“A little better than Pizza Hut, huh?” he says to me with a small wink before turning his attention back to the conversation. Absently, he pulls a few pepperonis off his slice and puts them on the edge of my paper plate. He only likes pepperoni if it’s thin and crispy—if they double layer it, then I get the extras. I pop one in my mouth and study his profile. When exactly did I discover that about him? When did we become the kind of friends who share food without asking? I never even noticed us slipping into these patterns... probably because it’s all so simple with Dev. Teasing and bickering and laughing like we’ve known each other all our lives. Somehow, over the course of a few months, he’s become one of the closest friends I’ve ever had.
“Any word from Will?” Frank asks me.
“What? Oh...” I pull out my phone, feeling guilty that my thoughts were on Dev. The last text was a picture of his lunch with some smiling emojis. Indian takeout at his parents’ like we had together in October. “Not for a few hours.”
“He’s probably too gutted to write much,” Frank says sympathetically, and my stomach twists. I hope that isn’t true. I hate to think of him being so unhappy... particularly when my thoughts aren’t exactly where they should be.
“Ride?” a voice calls out.
We turn toward a gondolier who waves at us from a distance. He looks a little desperate for more business before he wraps up for the night. Next to him stands another gondolier, plus a row of gondolas already covered in blue tarps.
“Want to?” Huan asks. “We can’t leave Venice without a gondola ride.”
“That could be fun,” Frank says. “Do you guys mind if we split up?”
“Of course not.”
It’s very clear from the way Huan and Frank are looking at each other that they have no interest in sharing a gondola with us, and I can’t blame them. They walk to the next boat and we head to the gondolier who called to us.
“Ahhh.” He grins and motions between Dev and me. “Love is in the air tonight, is it not?”
Dev’s eyes go wide. “Oh, no. Not for us. No, you can send the air over that way.” He mimes waving the air toward Huan and Frank.
The gondolier raises an eyebrow at me. “Hmm, you’re sure? Well, no matter. Men always come around when the sun goes down.” He winks.
My cheeks flame and I take a step back. What is he talking about? Is that why he called us over here—because he thought we were together? I mean, that would make sense—most of his business probably comes from couples. There’s just the small issue that we’re definitelynottogether and have no business looking like we are. I stare into the boat. There’s one seat at the back, covered inembroidered red velvet with matching pillows, where we’re clearly supposed to sit. It’s a very small seat.
I take another step back.
This is wrong. I shouldn’t be riding in gondolas with people when I’m dating Will. I shouldn’t even be thinking about it.
Dev glances between me and the gondolier, confusion written on his face. “I don’t—”
“Actually, I changed my mind.”
“What? But I thought you loved this kind of stuff.”
He’s right, but the fact that he knows this is only making it worse. I shake my head. “No, not tonight. I—I have a headache. And I promised Will I’d call him. I’ll see you back at the hotel.”
I push past him and dive down the Venetian sidewalks. Dev calls after me, but I don’t stop. I just need to be alone.
Chapter
32
I rush down a tight sidewalk between buildings and crossover a tiny bridge that connects the small islands Venice is built on. I need space and time to think. I don’t like that people could assume Dev and I are a couple. It feels too close to cheating on Will, even though I know that’s irrational.
“Ellie, stop!”
Dev’s voice makes me pick up my pace. I don’t want to see him like this, not when my emotions are a jumble inside me. He knows me too well. He’ll know something is going on.
“I’ll meet you at the hotel!” I yell. My shoes echo loudly in the quiet, announcing my impending arrival to anyone who happens to be around. I’ve left the Grand Canal behind. It’s freezing and my feet are throbbing.
“Slow down! You’re going the wrong way for the hotel.” Dev’s footsteps quicken. “You can’t wander around alone in a strange city at night.”
“Yes I can!”
I slip between two buildings and dash over a small archedbridge into an open courtyard. There’s a church and a little grocery store that’s already closed for the night. Two old men sit on a bench to my left, speaking in Italian. There are a few passageways leading from the square but I have no idea where they’ll take me. My desperation gives way to fear. I’ve gone so far now that I have no clue where I am.
