Chapter Twenty-Two
That night, we go to dinner at a trendy restaurant not far from Via Condotti with some business associates of Luca’s dad who are in town. Luca and I are the only people at the table who aren’t adults, but I’m used to being around my mom and her friends, so it doesn’t feel awkward. They ask lots of questions about what we’ve been doing all summer, and Luca recites his many social events like it’s some sort of social page checklist. I talk mostly about Princeton and moving back to the States so it won’t come as a surprise to them when we break up.
Afterward, Luca walks me home. He takes us the long way, past the Trevi. We split a vegan chocolate gelato, sharing it back and forth between us.
“You were pure barry tonight. I don’t usually like these dinners, but this one wasn’t bad at all. It’s my dad’s way of checking up on me when I go abroad.”
“I can’t imagine why he’d think he needs to.”
“Hilarious. Even before you tamed the roguish Scot, though, I wasn’t really that bad.”
“It’s not about what it really is, it’s only about how it looks.”
“Ah, I’ve taught you well, Astoria Herriot.”
“It still seems pretty backward to me.”
“So you are teaching me.”
When we get back to my building, it’s only about ten o’clock. “Do you want to come up?” I ask.
“That’s a good idea. We won’t have to put on a good-night show for any paparazzi.”
I nod, because that’s how I should have been thinking, not like I was, just that I should soak up what little time is left.
We wait for the elevator. When it opens, Jack steps out.
“Oh, hey,” he says.
Luca stops and shakes his hand as we exchange hellos, and then he looks at me as if he’s wondering what I’m thinking about Jack.
“Patrick is at Alicia’s with the girls, but I decided to cut,” Jack says as if he’s apologizing for having been with them at all.
Luca nods. “We’re just going up to Story’s for a wee bit, do you want to come?”
Jack looks from Luca to me. I smile stupidly, not sure why Luca thinks this is a good idea.
“Yeah, sure,” Jack says. Luca gestures for me to go first, and I stand between them in the elevator like we’re three mismatched garden gnomes. When we get to the apartment, my mom is reading in the living room.
“Jack, it’s so nice to see you,” she says. “I’m always telling Story she should bring her friends around more, and now that she’s almost ready to leave, she’s finally started.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, but Luca already knows why I’m solitary, and Jack witnessed my humiliation firsthand, so it doesn’t really matter.
Jack looks a little embarrassed as he says, “I wish I had gotten to know Story better during the school year, Mrs.Herriot.”
Luca nudges me, but I ignore him.
My mom says good night, and I go to the kitchen to get us some lemon waters. When I come back, Luca is leaning forward on the sofa toward Jack. “I’m serious. You’ll look out for her, right, min?”
“Of course,” Jack says before he looks up and sees me.
“What’s going on?” I ask as I set the glasses down on the coffee table.
“Nothing,” Luca says. I look from him to Jack.
“Luca just wanted to make sure that I’ll be around if you need anything at school,” Jack says. “I’d ask the same thing if I were going to be a continent away from my girlfriend.”
I frown. “Luca worries too much.” I sit beside Luca on the sofa, but he doesn’t put his arm around me like he usually would when we’re performing our vaudeville show.
“Story’s very resourceful,” Jack tells Luca. “She picks her friends wisely. If the girls in her class are shallow, then she’ll make friends with John Keats instead.”
Luca tilts his head at me.
“How do you know about that?” I ask Jack.
He laughs. “I thought you had a job there at first, because I’d see you leaving when I was heading home from soccer practice.”
“Oh, I saw you once or twice.”
“I came up the opposite side of the street, going in the other direction, and you were always lost in thought.”
“Sorry. I can’t believe you never said anything.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d want me to.” The way he looks at me makes me think I’ve never realized how much he was paying attention to me all along.
“What are we talking about?” Luca asks. He leans forward and puts his hand on my leg, but then he pulls it back again with a glance at Jack.
“Anna Maria works at the John Keats’s house. It’s where wemet.”
“Ah, I should have known you’d be soft for Keats.” Without another beat, Luca recites one of my favorite Keats’s poems.
The sonnet sounds so beautiful with his accent. I almost forget Jack is there until Luca finishes. “I would have guessed you could recite ‘Bright Star,’ but not ‘When I Have Fears,’?” I say. “You always know how to surprise me.” The specter of lost love from the poem weaves its way into my heart.
Luca laughs. “Scots are a morbid bunch.”
“You’re both over my head,” Jack says. “But I got into Princeton on math, not English.”
“Well, Story doesn’t think I actually speak English, so—”
“I dinnae ken whit ye mean,” I say.
Luca looks at Jack and points to me with his thumb, as if to say I told you so. “Haud yer wheesht,” he tells me.
“That means shut up,” I translate.
Luca throws his arms around me and pulls me into him, but then stops himself just as quickly. He lets go of me and his laugh at the same time.
Jack smiles, but then he stands up. “I’d better go and let you two fight this battle without me.”
I expect Luca to say he’s going, too, and we all walk to the door. Instead of walking out with Jack, Luca just looks at him. “You won’t forget, Jack, right?”
Jack looks him in the eye. “No, man, I won’t forget. I’ll look out for Story. I promise.”
“Thanks, min.” Luca shakes his hand like they’ve just struck a business deal.
“No problem, good night.”
When I’ve closed the door, I turn to Luca. “What the hell was that about?”
“What?”
“Why are you pushing me on Jack? I don’t need your charity matchmaking.”
“That’s not what I was doing,” Luca says, and slips his hand around my waist. I pull away and go sit on the sofa, and he sits beside me.
“Look, I know you’re just trying to be nice, but I don’t need you to get me friends. Or a boyfriend.”
“Story, you have one friend, and Jack.”
“So?”
Luca shakes his head as if he doesn’t understand how he hasn’t already explained what’s wrong here.
“Luca, if and when I need more friends, I’ll handle it.” I so need more friends. So many friends that I never have time to think about him again.
He glances down. “I’m sorry. That guy really likes you, and it would make me feel better if you had someone watching out for you. You know, after all this….” His voice trails off a bit, and he looks at me without looking me in the eyes.
I don’t like the idea of what my life will be like when this is over. And I really don’t like Luca feeling sorry for me. “I’m not some pathetic charity case, and I don’t need you to become my dating app.” My tone is ferocious, but I’m whispering so I don’t wake my mom.
“Stor, I don’t think you’re pathetic, that’s ridiculous. Any guy would be lucky to be with you.”
Any guy but one who has a Disney princess, apparently. “If that were true, then you wouldn’t be setting me up.” My eyes are stinging. Someone should slap me.
He pulls my hands into his and squeezes them. “That’s not—” His phone starts to buzz. It’ll be Jasmine calling after her show.
“Go ahead,” I say. I tug my hands out of his grip. He frowns as he checks the screen. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll call her back,” he says, but I’ve already stood up. He follows.
“There’s no need.” I push him toward the door.
He clicks Accept, but his eyes are on me. Jasmine starts yelling at him, but none of the individual words come through to me. I nudge him into the hallway. He gives me a small wave as he walks away. I close the door behind him and hope that autumn comes a lot sooner than I think it can.