(Avery)
I stayed on the bed long after Luca had gone, the soft notes of music spilling from the little speaker on the nightstand. I let it play on, track after track, like his presence was stitched into every sound. It felt as if he had not really left, as if he was still here with me in the quiet.
I ran my hand over the case he had given me, tracing its edges with slow fingers. It was nothing flashy, just simple and small, but it mattered more than anything else I owned. He had made this for me, thought of me while recording it, and I could hear that thought in every piece. It was more than music. It was a part of him he had left behind with me.
My lips tingled at the memory of his kiss, and I pressed my hand against my mouth before I could stop myself. Embarrassment heated my cheeks a
