I don’t let myself overthink it. I close my eyes, press the coin to my lips, and wish. I want Cole to love me back, the way I lovehim. I want him to be my best friend who makes me come my brains out. I want him to be happy.
Then I toss the coin.
It arcs through the air, catching the fading golden light before it splashes quietly into the water. I watch the ripples spread, my pulse thrumming in my throat.
Cole exhales, almost like he’s steadying himself. Then with a quick flick of his wrist, his coin follows. It hits the water with a quiet plink, the ripples from his coin chasing mine.
A sudden gust of warm, sweet smelling air rushes over us, surrounding us with the scents of honey and roses. The street lamps flicker, just once, their light dimming for a heartbeat before flaring back to life. My skin prickles, the hairs on my arms standing up. As quickly as it happened, it’s over. The lights are back to normal, and the scent is gone.
Cole glances over at me, a puzzled look on his gorgeous face. “Did you—?”
I swallow. “Uh, yeah.”
We stare at each other, the weight of the moment pressing between us. The fountain’s water glows faintly, as if lit from beneath, and the air hums with something electric, something alive.
Cole’s lips part like he’s about to say something, but then his gaze darts away, his fingers flexing at his sides. The moment stretches, fragile and charged, before he clears his throat.
“Well,” he says with a little laugh. “That was… weird.”
“Yeah,” I agree. I have the sudden, insane urge to tell him what I wished for. The words are right there, teetering on the tip of my tongue.
But my fear at ruining everything with Cole is stronger than that urge, and it clamps around me like a vise, squeezing until my breathing goes shallow. What if he doesn’t feel the same?What if he laughs? What if he pities me? What if I tell him the truth and I lose him?
Cole’s gaze flicks away, his hand lifting to rub the back of his neck. His curls are a mess from the breeze, and I have to flex my fingers into my palms to stop myself from reaching out to smooth them down.
A beat of silence stretches between us. I should say something, anything to break it. But the words stick in my throat, and all I can do is watch the way a muscle jumps in his jaw, the way he rocks back on his heels. He’s just as unnerved as I am, which is somewhat comforting.
God, I want to know what he wished for so badly.
Finally, he exhales, a small, forced laugh escaping him. “We should, uh… we should head back. How about a glass of wine at the hotel bar?” His eyes meet mine, just for a second, before darting away again. “Yeah?”
I nod too quickly. “Yeah. Wine sounds perfect.”
We fall into step beside each other as we head back to our hotel, our arms brushing as we walk. The contact sends a jolt through me every single time, my skin tingling where we touch even through the fabric of his jacket. I want to lean into him, to press my side fully against his, but I don’t. Instead, I keep my hands tucked into the sleeves of his jacket, my fingers curling into the cuffs.
Cole clears his throat. “So, uh… what do you think that was back there?” He gestures vaguely toward the fountain. His voice is light, but there’s an edge to it, something unsteady.
I force a laugh, the sound too high and brittle, because truth be told, I’m still a bit on edge. “Probably just an oddly timed gust of wind or something.” I shrug, trying to play it off. “Or maybe we’re just overtired from all the sightseeing and the jetlag.”
He hums, but it’s noncommittal, like he’s not really buying it. His shoulder brushes mine again, and I don’t pull away. Neitherdoes he. The silence between us isn’t uncomfortable, not exactly, but it’s heavy, like we’re both holding our breath, waiting for the other to say something real.
* * *
Luca
Twin coins splash into my fountain, and as the ripples dance across the water, I can hear the wishes made.
From her: I want Cole to love me back, the way I love him. I want him to be my best friend who makes me come my brains out. I want him to be happy.
From him: I wish I had the courage to tell Anabel that I’m in love with her. I wish I was brave enough to chase everything I want.
Two young lovers, wishing for each other.
I’m intrigued, I must admit. Something about these wishes calls to me in a way I don’t fully understand.
I snap my fingers and materialize in a darkened alleyway, watching them as they walk by. I step out of the alley as they pass, and from a distance I can hear their soft laughter. The stones around me are still warm from the afternoon’s sun, the air cooling now as the sun dips below the horizon. The air smells like vanilla and crushed flower petals, and I pull a deep breath into my lungs as I start to follow them.
I’m entranced by the way her skirt flows around her legs, the way her hair catches the last gleam of the sunset, making it look like spun gold.
