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Authors: Marie Meyer
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the square, I stared the ancient Roman columns. Looking upward, I shielded my eyes from the blazing sun. Hundreds of people milled about, soaking up Pompeii from all angles.
Mount Vesuvius loomed in the distance. It had been a normal day for the Romans milling about. Then, out of nowhere, a bomb was dropped on them. Their hopes and dreams, their futures, everything was reduced to ash. In some minuscule way, I understood. My dad’s words rumbled in the back of my head like an earthquake threatening to shatter my future.
Enough, Sophia. You’re in freaking Italy. You’re here to have a good time, not a pity party.
Italy. I still couldn’t believe I was here, that I’d even entertained the notion of tossing this trip in the trash. Yes, I still felt my father was a coward for walking out on Mom and me, but after thinking about what Lydia had told me, why he left, I understood him better. The motivation behind his actions made sense, even though it still hurt. And buying me a trip to Italy didn’t make up for all the years he’d missed when I was a kid, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think this was an outstanding graduation present. Still, in the back of my mind, not knowing if my father’s fate was my own, I needed to live my life as if it was. I needed to seize every opportunity afforded to me. In fifteen…twenty years, I may not be able to climb the steps in front of me or even navigate the uneven stone roads that connected the past with the present.
I drew in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the scents of sunshine and antiquity. I held it in, committing it to memory before I made my way to the end of the Forum, toward the Temple of Jupiter.
Closing my eyes, I allowed the history surrounding me to seep into my bones and become a part of me. I took a couple of tentative steps backward, raising my face skyward, feeling the warmth of the sun on my cheeks, the breeze in my hair. Of the five senses, the eyes seemed to get all the glory. But with them still closed, my nose, skin, and ears rose to the occasion, soaking up Italy.
I stepped to my left, eyes still closed, head still turned toward the sun like a flower, when I crashed into a freaking wall. Hard.
“Fuck!” yelled a deep, male voice.
Oh, God! Not a wall…a person.
My eyes snapped open and I whirled around. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” I slapped both hands across my mouth before I vomited a thousand more apologies. Sprawled in front of me on the ground was an incredibly tall, sun-kissed, blond-haired guy. His belongings—a map, water bottle, and cell phone—lay scattered around him, and his sunglasses sat crooked on his nose.
“What the hell?” he cursed again. Pushing himself up, he adjusted his sunglasses.
The way his biceps strained beneath his white polo shirt left me speechless. I shook my head. I wasn’t one to ogle, but I couldn’t help it with him. This guy had an incredible body. There weren’t men like him back home.
I stared as he collected his things. I should have helped, but I was still in shock—not to mention mortified—that I’d literally knocked him on his ass. Given my height compared to his, I didn’t think it was possible for me to knock him over. A smile crept to my lips, the prelude to a giggle fit I felt bubbling inside my chest, a defense mechanism to hide my embarrassment. I bit my tongue and held my breath to keep from laughing in his face. That would be rude.
Once he had his belongings gathered, he hopped to his feet with ease. I craned my neck upward. Damn, he’s tall. Taller than I’d thought.
“Thanks for the help,” he grumbled, clearly irritated. His American accent was helpful in providing some personal information.
I shook my head. “I’m so sorry.”
He brushed the dust off his butt. “Yeah, you mentioned that.” Then, like clouds parting to reveal the sun, his anger disappeared as his lips broke into a stunning smile.
His straight, white teeth gleamed in the angled morning sun.
Mount Vesuvius loomed in the distance. It had been a normal day for the Romans milling about. Then, out of nowhere, a bomb was dropped on them. Their hopes and dreams, their futures, everything was reduced to ash. In some minuscule way, I understood. My dad’s words rumbled in the back of my head like an earthquake threatening to shatter my future.
Enough, Sophia. You’re in freaking Italy. You’re here to have a good time, not a pity party.
Italy. I still couldn’t believe I was here, that I’d even entertained the notion of tossing this trip in the trash. Yes, I still felt my father was a coward for walking out on Mom and me, but after thinking about what Lydia had told me, why he left, I understood him better. The motivation behind his actions made sense, even though it still hurt. And buying me a trip to Italy didn’t make up for all the years he’d missed when I was a kid, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think this was an outstanding graduation present. Still, in the back of my mind, not knowing if my father’s fate was my own, I needed to live my life as if it was. I needed to seize every opportunity afforded to me. In fifteen…twenty years, I may not be able to climb the steps in front of me or even navigate the uneven stone roads that connected the past with the present.
I drew in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the scents of sunshine and antiquity. I held it in, committing it to memory before I made my way to the end of the Forum, toward the Temple of Jupiter.
Closing my eyes, I allowed the history surrounding me to seep into my bones and become a part of me. I took a couple of tentative steps backward, raising my face skyward, feeling the warmth of the sun on my cheeks, the breeze in my hair. Of the five senses, the eyes seemed to get all the glory. But with them still closed, my nose, skin, and ears rose to the occasion, soaking up Italy.
I stepped to my left, eyes still closed, head still turned toward the sun like a flower, when I crashed into a freaking wall. Hard.
“Fuck!” yelled a deep, male voice.
Oh, God! Not a wall…a person.
My eyes snapped open and I whirled around. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” I slapped both hands across my mouth before I vomited a thousand more apologies. Sprawled in front of me on the ground was an incredibly tall, sun-kissed, blond-haired guy. His belongings—a map, water bottle, and cell phone—lay scattered around him, and his sunglasses sat crooked on his nose.
“What the hell?” he cursed again. Pushing himself up, he adjusted his sunglasses.
The way his biceps strained beneath his white polo shirt left me speechless. I shook my head. I wasn’t one to ogle, but I couldn’t help it with him. This guy had an incredible body. There weren’t men like him back home.
I stared as he collected his things. I should have helped, but I was still in shock—not to mention mortified—that I’d literally knocked him on his ass. Given my height compared to his, I didn’t think it was possible for me to knock him over. A smile crept to my lips, the prelude to a giggle fit I felt bubbling inside my chest, a defense mechanism to hide my embarrassment. I bit my tongue and held my breath to keep from laughing in his face. That would be rude.
Once he had his belongings gathered, he hopped to his feet with ease. I craned my neck upward. Damn, he’s tall. Taller than I’d thought.
“Thanks for the help,” he grumbled, clearly irritated. His American accent was helpful in providing some personal information.
I shook my head. “I’m so sorry.”
He brushed the dust off his butt. “Yeah, you mentioned that.” Then, like clouds parting to reveal the sun, his anger disappeared as his lips broke into a stunning smile.
His straight, white teeth gleamed in the angled morning sun.
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