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Her blonde hair covers the front of her face like a waterfall.
When she notices me hovering around her, she tucks the hair back, and her face is up close for the first time that day.
I’m stunned.
She appears paler, more drawn than her usual self. As though she’s been draped by a shadow.
I wonder if it’s because she’s not gotten any sleep the night before. And then immediately, I wonder who it was that was keeping her up.
She meets my gaze for a second before I move on quickly, not wanting to linger around her for too long.
But even as I move out of view, I’m filled with concern as I begin to ponder over the reason behind her looking like this.
The activity goes on, and I keep stealing glances in her direction. At this point, I’m sure its not just sleep deprivation that’s causing it. She seems almost… sad.
Why do you even care?
The plan was to ignore Quinn, not obsessively wonder what has gotten her down.
The influencers will be okay if leave them to their own devices for a few moments, so I flee over to the thick cover of trees that border the perimeter, close to the pond.
Immediately, I feel lighter just being there.
This was my favorite area in the entire Estate. I find my way over to a tall pine tree, my eyes searching the front of its trunk.
There.
V loves E.
I touch the carving with my hands, closing my eyes for a moment.
Valentina and I would come here, sneaking moments alone with one another. She’d carved this for us.
For the first time ever, the thought of Valentina does not immediately overwhelm me. Instead, it’s a distraction from what I’ve been feeling toward Quinn.
I realize that it’s been years since I felt something even close to what I had with Valentina. The thought unsettles me, and I don’t know what to make of it.
My phone rings, and I pick up immediately, happy for the interruption, and wondering if it's Micah calling back with news.
“Enzo, you busy man.” Michael’s throaty chuckle fills my ears. He’s one of my friends from the United States. “Picked up on the first ring today, didn’t you?”
“You caught me at the right time.” I turn so I can start walking back to the group.
“Well, I guess it’s my lucky day. You’re still down there in San Gimignano?”
“It’s the one place I know to be home, Michael. Where else do you think I’ll be?” I laugh.
“Just checking to make sure. I’ve been thinking of coming down there soon. You know it’s been a while, and I haven’t forgotten that you promised me a tour of the region.”
“You’re welcome to come anytime.”
If there’s one thing I’m known for, it’s my hospitality. It’s unmatched. It’s something that I learned from my mother, to always honor your guests, no matter how busy your own life is.
“You best believe I’ll be hunting down the best deal on flights.”
“Want me to send you a ticket?”
Michael laughs out loud. “Only if it's first class.”