Page 49 of Storm and Sea

“Who?” Nyel asked.

“Just a girl who won’t get off my tail. Been trying to let her down easy, but the ladies can’t resist this face,” he said, striking a cocky pose.

Atreus rolled his eyes. “Uh-huh, sure. You keep telling yourself that.”

“Bringing a date is basically sentencing you to the gossip mill. I’ll be avoiding that like the plague, thank you very much,” Leo scoffed.

“I’m confused. Isn’t a date a marker of the day?” Nyel asked with a quirked brow.

Leo laughed. “Good one, but no. It’s not that kind of date. A date is someone you’re interested in. You know, getting all romantic with. Being lovey-dovey until you make everyone around you sick,” he said with a face like he’d swallowed an oyster that turned.

Nyel’s brow pinched. “Do you have to bring one?”

“No. But my mom wants me to get serious. Says I’m plenty old enough to start thinking about a family. As though I don’t already have enough on my plate.” Leo said, his charm cracking for the second time.

Nyel nodded. “Yeah. I get that.”

Atreus was about to ask Nyel what he meant but decided against it in front of Leo. Instead, he turned to his best friend. “If your mom wants you to date so badly, why not bring Marina? She likes you well enough.”

“No way. If I even look at her the wrong way, my family will never let me hear the end of it. You know how close our dads are.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Atreus asked.

“Speak of the red-headed devil,” Leo said, spreading his arms wide as Marina jogged to them, red hair bouncing. “What’s up, curly-q?”

She snorted. “Pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think, Leo? How’s the head?”

Leo knocked on it with his knuckles. “Hard as ever.”

“I don’t doubt it,” she said before turning to Atreus and Nyel. “Are you two ready to go?”

“Go where?” Atreus asked.

“I promised to show Nyel around town. You guys are almost done, right?”

Nyel looked at Atreus hopefully.

“No. Still have stuff to do,” he said, turning away.

“Oh, stop being such a wet blanket, Gatto. We only have one boat left. I got this. You guys go,” Leo said with a wave.

“You shouldn’t be here at all. I’ll do it.” Atreus said stubbornly.

“Well, if that’s the last boat, why don’t I get a head start with Nyel, and you two finish up?” Marina offered. She took Nyel’s arm. “Come on, there is so much to see.”

“No!” Atreus shouted, making everyone jump. He couldn’t let Nyel out of his sight—not for a single minute. What if Nyel stuck his hand in a fountain? What if he spilled a drink himself? What if it rained? Atreus cleared his throat, “I mean… he can’t…”

“Go already.” Leo said, “I got this.”

Atreus hated leaving his work unfinished, but with both Marina and Nyel’s puppy eyes on him, he had no choice.

“Fine.”

“Nice to meet you, Nyel; I’ll see you at the festival,” Leo said with a wink before turning to the dock.

“Onward!” Marina cheered, leading them to the main square.

With most of the day’s work finished for the people of Baia Vita, the streets grew lively as children, no longer tethered to chores, spilled out to run and play. A few kicked a football around while others raced up and down the steep cobbled streets on rusted bikes. Voices carried across the square as people milled about, creating a comforting ambiance that put Atreus’s worried mind at ease.