From London to Rome

Chapter 11

"They kept asking questions, so I had to make up a story on the spot."

"I'm glad you could come up with something that quickly. Remind me to have you tell me the story once I'm back." He makes it sound rather easy. Unfortunately, it isn't that easy when your friends are as nosy as mine. "It will be fine Skylar. Just keep them believing whatever until we figure something out. And we need to figure something out soon. My friends have been asking questions too." Luckily it isn't just me whose change in behaviour is noticeable to others.

"Oh... Are you thinking of me all day?" Where is this confidence coming from? I meant it as a joke, but still. This isn't something I would ever say.

"You have no idea..." Shit. Shit. Shit. How am I going to respond to this? I can't tell him he hasn't left my thoughts for the past ten days. Or all those months before I actually met him. "I have to get back to work. Talk later?"

"Yeah, sure. Do you already know when you'll be coming back?"

"I should hear today. Bye, gorgeous." Before I realise what he said, he already ended the call. Did Luca just call me gorgeous? Other than my family, no one has ever called me pretty, let alone gorgeous. I hate how easily he gets my heart racing and my mind overthinking. He says one word and my whole life seems to turn upside down. When did I start letting a guy have this much effect on me?

I try to focus on my accounting homework, but my thoughts keep drifting off. I really have to get this homework done, it's due tomorrow and the page is still completely empty. And let's not forget I have to hand in a management paper before Sunday at midnight, once again I have zero words written so far. I've always been a procrastinator, but ever since I started university it started hunting me into sleepless nights. In high school, I could easily get away with not doing all my homework, but in university, you fail the course if you don't do the work.

I look at my planner, only to realise I still haven't finished anything on my list yet. This semester only started a few weeks ago and I'm already behind. I always try to finish my assignments early, but the reading homework often gets pushed off until the exam week. Last exam week, I had two weeks to finish the assigned reading of 7 weeks. For three courses. I really don't want that to happen again this semester. I really need to up my game.

I put on some piano music, turn my phone to silent mode and start working. I finish the accounting homework and get a decent chunk of the management paper done. I check my phone for messages and see I have a missed call. There are only three people that call me without texting first, my mom, my sister and Luca. Luckily, it was the latter. I call him back immediately, too eager to hear his voice again. He starts talking super enthusiastically before I can even say a word.

"I will be back tomorrow evening!" I've never heard someone this excited about coming home.

"That's amazing! How did the job go?"

"It was fine. Luckily we finished earlier than I expected. I missed you. I'm glad to be coming back to London."

It still feels odd that someone other than my family or best friends misses me when we don't see each other for a few days. We only met less than two weeks ago. We don't even know each other that well yet. The most nerve-wracking thing about it all is that I missed him too these past few days. Even if we only physically saw each other thrice. I don't know how it is possible to miss someone that much after such a short amount of time. I really enjoy talking to him, even if it's just over the phone. I feel like he understands me in a way no one else ever has. I know I shouldn't get too attached to him. He is one of the most famous actors of our generation and I'm an ordinary finance student.

Ineed to get my mind off Luca. The overthinking is driving me insane. I decideto call my sister Hailey, she always has some high school drama to share which willprobably get my mind off all my worrying. Hailey is sixteen and still has twoyears of high school left. We are nothing alike. Compared to her, I'm theboring and quiet one. I'm a very introverted person, but she is as outgoing ascan be. Appearance-wise we are just as different. I look a lot like my dad,whereas Hailey looks a lot like mom. And then we have Noah, our brother. He istwo years older than me, and just as different from me as Hailey. The strangething is that none of us is alike. All three of us have very differentpersonalities. I'm the shy, quiet one with a thing for anything creative. Noahis the analytic, smart and caring type, always ready to protect and care forus. Hailey is outgoing, the life of the party, always making friends with newpeople. Appearance-wise we're just as different. Noah and I share our dad'sblond hair, while he and Hailey share our mum's hazel eyes.