How funny.

Well, well, well, look at me waking up next to Luca! I know, I'm just as surprised as you are! But hey, sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you just have to roll with it.

As I opened my eyes, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of Luca lying there beside me. "You know, you're the only boy who has ever made it into my bedroom on the first night," I said, giving him a playful wink.

He grinned back, all confident and smug. "Oh, I always knew I had it in me," he replied, earning himself a chuckle from me.

Of course, in the back of my mind, there was a little voice of guilt nagging at me. I mean, poor Josh had been so upset last night, and now he'd broken his sober streak because of it. I really hope he's okay.

I decided to bring it up with Luca, feeling the need to apologize for Josh's behavior. "I'm really sorry about last night. Josh can be a bit, well, intense sometimes."

Luca just shrugged it off, being all cool and understanding. "Hey, it's fine. I like you so much, Bea, that I can handle a little bit of drama."

Well, isn't he just the sweetest?

"So, what now?" I asked, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Luca just pulled me closer, giving me a soft kiss on the forehead. "Well, how about we take things one step at a time and see where this crazy adventure takes us?"

I couldn't help but smile at his response. It sounded like the perfect plan, not rushing into anything but letting things unfold naturally.

I like Luca.

It was like he was determined to keep me laughing at all times. As we lounged in bed, pondering our plans for the day, I asked him what he thought we should do.

His response? "You should start off by inviting all our friends over to come and meet me."

I couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Oh, Luca, you have no idea what you're in for. Meeting my friends can be a wild ride, especially with Josh around."

But Luca just grinned and shrugged, all confident and unbothered. "Well, let him try. I can handle myself," he said, flexing his imaginary muscles.

I playfully rolled my eyes at his actions. "Oh, please, don't let your ego get too big. I don't need you two boys fighting over me."

Luca laughed and pulled me into a playful hug. "Alright, alright, I'll behave. But I'm still excited to see all those other hot girls in your friend group," he teased.

Of course, I couldn't let him get away with that comment. I playfully shoved him, pretending to be offended. "Hey now, you better watch your words, mister! There's only one hot girl you need to be focused on, and that's me!"

Ah, the big moment had arrived! It was 5 pm. I'd invited everyone over to meet Luca, and let me tell you, he looked absolutely amazing in those fresh clothes he'd gone home to get. As for me, well, I was feeling like a million bucks, and my friends were about to see why.

Ryan was the first to arrive, and he brought Jess with him. As she hugged me, she whispered in my ear that she hadn't slept with this boy.

How funny.

Ryan, of course, couldn't resist teasing and asked if this was "Jake." We both burst into laughter, remembering the fake boyfriend I'd invented to keep my secret relationship with Josh under wraps.

Soon enough, Theo and Grace showed up, looking thrilled to see me with a new guy. Luca was being an absolute charmer, chatting away and making a good impression on everyone. Leave it to Theo to make things hilariously awkward by asking Luca how I was "in the sheets." Luca, the smooth talker that he was, quipped, "Well, I'm still here, so it's good." I couldn't help but laugh at his reply.

And then, two hours later, there he was—Josh. Sober and looking so sad. It was like a bittersweet moment, seeing him there with all of us. He seemed single now, and the weight of everything we'd been through together was written all over his face.

As we all sat down, the curiosity was too much for everyone, and they started asking how Luca and I had met. Luca and I exchanged a knowing look, and I couldn't help but smile as we recounted the story. "Well, we were dancing together, and then we made our way upstairs..." I said, leaving the rest to everyone's imagination.

The room fell silent for a moment, but then Ryan, the ever-entertaining joker, broke the tension with a loud whistle. "Wow, Bea, you're moving fast! I didn't know you were the 'upstairs' kind of girl!"

Laughter erupted, and even Josh cracked a small smile. It felt good to see him like that, even amidst the mixed emotions of the evening.

Here we were, in the midst of a laugh-filled evening, and Josh decides to throw in a curveball. Typical Josh, always keeping things interesting I guess.

Out of nowhere, Josh blurts out in front of everyone, "Hey, Luca, would you consider asking Bea to be your girlfriend?" I couldn't believe he was putting me and Luca on the spot like this! But you know what they say—when in doubt, laugh it out!

Luca, ever the smooth operator, just shrugs and says, "Well, whatever I decide to do is none of your business, Josh."

Oh, the sass! I couldn't help but burst into laughter, snorting like a piglet—yes, embarrassing, I know.

But hey, it's not every day that you're put on the spot like this in front of your friends.

Josh rolls his eyes and tells me to stop rubbing it in. "Rubbing what in?" I say, trying to keep a straight face. "We're all just here having a good time, right?"

Jess, always the peacemaker, decides to lighten the mood by asking Luca if he's scared of Josh. Luca, the fearless guy that he is, just smirks and replies, "Scared? What is there to be scared of?" The whole room erupts in laughter once again.

But amidst the laughter, I notice that Josh's seat is empty. Leave it to Josh to disappear when things get awkward. I quickly excuse myself from the group and head upstairs to find him.

I knock on the door gently, hoping he won't slam it in my face. "Josh? Are you okay?" I call out.

There I was, opening the door, only to be met with Josh holding a ring from my jewelry box. Cue the dramatic music! I couldn't help but ask him, "Is that what I think it is?"

Josh gave a wistful smile and confirmed, "It's the promise ring I got you."

My heart skipped a beat as I looked at that little token of our past. "You still kept the promise," I said, feeling a mix of emotions.

But then he hit me with a reality check, saying, "We're not really together, Bea."

Oh, the irony! Here we were, holding the symbol of a promise, and yet, it seemed like we were drifting apart. He pointed out the times I'd kissed another boy and slept with one, and yeah, I couldn't deny that things were complicated between us.

It's not my fault Luca and I have a sexual connection. I had to explore it...

But I knew I had to be honest with myself. "Josh, I deserve a chance to explore," I said, feeling the weight of my words.

Just as we were getting into this heavy conversation, there came Luca, knocking on the door and asking if he was interrupting anything.

Luca came upstairs to tell us that they were playing a game downstairs, clearly trying to ease the tension. But before he left, he looked at Josh and said, "You're just gonna have to take a step back and let Bea be happy. It's the least you could do."

The awkwardness of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks, but I appreciated Luca's honesty. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind, and somehow, it made me respect him even more.

Josh looked a bit taken aback by Luca's words, but he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right," he said quietly.

As Luca left, it was just the two of us again. The silence was palpable, and I could feel the weight of our emotions hanging in the air.

"I never wanted to hurt you," I said, breaking the silence. "I just wanted to figure things out for myself."

Josh looked at me, and for a moment, I saw the hurt in his eyes. "I know, Bea. And I'm sorry if I've made things more difficult."

After the intense conversation with Josh upstairs, we eventually made our way back downstairs, ready to join the game night fun. And yes, there was some passionate making up involved, but we were keeping that between us—our little secret.

As we settled in, I decided to plop myself down on Luca's lap. I mean, why not? He had a knack for making me laugh, and that's just what I needed in that moment.

"Luca, you're up! Make me laugh!" I declared, giving him a mischievous grin.

He scratched his head, pretending to ponder for a moment. "Alright, I got one for you. Why did the scarecrow win an award?"

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I don't know, why?"

"Because he was outstanding in his field!" he said, bursting into laughter at his own joke.

Oh, that was bad—like, really bad. But that's what made it so funny! I couldn't help but giggle, shaking my head at Luca's goofy sense of humor.

Then, he continued on with some jokes about Grace, and I couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem to be a big fan of hers. Well, that was certainly an interesting revelation.

But before I could delve into that, I made an impromptu decision and declared, "Hey, you guys should all stay over tonight!"

The idea seemed to excite everyone, and I quickly called Steph to join us. She happily agreed to come over, and soon enough, we were all cozied up in the movie room, getting ready for a night of fun and laughter.

I found myself sandwiched between Josh and Luca on the makeshift bed, and it felt oddly comforting. One of them held my hand, and the other held my waist. It was like being in the middle of a hilarious love triangle, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

I glanced at Josh and Luca, both of them wearing playful smiles. Maybe things were a little messy right now, but in that moment, all that mattered was the laughter, and the warmth of being with the people I cared about.