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“You look ethereal.”

“Oh.”

Something warm spreads through my chest that has absolutely nothing to do with the Sicilian heat.

His eyes find mine again. “Yeah.”

He clears his throat and shoves both hands into his pockets like he doesn't trust them anymore.

“I’ll wait outside with the others.”

And with that, Jude Hawthorne turns around and walks straight out of my room.

I stare at the empty doorway.

Okay…

The whole town, and apparently half of Sicily, is here.

Matteo promised us this fair would be magic. He wasn't exaggerating.

Every street surrounding the beach is covered in lights. Thousands of tiny colored bulbs hang above our heads, stretching from one building to another until it looks like someone has pulled a glowing roof over the entire town.

Blue, white and yellow everywhere.

Lemons hang from garlands around shop doors and restaurant terraces. Baskets overflowing with them sit beneath the decorations, and even the balconies are dressed up, yellow ribbons moving in the warm evening breeze.

Music comes from somewhere ahead of us, almost drowned out by hundreds of voices and laughter. The smell is insane, a mixture of fried food, grilled meat, sugar and citrus. Every few feet, someone is cutting open a lemon, squeezing one, zesting one or pouring limoncello into something.

I'm pretty sure Sicily is trying to feed me to death before I leave.

Chiara and Matteo walk ahead of us holding hands, Matteo leading her through the crowd like he's afraid he'll lose her if he lets go. Lexy and Dex are right behind them.

And then there's me and Jude, walking a few feet apart in a quiet that isn't uncomfortable.

It's just… us.

I take out my phone and snap a few pictures, then record a video as we walk beneath the lights. I capture the beach, the crowd, Chiara laughing when Matteo pulls her around a group of people, Lexy pointing excitedly at something and Dex pretending he isn't just as impressed as she is.

I send everything to our families.

“Penny and Summer are going to force my brothers to come here after they see that.”

I look up to find Jude smiling down at me.

“I can already see them here. They'd love it.”

“Yeah.”

That smile appears. The family one.

I put my phone away before I start cataloguing Jude Hawthorne's facial expressions again.

We eventually make our way through the crowd to long tables set directly on the beach. Strings of lights continue above the sand, and farther down, a small stage has been set up near the water.

I take a seat with the girls while the men disappear towards the food vendors.

That turns out to be a mistake.