He opened and closed his muscular arms. “Want me to bring you something back? A soggy piece of pizza?”
My mouth fell open. I snapped it closed. Was he really going to leave me? I was a sucker for the beach—okay, lie. I was a sucker for him. Afuckingsucker. But I really liked the beach, too. And being with him on the beach…
Stopping in front of him, I said, “I don’t like soggy pizza.” I didn’t wait around to see his face. If there was gloating on it, I might have caused bodily harm.
I changed into a lavender retro-style bathing suit. It had an open back, halter neck silhouette, plunging neckline, and ruched overlay across my hips. I liked that it buttoned underneath so I wouldn’t have to pull the suit down in the bathroom. I wrapped a long, sheer, light-gold wrap around my waist, tying it sarong style. I slipped on a pair of gold flip-flops and then packed us a bag with extra clothes. He said we’d be going out to dinner after.
By the time I was finished, he’d been sitting in the rocker, waiting for twenty minutes. It took him five minutes to throw on a t-shirt and swim trunks. Aviator glasses sat on top of his head, and his hair was a mess.
Even though it seemed like he slept last night, he seemed…off. Maybe as off as my heart felt.
“Mia,” he said, as I looked for my sunglasses.
“Yes?”
He didn’t say anything else, so I turned to him. We stared at each other for a second. He went to say something, but a knock came at the door. Matteo. But I didn’t look away from my husband.
He shrugged. “Time to go.”
I nodded, absorbing the disappointment. We were getting to know each other. Working on the rest of our lives. And it didn’t sit right in my heart—what felt like distance between us. It felt heavier than what had happened after he got home, though.
Did something happen during the meeting? Had that set him off?
He took the bag I packed, and we left. We collected a group as we made our way to where the cars were. All my brothers. Evelina, along with Salvatore and Renzo, Saverio’s two younger brothers.
Renzo winked at me. “If my brother hasn’t told you how beautiful you look today,Mia, allow me—”
Saverio took him by the head and roughed him up some. He laughed, waving his brother off. The tension lightened some as we made it to a garage on the property. It was filled with cars that ranged in age. We separated into groups. It would be only Saverio and me.
He stopped at a vintage looking car.
I slid my finger along the sleek red paint. Its top was already down. “We’re not taking an armored car?”
“Would you feel safer if we did?”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s just different.”
“It is, but I don’t want you to start feeling like a caged cat. Besides, it can be tracked.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “What kind of car is this?”
He opened my door, motioning for me to get in. “Watch your—” He nodded toward my skirt and then shut the door. Handing me the bag, he said, “A ’65 Shelby Cobra.”
It took off like one. And even though it was vintage, it had a more modern radio. It played a variety of music from different time periods. “Lonely” played softly in the background. I turned it up.
When mamma gave me the photo of me and Saverio, she also gave me her old camera. It still took film. I loved it. I felt like I was holding a piece of history in my hands, capturing memories to put in our boxes.
I turned and took a picture of Saverio. The mountains in the background outlined his profile, his hair flying in the wind. Even though he wore sunglasses, I could tell he glanced at me when the cameraclicked. A second later, he reached out and put his hand on my thigh, engulfing almost the entire muscle. He always did when he was driving.
The distance between us still felt too far, but I relaxed some.
The closer we came to the beach, the more excited I became. The air felt fresher, the salt making it softer, and the usual beach scents lingered through it. The water was crystal clear with swirls of melted blues and greens. In some areas it was turquoise where the green and blue combined. It was bordered by the city and towering mountains, like the solid mass of a geode that had been cracked, its contents spilling out to become the sea.
The sun was hot, the breezes tepid and languid, and my skin rejoiced at the feel of it.
Blessedmezzogiorno.
After we found a place to park, Saverio took my bag and slung it over his shoulder, then took my hand. The beach was packed. I could tell Saverio liked it that way. We blended. Safer.
