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“And I was such a snob!”
He shrugs.
“I wasn’t surprised about it. Crushed, but not surprised.” I inch closer to him and lean my head against his shoulder. “I’m really sorry if I hurt you.” He wraps his arm around me and rubs my arm.
He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t have to. I canfeelthat he accepts my apology. It’s in the way he’s letting me rest against him without pulling back.
When he drops his chin to the top of my head and keeps his arm around me, though, I wonder if we’ve stumbled out of “apology-accepted” territory.
Out of friend territory, even.
Would two sort-of-friends sit this close together on a rock, tangled up and intertwined like we are? His arm’s holding me tight. My hand is resting on his leg.
All this beauty around us—plus one adorable goat—is a nice distraction, and I want to get lost in it. But part of me is achingly aware that me and Cole are sitting together like we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, and it’s not because we’re putting on some show.
We’re sitting together like this because we’re getting closer.
Is that really a good idea?
“Hey, Cole?” I murmur.
“Hm.”
“You said something at the pavilion this afternoon…”
“I said lots of things at the pavilion.”
“Yeah, but one thing—one thing I want to go back to. You said asking me out that time was a mistake.”
“Cause it was. Right?”
“Mistakes are when you’re wrong about something. Like saying two and two is five.”
“Aw, now we’re gonna do math?”
I laugh and nudge him. “No, you goof. No math. I’m just trying to say, maybe you weren’t wrong. Maybe I was the one who made the mistake, not going with you. Maybe we would’ve had a lot of fun.”
“Fun… with a party pooper like me?” he teases.
I shift so I can look up at him.
“Yeah.Fun. With an old wet blanket like you.” I give him a teasing smile.
He grins back. “There she goes again, with the ‘old’ stuff.”
“She?Who do you think you’re complaining to?”
“Maybe I’m talking to Blue.”
“He can’t understand your words. You told me so yourself.”
“Alright, that’s enough of your sass.” He slides his fingertips along my side and then wriggles them, tickling me.
Laughter wells up inside, and I lose myself in a fit of giggles.
Even though there’s not a drop of gelato, espresso, or wine in sight, I feel exactly like one of those happy couples I saw all over Rome.
Maybe the next four days won’t be so bad, after all.
