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“So you really did it, Ind—um, Diana.” Levi broke the silence, nodding at the dome of the necropolis. “Can I call you Dr. Russo yet?”

“Not yet.” Not ever if I didn’t get back on track with my damn dissertation.

“What are we looking at?” Levi gestured again to the series of circular mounds covered in grass.

“It’s a necropolis. From the Villanovan period, so Proto-Etruscan. It’s a tomb for some very wealthy families that were discovered about a year ago.”

“Did you discover it?”

“Ha! I wish. No, I haven’t discovered anything yet.” Just an elaborate hoax.

“Wait, weren’t the Etruscans in Tuscany?” Levi asked. I blinked at him, surprised that he knew anything at all about the ancient civilization that had been my obsession over the past decade.

He noticed my surprise and shrugged. “What? You think I remember nothing from the hundreds of episodes you made me watch of that history show with that insufferable British guy. What was his name again . . . ?”

“Reginald Harris,” I whispered, peeking around afraid that even saying his name might conjure him up. I’d been avoiding him since our last meeting, hoping he’d forget about making me part of his new show.

“Right, oh my god. You were so obsessed with him. Never could figure out why.” He tapped the side of his head. “But I do remember some things from that show.”

“Well, glad to know it wasn’t a total waste. And you’re right. The Etruscans were mostly in central Italy, but some settlements have been discovered in Veneto. That’s what makes this site so incredible: It’s the farthest north we’ve found so far.” I couldn’t help the excitement from creeping into my voice. “What’s even more incredible is that this site seems to be made up of entirely female graves.”

The discovery of this site made me believe in the existence of other settlements in the Mediterranean basin, which was the central thesis of my dissertation. I’d come across a text postulating the existence of a female settlement in Greece dedicated to the cult of the Etruscan goddess Catha. It made me think of the wall painting in the Tomb of the Lost Star, and I had this gut feeling that it was true. But alas, as far as Professor Harris was concerned, I’d disproven my own theory by falling for that fake bucchero in Greece. And now I had to find a new angle for my research.

Still, sitting here talking about Etruscan history with Levi awakened some of the enthusiasm I thought I’d lost over the past couple of months. It reminded me of old times. How he’d tell me stories about planets and stars and I’d tell him about secrets buried in the earth. I could almost believe that nothing had changed if it wasn’t for the sense of betrayal the size of Mars filling my heart every time I looked at him. I wasn’t about to let him work his charm on me. I wasn’t ready to forgive him yet, and I still couldn’t figure why he was here now, inches from me, smelling like that cologne I’d bought him for his birthday one year. Or rather, that “Ashleigh” bought him since I’d let her take credit for the gift when she’d forgotten his birthday. It smelled like I imagined the stars smelled like—crisp, clean, cool like ozone and rain.

Without realizing it, I’d inched closer to him, so close I could feel the warmth radiating from him. And I could see the stubble of his five-o’clock shadow and the cleft of his chin beneath it. When he turned toward me we were practically nose to nose, and I jumped away in surprise, turning to stare at the portables.

“I should probably get back to work.” I stood, brushing the dirt from my backside. “Don’t you have a plane to fly or something?” The minute the words left my mouth I regretted it, because neither of us had mentioned him yet, but the specter of Josh was hanging over us. We were nearing the anniversary of Josh’s accident. And if Levi was anything like me, things got darker around that time.

Levi’s eyebrows drew together and he swallowed, glancing at the ground. “Actually, I’m off this week.”

He rose to his feet, and as I tilted my head up to him where he stood in the dappled light—there I was again the day by the river when we’d found the meteorite. The day everything had changed. The irony that that space rock was still my only real discovery was not lost on me. I still had my piece tucked away in a little velvet box.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” He hesitated like he wanted to add more information. He kicked a pebble and stared down at the ground. Part of me wanted to comfort him and I shook it off. I couldn’t deal with deep confessions. Not today. And not here with undergrads milling about and Professor Harris lurking in his office.

My phone beeped as if it knew I needed saving. I pulled it from my pocket and a message from Frankie Fiero flashed across the screen. He hadn’t let up on me since I’d left him on the dance floor.

Hey, bella, are we still on for tomorrow night?

I felt Levi tense next to me and I glanced sideways to find him peering over my shoulder, a murderous expression on his face.

“Are you really reading a private text message over my shoulder right now?” I turned to face him, arms crossed. Josh and Levi had always loved scaring off my potential boyfriends—who weren’t many back in those days. There weren’t lots of high school boys beating down the archaeology nerd’s door back then, and I wasn’t exactly Miss Teen California like Ashleigh.

“Your screen is enormous. I could read your message from the moon, Indy.” Levi nodded at my work phone, which was nearly as large as a small tablet. But I needed it for photos and videos.

“I told you not to call me that.” I sounded like a petulant child, but I couldn’t help it.

“Sorry, Diana.” He overarticulated my name, and I had to admit, it sounded strange on his tongue. “You’re not really going out with Fiero, are you? He’s not your type.”

“Oh, really? And what, pray tell, is my type?” My ears were popping, I was so furious.

“He’s a fuckboy, Indy. I came here to warn you about him.”

“Whoa, whoa.” I waved my hands in his face. Whenever I got angry, my Italian genes kicked in. “That’s why you came here? Not to catch up, but to cockblock me?”

“No! I felt awful about the other night. And I do legitimately want to know more about what you’ve been up to. It’s just . . . complicated. The timing is not great.” He rubbed the back of his neck with one large hand, and I had to restrain myself from shoving him into the pit.