“That sounds great in theory, but I couldn’t just leave for a month.”
“Why not? You taking care of an elderly relative or have kids in school or something?”
“No.”
“Life is short, Alessia. You should live it to the fullest. You are the only one who dictates the parameters of your world. If you say you can’t do something, then you can’t, but if youbelieve you can, you’ll find a way. You want to go to Italy, spend a summer, find a way to make it happen.”
I had no response. He made it sound so easy, it almost felt possible. The bold way he seized life made me feel alive when I was with him. I never realized I’d been living life in a hazy dream state until he swept into my world. Now, he’d roused me from my sleep, and I saw the world in bold new colors. When my time with him was over, I wasn’t sure how I’d survive if he took that vibrancy with him.
We were quiet for a few beats as the car rounded closer to the ground, both lost in our thoughts. Eventually, the ride ended, and Luca helped me from the car, leading me away from the throng of people clustered near the ride entrance.
“What do you want to do next?” To my endless embarrassment, my stomach took that moment to rumble its insistent need for sustenance.
“Sounds like it’s time for dinner,” Luca teased. “Come on, let’s get you some food.” He took my hand in his and led me out of the amusement park area toward the boardwalk where he bought us each a hot dog and a bag of cotton candy for us to share.
The sun had begun to drop below the horizon as we sat at a table under a blue umbrella. We’d been lucky to get a table—the boardwalk was packed with people, even more so than it had been hours before when we’d arrived. We ate quickly, fending off the bold seagulls who lay in wait for the smallest window to swoop in and snatch our food.
“Blue or pink?” Luca asked when we’d finished our dogs.
“The cotton candy?” I asked in confusion. “There’s no difference.”
“Don’t be absurd—blue is way better than the pink,” he said as he tore off a chunk and dropped it into his mouth.
I reached over and tore off a section of pink. “I suppose if blue is your favorite, I shall have to suffer through eating the pink.”
Luca winked at me as he tore off another chunk, then reached his non-sticky hand out for mine. “Come on, let’s go walk by the water.”
We removed our shoes and made our way through the thick sand toward the shore. Most of the beachgoers had packed up and gone home for the evening, leaving the beach open for walkers and sightseers. The sand was still warm and felt amazing beneath my feet as we strolled toward the water. It wasn’t exactly the Caribbean, but it was a nice change of pace, and the setting sun was a melted rainbow of colors over the placid waters.
“Which ride was your favorite?” Luca asked, extending a clump of pink candy toward my lips.
“The Brooklyn Flyer,” I replied around the dissolving sugar.
“The swings?” His nose scrunched up in distaste. “Come on, you loved the Cyclone, admit it.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but I’ve never been much of a thrill-seeker. I was more of a piano and art kind of girl growing up than soccer or lacrosse.”
“I wasn’t one for organized sports either actually, but I could play a mean game of handball. We could go to the Y for free and play for hours. I’d come home with jammed fingers and bloody knuckles, but I loved it.”
“That sounds awful.”
He shrugged. “It kept us out of trouble and didn’t cost anything—no equipment or fees, and no coaching necessary. There was always basketball too, but my friends and I always gravitated toward handball.”
“Do you ever play as an adult?”
“Haven’t in years. Most of the guys I played with moved to different parts of the city. If you weren’t into sports, does that mean you didn’t play anything?”
“I did cross country and still run about three times a week. It’s a lot less risky than most other sports.”
“You’re rather risk averse, are you?” he peered at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Certain types of risk, yes,” I admitted with a defiant tone.
Luca pulled me in close, my body pressed snuggly against his, and lowered his face until our noses just barely touched. “We’ll have to see what we can do about that. The riskiest ventures can yield the greatest prizes.” His eyes dropped to my lips as they parted in breathless anticipation; but instead of kissing me, his lips pulled back in a boyish grin. “Speaking of prizes, I think the carnival awaits.” He stunned me when he pulled away and tugged me back in the direction of the brightly lit boardwalk.
What a tease.
I couldn’t be upset, though. Luca’s eyes lit with excitement at the prospect of carnival games. The enthusiasm was contagious, my heartrate picking up its pace at the prospect of playing for a prize.
