Dark Heart (Dark Heart 1)

I watch as the team huddles, shouts something in unison, and starts to trickle off the field toward the locker room.

“Why don’t we wait here for a little while?” Dani says, her voice a pitch too cheery.

“There’s no reason to wait.” I pick at the funnel cake, and Ree says, “Goldfish, we are waiting. Mama Beta is deciding for you.”

“I’m not going to just wait here for him,” I mutter.

“Go to the concession stand, then,” she orders, shooing me with her hand. “If he doesn’t see you, he’ll see us. You’ll be right back.”

I’m almost to the bottom of the cement bleachers when he moves into my frame of vision, leaning against a purple railing and peering intently in my direction. When our eyes meet, he gives me the biggest grin, and I dash over.

“Hi.” My cheeks burst into flames as I step nearer to him. He’s still wearing his football getup, including the big shoulder pads.

“Hi yourself.” His voice is low and quiet, so casual, but after meeting my eyes for half a second, he can’t stop his gaze from roving over my body as he runs a hand back through his damp hair. He shakes his head a little, snaps his blue eyes back to mine. “Sweaty.”

Yes, he’s sweaty. He looks like a big, male creature that’s been tussling with the other males. Who knew that could be sexy? I swallow. “You played great. It was really cool to watch a game.”

He gives me a teasing smile. “You’ve never been before?”

“Only one time, when I was a sophomore.”

“To see your boyfriend?” One of his brows juts up, making him look rakish.

“My friend’s boyfriend.”

His eyes flicker toward my friends, which lets me know he must have spotted us before this moment. Then he looks back at me, brows narrowed in consternation. “You guys wanna come out? My friend Jace is having a thing at his family’s…I don’t know…some kind of river house or something.”

“Jace Banetti?” I ask, nodding because I know exactly where that palace of a “river house” is. It’s Jace’s grandparents’ second home, I almost tell Luca.

“You know him?” he asks.

“Since we were younger.”

“Good.” He gives me a big grin. “So you want to meet me there?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Oh, wait, the address.” He squints, biting his lower lip. Then he looks at the back of his hand, where something’s scrawled in faded marker script. “It’s at Kings Point. Looks like…Nine Soundridge Lane. Banetti says it’s near Kings Point Park?”

“Yeah, I think I know where that is.”

His brows scrunch. “Wait a second. How long a drive is that?”

“Like…kind of long, I think. But I’m staying with Dani, and her parents are low key. Her driver’s the one who’s on tonight. He’s super nice. He’ll take us anywhere we want him to.”

“I’ve got another idea. Do you want to come with me? With Jace? We’re going in a helicopter.” His eyes are slightly wide, as if he’s concerned about my reaction. It makes me laugh. “Really?”

He nods. “If you’re not good with that—”

“Oh no, I’ve been in helicopters. I mean, not since I was like thirteen. But they’re fun. And at night…” I smile, thinking of it. “That would be amazing. If you’re sure there’s room for me?”

Luca nods, tugging on his jersey like he’s hot under it. “He said nine of us can go, and so far it’s just Jace, Loren, Max Romano, Franc Toliver, and me. There’s some other people chartering two other ones, but our group’s got some room. I think it’s Jace’s family’s.”

I nod. “I think his dad owns a fleet of them.”

He shakes his head, like that’s insane.

“It kind of is insane. If you really stop and think about it.”

He laughs. “So you’re in? You need a ride, or will your friend’s…uh, person take you?”

“We’ll meet you over there. Is it the Water Street heliport?”

He nods. “I think so.”

“Perfect.”

He reaches toward my shoulder like he’s going to squeeze it, but at the last minute he touches his palm to the side of my arm instead. He gives me a funny little smile.

“See you over there, Elise.”

And then he’s off again.Chapter FourEliseDad flies all the time. There’s a helipad on our building—not near our penthouse, but on the other side, on one of the lower roofs. I used to go with him, but that was years ago, I guess.

I’m trying to remember it now: how it feels to soar between the skyscrapers, the giddy rush that makes me feel a little sick as the helicopter teeters in the clouds before dipping quickly back to land.

I can’t believe I’m getting into a helicopter with Luca. I think of myself sitting in his lap and close my eyes as I exhale.

You’re going crazy, Elise.

When I open my eyes, I find Dani giving me a quizzical look. “What’s up? Are you nervous?”