Gianluca Ginoble and I

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

*Gianluca’s Point of View

 

          I woke to the sound of my mother coming downstairs. She smiled when she saw Naomi snuggled against me, then said that she had some shopping to do and left. My dad came down about a half an hour later, told me he had some errands to run, and left also.

          Naomi’s mother came downstairs to get some coffee and her laptop from the dining room, and then smiled at me.

          “Did you guys have fun?” she whispered, and I nodded.

          She nodded approvingly and went back upstairs, gazing sweetly at her sleeping daughter.

          So now it was just Naomi and I. I looked down at her, admiring her loose brown curls, long lashes, the shape of her lips and nose. She moved a little and her hand, which she used to clutch the blanket to her chin, opened and rested on my chest, making me feel warm and bubbly inside.

          I smiled and listened to her quiet breaths. She was just so…perfect. I heard someone coming up the porch steps, and I turned to see Ignazio reaching to knock.

          I quickly held up my hand so that he would see me, then I pressed a finger to my lips. I motioned for him to come in, that the door was unlocked, and he quietly opened and shut it, coming to sit on a chair across from the couch.

          “Gosh, she’s sleeping late today,” he said, motioning to Naomi. “Usually I hear her run past my window at sunrise.”

          “Yeah,” I said, “But can you blame her? I kept her out pretty late last night.”

          “How late?”

          I smiled sheepishly.

          “We got back at about three.”

          “Geez, Gianluca! Then why are you up?”

          I motioned to him, and he laughed softly.

          “I’m just kidding. I woke up when my mom came downstairs.”

          “You let your mom see you cuddling with Naomi?”

          “She doesn’t care. And how am I going to let Naomi go? Look at her, she’s so beautiful!”

          “Aw, how romantic!” he said, making a sarcastic kissy face.

          I grabbed Naomi’s heel from the floor and pretended like I was going to throw it at him. He chuckled, and I dropped the shoe back onto the floor, making Naomi stir a little. I froze apologetically, and she stayed still, so I looked back to Ignazio, waiting to hear why he came over.

          “Piero and I were texting about the four of us going to eat breakfast together,” Ignazio said.

          “I don’t think so,” I said. “When Naomi wakes up she’ll want to go exploring.”

          He nodded, and then said, “How about just the three amigos then?”

          I thought for a second, then nodded.

          “Sure, I guess so. I’ll take my mind off of Naomi’s exploring. Just wait for her to wake up before we go.”

          We were quiet, looking at Naomi as if expecting her to jump up at any second.

          I thought out loud to Ignazio, “It terrifies me to let her go exploring by herself, but I don’t want to…tie her down, you know?”

          He nodded, and we were quiet.

          “What do you think, Ignazio? Am I just being weak, letting her go out by herself?”

          He shook his head.

          “I think you’re doing the right thing, Gianluca. I mean, we all saw her sitting on the porch the other day, heartbroken because she couldn’t go out. I think it’s very good of you to let her go. But I also think it’s okay for you to worry. Not many girls like to disappear for hours every day like her, you know?”

          I nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Ignazio.”

          He nodded and started throwing and catching his phone.

          “Text me about breakfast, okay?”

          I nodded, and he left.

          I went back to gazing at Naomi, and after about twenty minutes she reached up her hand to rub her eyes, and then she looked up at me and smiled sleepily.

          “Good morning, beautiful,” I said.

          She lay there a minute, eyes open, just staying quietly against me.

          She stretched, and then pushed herself up off of my chest. She leaned over me, her hair brushing my cheek as she kissed me.

          “Good morning,” she whispered. “Ti amo.”

          My heart skipped a beat, and I smiled at her, her face so close to mine…

          “Ti amo, Naomi.”

          She pulled her feet from the blanket and stepped over me.

          When she was on the ground, she picked up her heels and bounded upstairs. She came back down in a green blouse and white shorts, grabbed an apple, and ran out the back door.

          I ran after her, and she turned to me, confused.

          I went up to her and took her hand.

          “You have your phone?”

          “Yes, Gianluca.”

          I pulled her to me to hug her tightly.

          “Be careful, okay?”

          “I will, Gianluca, don’t worry.”

          “But I do worry.”

          She kissed my cheek.

          “I’ll send you pictures.”

          “Thanks.”

          She turned and her hand slipped out of mine.

          I watched her jog down the pathway toward the marketplace.

          I walked backward to the porch, not wanting to look away, and sat on the steps.