I keep my hand on his back, pushing him forward. I’m keeping him in front of me so I never lose sight of him again.
"What does Lorenzo want?" he yells.
"Us to leave," I shout. "Come on."
"What? Why?"
"Just move, please."
No explanation, for now.
He doesn’t argue. He follows.
Behind us, Lorenzo laughs, waving the Bacardi, pulling away from the two people he is practically eating alive.
"Go on without me! Duty calls!" He winks at us, throwing an arm both the girl and the guy.
Rava doesn’t fight back. Not yet.
I know I’m being insane. But I’d rather be insane than watch someone else put their hands on my problem.
I swear, this is karma. Actual, personalized, karma.
I like him. I actually like him.
And of course the universe is laughing, because once I used to tease him, call him soft. Call him everything except what he really was.
Now the universe is saying: remember when you were an asshole to him?
Cute. Let’s make you… obsessed this time.
Rava
We step into the room.
The door clicks shut behind us, but Gio doesn’t say a word. He just tosses the car keys on the table and starts pulling off his shirt like nothing happened.
"I’m taking a shower," he mutters, already heading toward the bathroom.
That’s it. No explanation. No look. Just cold.
I sit on the edge of the bed.
What the hell was that back there? One second he’s grabbing me like he can’t stand the idea of anyone else touching me, the next, nothing.
Silence. Avoidance.
Like I imagined it all. Like I made him up.
Maybe I did. Maybe this whole thing is in my head.
Just summer heat and hormones and too much wanting. And even if it wasn’t, it can’t go anywhere.
When this summer ends, Gio disappears. That was always the deal, spoken or not.
And even if I wanted more, even if I thought therecouldbe more… no.
I know what my father thinks of him.
