FALLING INTO FOREVER

-19-

May POV

I woke up to the warmth of Leonardo's body beside me. As I turned to face him, my eyes instinctively traced the contours of his face. His jawline, sharp and defined, caught my attention first. I gently ran my finger along its edge, feeling the slight stubble that had grown overnight. My gaze moved to his lips, curled into a soft smile even in sleep. I smiled back, feeling a flutter in my chest.

My hand wandered down his chest, feeling the definition of his muscles beneath his skin. I traced the lines of his abs, the curves and shapes that made my heart skip a beat. His skin was warm and inviting, and I couldn't help but touch him.

Leonardo stirred, his eyes fluttering open. "You're staring at me again," he said, his voice low and sleepy.

I felt my cheeks flush as I withdrew my hand. "I was just admiring you," I said, trying to sound calm.

Leonardo smiled, his eyes crinkling. "You should take a picture, it'll last longer," he teased.

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Shut up."

As we finished our tender moment, I glanced at the time and suggested, "Let's head back to our dorms, we don't want to be late."

Leonardo held me close, reluctant to let me go. "Join me for a bath?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

I threw a pillow at him, laughing. "Stop it! Get out of here!"

He chuckled and teased, "What's wrong, don't want to get clean with me?"

I rolled my eyes, playfully pushing him away. "We need to go, seriously."

As he got up to go and bathe, my mind wandered to how much time had passed since I arrived in Italy. I thought about Leonardo finishing university next year, and how his life would change. He'd be taking over his family's business, while I still had three more years of school left. Ash, my friend, would be leaving me soon enough, with only two more years left until graduation. I felt a pang of sadness, knowing I'd have to navigate my final year without my close friend by my side. Coming to think about it my emotions have evolved this past months, I guess being with people who love you and you love them to makes you feel things

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I wondered who it was, maybe Leonardo had ordered food while I was asleep. I walked to the door and opened it, but found no one. Maybe it's a prank, but this is a 5-star hotel, I thought. As I was about to close the door, I saw a letter on the floor. "Hm, whose is this?" I looked around, but found no one in sight.

I picked up the letter, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw my name scribbled on the envelope in familiar handwriting. But it wasn't my handwriting, and it definitely wasn't Leonardo's. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I wondered who could have written it.

I turned the envelope over, searching for any other clues, but there was nothing. No indication of who had sent it or why. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should open it, but my curiosity got the better of me.

I carefully slid my finger under the seal and opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside. As I began to read, my eyes widened in shock:

"Ti ho trovata, mia farfalla. La tua fuga è finita."

Which translates to:

"I have found you, my butterfly. Your escape is over."

Surprisingly I didn't feel any fear, just questions - who was behind this? What did they want from me? And how did they know I was here?

Just as I finished reading the letter, Leonardo came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Who was that?" he asked, nodding towards the door.

I quickly hid the letter behind my back, trying to play it cool. "Oh, nothing. Just a prank, I think."

Leonardo raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. "A prank? At a 5-star hotel?"

I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "I don't know, maybe some kids playing a joke."

Leonardo looked at me skeptically, but he didn't push the issue. "Alright, well, I'm done in here. You can have the bathroom now."

He walked over to his bag and started getting dressed, his eyes occasionally glancing in my direction. I could tell he was curious about what was really going on, but he didn't say anything else.

I let out a sigh of relief, glad that he hadn't pressed the issue. But my mind was still racing with thoughts of the mysterious letter and who could have sent it.

..................

Ash, Enola, and I sat in our dorm's common room, surrounded by familiar walls and comfortable furniture. Leo had to get back to work before school resumes so he could catch up with school work. Enola was glued to her phone, scrolling through social media with a look of mild disinterest.

Ash turned to me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, how was the ball? You and Leonardo seemed pretty intimate "

I felt a blush rise to my cheeks as I tried to brush off the question. "It was fine, okay? Can we not talk about this?"

Enola looked up from her phone, slightly interested. "Ooh, what happened at the ball?"

Ash leaned in, sensing drama. "Yeah, tell us! You're being super secretive."

I sighed, trying to deflect. "There's nothing to tell, Ash. Just drop it, okay?"

Enola went back to her phone, losing interest. "Whatever, you guys are so extra."

Ash didn't give up. "Come on, spill the beans! What happened with Leonardo?"

I stood up, trying to end the conversation. "Ash, seriously, stop thinking about negative stuff. It's not good for you."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Negative stuff? What are you talking about?"

I tried to cover. "Just... never mind. Can we please just drop it?"

Enola looked up again, slightly amused. "Wow, you're really defensive. Something must have happened."

Ash leaned in, a conspiratorial look on her face. "Come on, bestie, spill the beans. What happened with Leonardo?"

I hesitated for a moment before blurting out the truth. "Okay, fine. He kissed me at the ball. And it was amazing."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my God, that's amazing! Congrats, girl!"

Enola looked up from her phone, shocked. "Wait, what? He kissed you? After all these months, he finally kissed you?"

I nodded, feeling a little defensive. "We were taking things slow, okay? It wasn't a big deal."

Enola's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Not a big deal? You've been pining for him for months, and he's kissing you just now, I thought it was p

PG-18"

Ash chimed in, laughing. " well, Enola, all that matters is that he kissed her so let's be happy - finally!"

I blushed, feeling happy despite myself. "Shut up, you guys."

But deep down, I knew it was. And I couldn't wait to see what happened next with Leonardo.

Enola asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, are you guys officially together now?"

Ash nodded confidently. "Of course they are, they've been dating for months."

Enola leaned in, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "So, are you going to meet his family?"

I hesitated, feeling a little uncertain. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. It's a bit too soon, don't you think?"

Ash chimed in, offering her advice. "Yeah, don't suggest it unless they bring it up. You don't want to seem too eager."

I nodded in agreement. "Exactly. I don't want to put any pressure on the relationship."

Enola shrugged, losing interest. "Okay, no problem. You guys are boring anyway."

Ash laughed. "Hey, watch it! We're just being cautious."

I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Yeah, Enola, don't be so dramatic."

.......................

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