“Grazie!” we say in unison.
“Prego. It’s my pleasure. Nico said you were the perfect guests today. He had a lovely time.”
“We did too!” I grin, partly because I’m playing back the scene of my wayward fishing line and wondering if Nico exercised some creative liberty with the truth. “Is Nico here?” I crane my neck, looking for him in the kitchen.
“Oh, no. Nico is out with Domenica.” She wipes her hands on her apron.
Domenica. That must be the girl we saw him with. I raise my eyebrows at Anya and Mari as if to say,see?
As Nico’s mom clears off the rest of our table, I notice that she is wearing the same pendant Nico has. “How do you like our bed and breakfast?” she asks.
“It’s really lovely,” I tell her. “Perfect.”
Nico’s mom smiles, touching a hand to my shoulder in thanks. When she walks away, I turn to see identicalI told you sofaces staring back at me.
“Told you,” I say, avoiding the inevitable. “Nico and Domenica, his flavor of the week.”
It comes anyway. “Someone’s done a total one-eighty on the hotel,” Anya says. “You’re not even complaining about going to Pompeii tomorrow.”
“Well, Nico’s recommendations have hit so far.” I shrug. “I’m open to the unexpected.”
Mari beams. “I knew you’d get there.”
Anya yawns wide, stretching her arms up toward the sky. “I’m so tired. The sun really wears me out.”
“I mean, we did get up at four a.m.,” Mari agrees. “Coming, Sora?”
I look at my phone, at the empty home screen. I contemplate texting him again, but that would be four texts in a row without a response. My stomach flips, and dread washes over me. I want to be wrong, but I’ve seen how this plays out.
“Yeah.” I swallow. “What else would I do?”
CHAPTER 14
I expect to roll overthe next morning to find a half dozen apologetic texts. Maybe even anI’m sorryselfie featuring his puppy-dog eyes. But there is one lone text from my mom, responding to the photo I sent her and my dad yesterday of the sunrise.
Bellissima!she’s written, followed by a string of nonsensical emojis.
I heart her message right as that sick-to-my-stomach feeling returns in a rush. I am not about to go down the spiral of wondering if Wes lost his phone or somehow doesn’t have service. I know better. He’d seen my messages. He’d left me on read.
Nico is waiting in the lobby, our tour guide and escort for the day, hair still damp from his morning shower. I fall behind Mari and Anya and give him left-right cheek kisses before following the group out of the front entrance. He frowns at me like he’s surprised by something, but I’m too glum to ask what. I hang back as we walk the long path to the train station, not saying very much at all.
This time, navigating the station is a breeze. Nicoguides us through buying tickets at the kiosks. We’re waiting on the platform when our train arrives.
“Is everything okay, Sora?” Mari asks once we settle into a foursome of seats.
“Just tired.” I recline my seat as far as it will go and lean my head against the cool window glass as the countryside blurs by. I wish I could appreciate the fields of wildflowers we pass, but I’m numb to it. I can’t believe I’m on this merry-go-round again. I had promised myself.
“It’s a beautiful day, though!” Mari says, overly bright, trying to catch my eye.
“It is,” I agree, with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.
“Cookie?” Mari extends a roll of Grisbì lemon crème cookies she picked up from the convenience store. She’s been going to town on them like Cookie Monster unleashed, and little lemon crumbs are stuck in her red lipstick. I try to come up with something funny to say about it, but draw a blank, which only makes me feel worse.
“No thanks.” I turn to look back out the window.
“But you love these! You’re the only person in the world who likes the lemon Girl Scout cookies best.” Mari looks like I’ve just told her Santa isn’t real. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“I’m not hungry, that’s all.” It isn’t a lie, either. My appetite has completely disappeared. “Maybe later?”
