Worst Impressions

Bonus Chapter - Splitting Up

Our escape from the hotel had gone unnoticed, and we proceeded on foot into the heart of the city. Gradually, we moved toward one of the most famous squares in Rome; Trevi, home of the iconic fountain. The statue of Oceanus surrounded by Tritons and horses was perhaps one of the most famous sights in the world. Water poured from the spouts beneath the platform, landing atop the coins glittering below.

Tourists were still moving through the piazza. It wasn't so late that all the businesses around the fountain had closed. Many were still attempting to get the perfect shot of the fountain despite the gloom, others were sat outside of a nearby café with their Italian coffee and wine.

Despite its fame, tall buildings on all sides flanked the Trevi fountain with alleys leading off out into more open sections of the city. So many movies made it seem far larger, no doubt capitalising on the romance of the location, but when filled with tourists all elbowing one another out of the way for the sake of a photograph, it felt positively claustrophobic.

Sections of the fountain were closed to the public with bars, no doubt to discourage swimming in the water and to keep people from climbing on the structure where they might cause damage. Some stretches of the fencing had been removed for repair work and replaced with flimsy orange construction tape and laminated warning signs. No one present had seen fit to try their luck and cross that line as far as I could tell, but it was only a matter of time before someone trespassed and made their way into the water.

Rather than standing in awe of a magnificent piece of history, Beth appeared consumed with something weighing on her mind. Unsurprising, given the circumstances, but it was enough to make me worry.

'I want to look by myself,' she announced before I could ask.

'What?' Mandy was stunned. 'No way! You don't know your way around, and it's dark!'

'She's right, it's too dangerous,' I agreed. I'd only gone along with her plan because she'd said that we wouldn't engage with Gideon and we'd be in groups. 'I'm not letting you wander off. Not with him out there somewhere.'

'I'm not asking for permission. I only didn't say this in the hotel because I didn't want Jenny to lecture me. Besides, this way we'll cover more ground.'

'We can cover that same ground together,' I argued.

'Every hour, we'll meet back at the fountain, okay?'

'No, that's not,' I began. Before I could finish, she sped out of sight and blended in with the crowds, lost down one of the alleys. 'Beth!' I called after her to no avail.

She was gone.

'What do we do now?' Mandy asked. 'Do we follow her?'

Everything was screaming at me that we should. Of course, we should, she was on her own in the middle of Rome! And with Gideon wandering around, no less! I balled my hands into fists at my sides, furious with myself for not stopping her in the hotel and keeping her where it was safe. I'd told myself that I wouldn't pressure Beth into anything, wouldn't give her orders, would let her be entirely her own person making her own choices, but this was a step too far. No, I didn't want to imprison her and tell her what she shouldn't do. No one had the right to do that to another person. But this wasn't just a case of dictating her clothing or her feelings. This was about her personal safety.

'Will?' Mandy pressed.

'Do you think we'll find her?' I asked. 'If we follow her, do you think we'll stand a chance of getting hold of her?'

'If we split up, we might –'

'No,' I said immediately. 'No one else is going off alone. This is already bad enough without us splitting up, too.'