Anywhere (12 page)

Instead of giving directions, he insisted on taking us there. In growing horror, I imagined him going inside with us and then we’d
have
to buy bandaids and aspirin and leave
without
condoms.

I NEEDED THOSE CONDOMS.

But as soon as we got there, Alessandro bid us goodbye and went on his way. I swear I breathed an actual sigh of relief.

We stood outside the door for a moment. Asher squeezed my hand and I turned to him. He raised his eyebrows at me, a silent question, and I nodded.

Yes, yes, yes. I wanted this. I didn’t want to overthink it. I didn’t want to think about the future. I just wanted to go with what was happening. See where life took me while I was free to do so. We had two months. That was the entire lifespan of some relationships. Well, not for me. I’d always ended up in longer relationships so I hadn’t actually dated all that many people. But Paige had dated some guys for two months or less. She’d gone through a ton of boyfriends.

Asher held the door for me and we went inside. As we walked slowly around the store, serious disappointment started to settle in my stomach because we weren’t finding anything even remotely resembling a box of condoms.

“I think we’re going to have to ask,” Asher said.

I looked at him. “Do you know the Italian word for
condom?”

He smiled. “I don’t think that was in my guidebook.”

“Me neither. So how are you going to ask?”

“I’m hoping someone will speak English.”

“And if they don’t?”

He just grinned at me and I started shaking my head. “You know what?” I said, backing away. “I think I’m gonna wait outside.” And I turned and walked quickly to the door without looking back.

“Chicken!” he called after me, laughing.

Hell, yes, I was chicken. I was not about to try to mime
condom
. I didn’t want to even think about what that would look like. So I ran outside and found a bit of wall to lean against in the shade. There was a rose bush growing up through the cobblestones, right alongside the wall. It looked strangely out of place because the streets and walls were all stone. There were no yards inside the town, no trees lining the streets or gardens to admire.

Yet here was this lone plant that had pushed its way through somehow and was blossoming. And it made me think that maybe anything was possible. Maybe my life didn’t have to be predetermined by my mother. Maybe she’d listen to me.

Of course, that meant I’d have to talk to her.

People passed me, nodding and saying “
Buon giorno
” and “
Ciao Bella
,” and I smiled in return. I loved the friendliness here. I could see myself living in a place like this, knowing everyone in town. There was just something really comforting about being known, and here, it seemed, everyone was. Back home, I lived in a town of strangers.

Hands were suddenly on either side of my head and my view was filled with Asher. He pressed his body the full length of mine and kissed me breathless. The cool of the stone wall behind me juxtaposed deliciously with Asher’s heat. I could feel his hardness growing between us, which just made me ache. When he lifted his head, his eyes locked on my lips, my heart raced. All I could think was if that pharmacy was out, we were going to need to hop on a bus TODAY because I didn’t think I could wait another night to have him.

“So?” I said.

He nodded.

“Thank GOD,” I said, and he laughed at that and kissed me again. “How did it go?”

“Well, the pharmacist didn’t speak English.” He slung his arm around my shoulders as we headed back toward our room. We couldn’t get there fast enough as far as I was concerned.

“Oh no. So what did you do?”

“I had to…act out what I needed.” And he burst out laughing.

“Oh my god,” I said, laughing too, as I felt my face flushing at the thought. “Embarrassment much?”

He looked at me sideways, pulled me into him, and kissed the side of my forehead. “Worth it.”

And my stomach dropped. I glanced at him—he was still laughing—and I couldn’t help but wonder how did I get here? How did I get this lucky? Maybe all the crap in my life leading up to meeting Asher was a kind of prepayment in life currency.

Maybe I actually deserved this.

I slipped my arm around his waist and held onto him as we walked.

“There’s a problem with this town,” I said as we passed some shops.

“Seriously?”

“They’re not going to have any tacky souvenirs here. Everything’s too nice.”

“That’s true,” he said, looking very resolute. “But you know where I stand on that Quest.”

“Well, then,” I said, “If I agree with you—and, yes, it’s looking like I’m going to have to—then I think we need a new one. They’re addictive.”

“I’ve always felt the same way,” he said. “So did Josh. But these things can’t be rushed. We have to wait for the Quest to present itself.”

“Boy, you certainly have a lot of rules.”

“It’s not me,” he said, “it’s the Quest.” As we neared the market, he turned to me. “What would you say to a picnic in our room? Fruit, cheese, and bread?”

“I’d say, Yes, please!” I nodded and he said he’d get it, that he wanted me to wait outside. So as he went in the different little shops, I checked messages. There was a text from my brother wanting an update.

ME:
Update: Am in little Italian town. STOP Never coming home. STOP

JUSTIN:
You’re such a dork. You can’t TEXT a telegram to someone.

ME:
I just did!! I’m a trailblazer!

JUSTIN:
Sounds like you’re having fun.

ME:
YES. Seriously, I may never come home. Will work for food.

JUSTIN:
You wish.

ME:
Sometimes. How are things?

JUSTIN:
You mean Mom?

ME:
Yeah. And you.

JUSTIN:
She’s a little ballistic because some guy hung up on her with your phone. What was that about?

ME:
LONG story. But he’s a friend-slash-travel buddy-slash-really great guy. How ballistic are we talking?

JUSTIN:
Nearing apoplectic, I’d say. Wild eyes and practically foaming at the mouth. (Kidding.) (But not really. She’s PISSED.) Thank you, again!

ME:
HAHA. Okay, happier subject: What’s new with you?

JUSTIN:
I got a summer job.

ME:
Where?

JUSTIN:
New bistro that just opened. Working in the kitchen.

ME:
Good!

JUSTIN:
Not sure about that, but it’s money.

Asher appeared at my side. “Ready?” he said. He had a bag full of stuff and was looking at me like food was the last thing on his mind.

Oh yeah, I was ready.

ME:
Gotta run. Am being kidnapped by cute Italian boys. Do NOT send help.

JUSTIN:
Haha. Have fun, Skye.

ME:
I intend to. Love you!

I slipped the phone back into my pocket. “I was just chatting with my little brother.”

Asher smiled at that as we walked.

“What?” I said.

“You’re close with your brother.”

“Yeah,” I said. “How did you know?”

“You had this great little smile on your face as you were texting him.” He shifted the bag to his other arm and slipped his hand in mine. Then he sighed. “It just makes me like you more.”

Yeah, there was no chance of me
not
falling for Asher.

And just as I was starting to imagine what it might take to get Asher to cancel his London plans, that’s when I got a text from Paige.

fifteen

PAIGE:
Breaking news! Text me when you get this.

We’d just gotten back to our room, and I sat down on the bed as I started typing a response.

“Your brother again?” Asher said.

“Nope. It’s Paige.” I glanced over at him pulling our food out of the bag and smiled. “I’ll be done in a minute.”

ME:
What’s up?

PAIGE:
We’ve picked a date for the wedding. You’ll be there, right?

ME:
Of course. I’m the maid of honor, right? (Wait. Don’t answer that unless it’s YES.)

PAIGE:
YES. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m under duress.) (Or at least not entirely.)

ME:
Haha. So, when’s the Big Day?

PAIGE:
Saturday.

ME:
Umm…

PAIGE:
KIDDING. July 17th. (For reals, this time.)

ME:
Wow…that’s not even a month away.

PAIGE:
I know. Sorry. I just wanted to get married AFTER all the vomiting and BEFORE the big belly. Pics will be more flattering. Plus it’s summer, so all of our friends can make it before classes start or they get real jobs. Just seems like the best time to have a wedding.

ME:
Very Practical of you. Wait, am I still talking to Paige?

PAIGE:
Hahaha…I’m dying laughing. Or Not. So, the 17th? Do you mind cutting your trip short? I hate to ask you, and if you don’t want to, I’ll understand. I’ll miss you being there but I’ll totally understand—it’s your dream trip, I know.

July 17th.

That meant I’d be facing my mother a lot sooner than I’d planned.

Oh. Dear. God.

It also meant I’d have to leave Asher in less than a month. That wasn’t any time at all.

I paused, my fingers hovering over my phone. But I really didn’t have a choice. She was my best friend. I
had
to be there.

ME:
Of course, I’ll be there. With bells on. (Maybe even literally. Italian bells. Or Jingle Bells. I’ll have to work on it.)

PAIGE:
YAY! (But nix on the bells. They won’t go with the large pink bows all over your dress.)

ME:
You better be kidding about that.

PAIGE:
Can you try to come back the week before so we can do a little wedding stuff?

ME:
Yeah, okay. I’ll let you know what date. And the dress better not be pink and fluffy…

PAIGE:
Mwah! Love you!! See you in July!

ME:
Paige??? PAIGE???

She didn’t answer again and I put my phone down without even looking at my other messages as realization truly dawned.

Three weeks. If I went back the week before, I had to leave in three weeks.

I walked over to the window and looked out over the fields. A breeze tickled the large grape leaves, sending them wriggling in the quiet peace of the afternoon sunshine while my world felt like it was crashing down on me, one shitty boulder at a time.

I was going to miss out on two whole months in Europe. Most of my trip. That sucked so much in and of itself.

And I would be back home, facing my mother, trying to wrestle control of my life from her grasp.

And
I would be leaving Asher, which was crushing me the most. I was going to lose everything that was good in my life. In three short weeks.

“Hey,” he said, coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around me. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay with Paige?”

I nodded. “She was making sure I could come to her wedding.”

“When is it?”

“July seventeenth.”

Asher was silent, and I stared out at the endless vineyards wishing I knew what he was thinking.

“I have to go,” I whispered. “She’s my best friend, Asher. And she really wants me to be there.”

“And you should be,” he said. “You should always follow your heart, Skye.”

I just wanted to cry, and a part of me also couldn’t believe what I was about to say.

“About tonight,” I said, “I don’t know if we should—”

“No,” he said, “you’re right. We probably shouldn’t if we only have a month.”

He agreed so easily. And I wasn’t sure whether I was grateful or heartbroken at that. He was being such a gentleman and was making this easy on me, and I appreciated that so very much. But it hurt that it didn’t seem hard for him.

And so maybe this was for the best. Whatever was happening between us obviously meant more to me, and he did have an ex-girlfriend waiting to rekindle things. So I was more likely to be the one hurt in the end.

It was better this way. And if I kept telling myself that, there was a remote chance I might actually start to believe it.

Our romantic picnic now felt morose. At least to me. I was so bummed by the change in plans and couldn’t pull myself out of it. Paige knew I was traveling until the middle of September, and she could have waited until then, and okay, yes, that did piss me off a little bit. But I couldn’t expect her to plan her life around mine. And I could understand her wanting to get married as soon as possible. But I was still upset with her timing.

After moping my way through dinner and then into the shower, I was already curled up, my back to Asher’s side of the bed when he slipped under the sheets. He slid over, reached his arm around, and pulled me close against him.

“Hey,” he said, his voice soft and low right next to my ear. “You still have a month to go wherever you want, right? Don’t let this ruin your trip.”