𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐫 ✔️

44. Mattia's girl

CHAPTER 44
Ilaria de Luca

[Present]

Saying that I was being smothered by my family and friends was an understatement.

I never got a second to myself.

They were either forcing me to eat, trying to get me to leave the house, or they'd follow me around as they talked and I was forced to listen.

They feared that I might fall into depression or something which was ridiculous because he wasn't dead, we didn't break up or something horrible like that. I was perfectly fine. Sad at times but that's normal since I was allowed to miss him.

I packed my bags at two in the morning, got on a plane and decided to get away from all of them.

I landed somewhere special to Mattia and I.

The sea of stars.

He had figured it out. My favorite place on earth. It was the combination of two things I loved most. The sea, and the stars. So simple yet so meaningful.

Mattia and I had so much memories here. He had brought me here two weeks before he left. We only spent a couple of days here but it was special to me.

It's also the place where he officially asked me to be his girlfriend with a promise ring.

Of course I said yes.

The water trickled up to my toes and I smiled as I hugged myself.

"It's not worth it."

I turn to my left, seeing a guy sit down next to me.

"What?" I softly ask in confusion.

"If you're thinking about going in and not coming out, don't. It's not worth it," he shakes his head. He brings his knees up so that he can rest his arms on them.

"Oh, no," I quickly say. "I'm not- why did you think that?"

"Your face gave your feelings away," he says and I smile.

"I just miss someone," I admit. "What about your face? What's wrong with you?"

"I miss someone too," he looks out at the water. "And I came here to consider doing what I told you not to," he says and I'm taken by surprise.

"Who is it?"

"My mother. She died two days ago. It's been tough," he takes a deep breath in.

"I'm sorry," I softly say. "But I don't think she'd approve your decision. If you had done it just think about how hurt she would've been. She wouldn't want that for you."

He turns his head to me, smiling. "I'm supposed to be comforting you here," he chuckles and now its my turn to smile. "Lucas," he extends his hand towards me.

"Ilaria," I shake his hand.

"You drink, Ilaria?" he asks and I nod.

He gets up, extends his hand towards me and I take. He takes me to an open bar close by and orders a couple of drinks for us.

"Where you from, Ilaria?" he asks and I take a sip of my drink.

"Can I suggest something?" I ask and he nods. "Let's be stranger-friends."

"Stranger-friends?"

"Yeah," I nod. "We're friends, but we don't anything about each other. Let's just speak about anything but our current lives."

He slowly nods and smiles as he agrees.

It felt really nice talking to someone who didn't know anything about me. I could be myself and he wouldn't question it. He wouldn't question why I'm overly happy or whatever emotion I felt.