Page 9

Traitor.

“Thanks.” Damiano slides into the seat next to me, his arm brushing lightly against mine, and suddenly I'm painfully aware of every inch of space between us.

His gaze drops to the book still clutched in my hands, and slowly, a smile spreads across his face.

“You read.”

I nod.

“She’s a total bookworm,” Chiara says proudly.

Damiano tilts his head slightly, reading the title on the cover.

“The Bronze Horseman?”

I blink at him in surprise. “Yeah.”

I close the book carefully and glance down at the untouched food on my tray.

“What’s it about?”

I look back up at him. “It’s a romance between a Soviet soldier and a Russian girl during World War II.”

Recognition flashes in his eyes immediately. “The Siege of Leningrad?”

I stare at him, stunned. Most people barely know what that is. “Yeah.” My voice softens with excitement despite myself. “I love how the author makes you feel like you’re actually there. Living through history while also living this huge, epic love story.”

Damiano nods like I’m not boring him to death with book talk.

Like he actually cares.

“What’s his name?” he asks.

“Who?”

“The male main character.”

Heat crawls up my neck. “Alexander.”

His mouth tilts slightly. “And what is it you love so much about Alexander?”

I laugh nervously. “He’s kind of an asshole at first.” I shrug. “But I guess I like how obsessed he is with Tatiana.”

Damiano doesn’t look away, so I keep talking.

“I love the way they meet.” My fingers trace the edge of the book. “He sees her sitting on a bench eating ice cream while everyone around them is panicking because the war’s about to start, and she’s just...” I laugh softly. “Eating ice cream.”

I shake my head. “It sounds stupid when I explain it out loud.” My gaze drops to the disgusting mush on my lunch tray.

“Eleonora.”

Something in the way he says my name makes me look up.

“In the middle of chaos she stands out to him because she’s unbothered by the world around her,” he says quietly.

His eyes lock onto mine. “I know what that feels like.”

My heart completely forgets how to function.