not wanting to get carried away.
"What are you doing?" she asked a little bit cautiously.
"Teach me how to make coffee," he requested.
An amused smile pulled at Sophia's lips as she looked up at him.
"Why do you need to learn how to use the espresso machine?" she asked quietly.
"I'm going to make our drinks this morning and be helpful when there is a crowd of people waiting when you're the only person behind the counter," he responded easily with determination in his voice.
Sophia couldn't deny him when he sounded so certain.
In little time, he had their iced americanos ready while she was able to go into the back and prepare bagels for them as she normally did each morning. However, she also made him an egg and bacon because he told her before that he was hungry quickly after eating only a bagel. Considering he was quite a bit larger than her, it made sense that he would require more food.