Page 78 of Bargaining

He took my hand, his fingers warm and reassuring against mine. He raised my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “I’m sorry. I went too far.”

Our eyes locked and held. Surprise at his sudden display of affection made my words come out hoarse.

“Yes, you did.”

He nodded. His warm fingers entwined with mine. I should have pulled my hand away, but I didn’t.

“I know why you’re pushing me on it. Art was a big part of my life. Whenever I was painting, I had this sense of satisfaction, like the world was moving through me. It felt like being ... plugged in. Connected. I miss that.” A knot rose in my chest. “But things are different now. Everybody grows up.”

He stepped closer, towering over me, blocking out the sun. He let go of my hand, and a part of me wanted to reach out and grab him again.

“I didn’t mean to make you upset. I’m sure you could get it all back if you wanted to,” he said.

“Maybe,” I murmured. “One thing is for certain. I’m getting Renata back as my guide tomorrow.” I gave him a playful shoulder bump. Anything to smooth the tension and get us onto a different subject. “She gives me way less drama than you.”

He flashed a sardonic smile. “Right, but I bet you’d have more trouble convincing her to catch a bus with you into the middle of nowhere.”

“There is that.”

He glanced at his fancy watch and his eyebrow hitched. “Fuck.”

“What is it?”

“The bus is about to leave.”

“Then we’d better run for it. Last one there pays for dinner tonight.”

Amusement flickered in his eyes. “I always pay for dinner.”

“Then I’d better make sure I beat you.” I set off at a sprint.

Chapter 35

Cole

We walked from the bus stop back to the hotel. The sun sank low, painting the narrow cobbled streets in gold. I couldn’t get what Charlotte had shared out of my head. Art school hadn’t been what she’d hoped. It must have been awful to learn of Roy’s condition and come home. I’d abandoned her. I’d had no choice, but it was still a terrible thing. While I’d been in New York selling my soul to the devil, Charlotte had been single-handedly holding up the heavens.

“Wait,” Charlotte said, grabbing my hand. “Let’s sit for a minute and drink it in.”

I let her pull me up the crowded Spanish Steps to perch midway up. Charlotte balanced a pizza box on her knees. She tore a slice off and handed it to me. “Nothing can top street pizza. Not even that posh restaurant at the hotel.”

I took a bite. The artichoke melted against my tongue, and the crisp base cracked perfectly against my teeth. “I agree. Ten out of ten pizza. No notes.”

“This city is alive.” She put her hand on her chest. “It makes my heart beat so hard. Does it do the same for you? It’s anotherworld. I feel like I’ve sailed away in a tiny boat and left everything behind. It’s as though there’s a filter on the world and everything is brighter.”

My heart was beating hard, but it wasn’t Rome. I’d traveled all over the world and never felt like this. It was Charlotte. She’d described how being back with her felt. Today was like we’d both been sixteen again. Charlotte was my eternal city. The only place my heart wanted to dwell.

We ate in silence, knees touching, watching a street performer at the bottom of the steps who was imitating the walks of unsuspecting tourists. Children chased pigeons. The scent of warm tomatoes and herbs hung in the air.

She took another bite of her pizza. “You know one of the worst things about you leaving the way you did?”

I turned to face her. “Tell me.”

“I swear you took myBuffyDVD box set. All these years, and I could never find it.”

“DVD box set? Why would I take that? Nobody has owned a DVD player since the Dark Ages.”

She narrowed her eyes in exaggerated suspicion, but her voice was teasing. “It vanished around the same time as you. It’s the only explanation.”