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“I know,” I interrupt.
“Let me finish.” He takes a step toward me. “I’m not my brother,” he repeats. “But that doesn’t meanwecan’t be friends.”
“Why do you want to be my friend so badly?” I hate how the question sounds.
“Because you are the only person on this earth that understands what I’ve lost and maybe because I like how I feel when I’m around you.”
“How do you feel?” I ask, nervous energy exploding in my stomach.
“Like I can breathe.”
His admission leaves me feeling slightly weak in the knees and I immediately move to refocus.
“Kane.”
“I know it’s unfair of me to ask you but I’m going to anyway.”
“I’m leaving,” I interrupt before he can finish.
“Stay, Elara.” He doesn’t let me deter him.
“What?” I question.
“Stay,” he repeats.
“I can’t stay. I’ve already left. All of my things are in my car and my dad is expecting me first thing tomorrow.”
“So call him. Tell him you’ve changed your mind.”
“Why? So you can leave again in a couple of days? Why would I stay here for someone who isn’t staying here themselves?”
“Then just stay today,” he suggests, taking another step toward me, closing the gap between us. “You can leave tomorrow.”
“I can’t. I have to do this and I have to do it now. Otherwise I might never leave.”
“Why do you want to leave so badly?”
“Because I feel like I’m suffocating here. Everywhere I look, everything I do, I see him everywhere. He’s everywhere.” I sigh, not able to hold my guard up any longer.
Like Kam, Kane seems to have a way of knowing how to push me just right to get me to open up. It’s both unnerving and a little refreshing. It feels good sometimes to just say what I’m feeling. It’s something I don’t do often enough.
“Now you know why I left,” he says after a long moment.
“Then don’t ask me to stay.”
“Come with me then.”
“Come with you where?”
“Italy,” he states like it’s no big thing to invite someone to Italy. “Come with me,” he repeats.
“To Italy?” I blurt, confusion clear in my voice.
“Why not? You said if given the chance it would be the one place you would choose to visit. Well here you go. I’ve got a contract that starts in Milan next week. It’s a short three hour trip to Manarola, exactly the place you want to go.”
I don’t comment on how surprised I am that he remembered exactly where I wanted to visit and instead focus on the absurdity of his proposal.
“Do you hear yourself right now? You barely know me yet you want me to pick up and go to Italy with you?”
