Page 259 of Marcello

There was a long pause…

Then, from the other side of the wall, I heard the sounds of crumbling mortar falling onto stone.

82

Giulietta

Part of me was horrified that Romeo – I mean, Marcello – was there.

I’d had to start using the bathroom in the tunnel, and I knew it stank. I knew I probably stank, since I hadn’t had a shower since this nightmare all began.

I hated for him to see me like this… but when he begged me to come out, I wanted to see him so badly that I gave in.

He helped me down from the hole and set me on my feet.

I stood there feeling ugly and ashamed, unable to look him in the eye –

But then he tipped my chin up with his finger and kissed me.

Then he tried to hug me, but I kept him at arm’s length.

“You’ll get dirty,” I protested.

“I don’t give a fuck,” he said, and wrapped his arms around me.

I started crying into his chest, and he held me even tighter.

“I’ll get you out as soon as I get back from Florence – I promise,” he whispered.

“I think I can make the food last,” I lied – I’d already eaten all the fruit and bread, and half of the nuts. “But I don’t know if I have enough water to make it that long.”

“I brought you some more.”

I looked down to see another grocery bag full of bottles. “Thank you.”

“I, uh… I had to fill up empty ones I found lying around. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, I can’t drink those,” I said in a playful voice. “I might get dirty.”

He laughed, then stroked my cheek. “I’m so sorry this is happening.”

“Well, hopefully we’re using up all the bad luck in our relationship for the next twenty years.”

“‘Twenty’? Try eighty.”

I laughed –

And then he said, “Oh, by the way, I brought your phone.”

He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it over.

It was completely off. I eagerly booted it up –

Only to see that I had no bars, no wifi, no nothin’.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.

“It’s okay,” I reassured him. “I can still use it as a flashlight… and I can read our texts.”