Page 22

QUINN
Ijumpeverytimemy phone rings. It has become an automatic reaction these last few days, and I try to keep my ringer silent just so I won’t have to go through that feeling over and over.
“It’s too much, Laurie.” I clutch my phone in my hand. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Have you tried blocking his number? That would stop him, right?”
I shake my head. “He just finds new numbers to call me from.”
Ever since I went live at the wine-making class, Liam has been calling me every night without fail. The conversations are always the same, peppered with threats that he’ll somehow make me pay for what I’ve done to betray him.
“Has he gone mad?” Laurie says, frustrated. “Where was this dedication when you needed it? It’s like all men are the same, they don’t know what they have got until its gone.”
“Well, I’d like tostaygone. I’m constantly on edge that he’s doing to do something stupid and can’t even enjoy my time here because of it.”
“Oh, honey. He can’t do anything except try and scare you with empty threats. You shouldn’t let him get to you like that.”
“I wish it were that easy.” I sigh, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ears. “I’m just too overwhelmed. Should I just fly back, and deal with him in person?”
“Absolutely not,” Laurie says. “You are going to do no such thing. You still have like, two weeks left there. Just turn off your phone and do something that makes you feel better.”
My mind trails over to Enzo. He’d been the only one to notice that I wasn’t being quite myself. Something as simple as him asking how I was doing did wonders to me.
“I don’t think I can do the things that make me feel better either.” I sigh.
“What? You’re being cryptic again,” Laurie complains.
“Listen, I should take a shower to get my mind off things. I’ll call you back later if he bothers me again, okay?”
“Okay,” her tone softens, “Just take care of yourself, alright? I worry about you.”
I end the call and make my way over to the bathroom. The hot steam fills up the room immediately, and the hot water running down my back is exactly what I need to calm myself down.
Throwing my head back, I let myself enjoy the sensation for a moment.
My mind drifts over to Enzo again and our kiss. There hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t thought about that moment ever since it happened.
I knew passion like that would make me forget about Liam and his stupid drama. But could there ever be another kiss? Or was it just a silly little dream and an unrequited infatuation?
I’m still bothered by thoughts of him when I step out of the shower, quickly draping myself into a plush towel as beads of water cascade down my body.
A sharp knock sounds from the door.
“Who is it?”
My heart races.
Surely, Liam’s too cheap to fly down all the way to Italy. Let alone find my exact location and room number—
A letter slides inside from the small space underneath the door.
I jump at it, curiosity overcoming me. It’s a nice envelope, and my heart races at the Valentina Vineyard emblem embossed on top of it.
Tearing it open, I quickly begin reading.
It’s an invitation from Enzo. For a moment, I think he must have sent it to everyone as part of some activity.
But it’s specifically addressed to me and signed personally.