Easing Heimweh (Heim, #1) ✓

25: Hello, Aelius

I was reminded again of Amalfi Coast's beauty, and even more so of the memories I had in it.

"Captain," I heard Cali say, nudging me when I got caught up in the scenery for the nth time this morning. "We're heading to Salerno in a bit. You okay there?"

"Yeah." I cleared my throat in embarrassment. "Just jet-lagged, is all."

"You'll be sleeping in a real bed soon, Signorina," said Achilles who walked by Cali's right. His grifriend was sandwiched between the two of us as he showed us around the coast. Our last destination would be their house in Salerno, where we would stay for a few nights.

I, of course, was nothing short of confused when I heard that. "Wasn't the house sold because Lucius doesn't want to live there anymore?"

Achilles hummed in agreement. "Aelius insisted on having a new one when Lucius moved back here," he replied. "The boy's been staying there since November."

"Oh."

Achilles left me to my thoughts as we arrived at a parked sailboat. Cali and I hopped in first and he followed, heading straight to the controls.

"You know how to drive this thing?" I asked as we departed from the shore. From here I could see tourists watching us from their tables. Restaurants and small shops flaunted themselves through glass windows, and for a second I wished we'd eat first before sailing off.

Achilles pulled a lever and the boat sped up. "I learned from Aelius, Signorina," he said. "And Lucius says it's a Vitali staple, whatever that means. I don't even know where he got that word from. He doesn't speak English very much."

The three of us shared chuckles at that. Then the space was enveloped in comfortable silence as we sailed around the Mediterranean Sea. I closed my eyes to borrow a few minutes of sleep, but I didn't really fall to slumber as the sailboat was being cradled in the waves. I could hear Cali and Achilles talking about the flock of birds that flew past, the topic immediately switching to the most underrated dish in Oasis.

I left them to chatter while my mind wandered off to a certain house in Salerno. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about going there. I was afraid of what would happen if I saw him again after a year without contact. How could I keep in touch when he had my number blocked, anyway?

I thought of every possible scenario out there within the short time I'd stayed in the sailboat. Would Aelius and I find a chance to talk? Would he answer my questions? Would I answer his? Could things go back the way they were before the storm?

Did he even love me?

"Captain?"

I jolted in my seat, eyes opening in surprise and squinting at the bright sunlight. "Hm?"

"Still jet-lagged?"

"No, just..." I sat up, sighing as I stared at the deep blue surrounding us. "I got tired from thinking."

With that, Cali's gaze softened. She took my hand and covered it with both of hers, tapping it in hopes of the gesture providing me some assurance. "It's gonna be okay. I now you're nervous about meeting him, but nothing will go wrong."

"You sound certain."

"I am!" She chuckled. "And even if something does go wrong, we'll ditch the whole scene and fly to Amsterdam first thing in the morning. Sounds good?"

It did.

I should be alright. Cali had been by my side this whole time. She thought about this trip well, and did so with my best interest in mind. I trusted her wholeheartedly, because if there was anyone outside of my family that I would, in great confidence, claim that loved me, it was her.

We settled for some salmon bagels on our way to Salerno for late lunch. I expected us to rent a car, but apparently, Achilles owned one. I sat in the back and convinced my best friend to sit in the front for her boyfriend. She wasn't at all willing to comply, partly because she felt I needed the company, but I reminded her that she filed for a paid leave, too. It wasn't everyday that she'd get to hang out with Achilles. Their last date was during Valentine's, when the man flew to San Francisco to surprise her.

"Welcome home," Achilles announced as the car slowed down to a full stop. He pointed to our left where a long, wooden house stood. Half of it was shrouded in green, and the front yard was a good place to spend afternoons in, thanks to the trees shading the space.

I was the last to get out, and as I opened the trunk to grab my suitcase, I heard a woman's voice call us from inside the house.

"Leave your things there, I'll bring them inside," she said to me. "Come in."

The woman was in her early twenties, with a pretty face and long, auburn hair. She wore a sundress similar to mine, and three brown anklets decorated her bare feet. She approached us with a bright smile, and I stepped back when she'd gone a little to close to my liking.

"I'm Emilia," she said, lifting a hand in front of me. "I'm Lucius' caretaker."

I accepted the handshake. "The name's Evadne."

It was painfully subtle, but I noticed something shift in her features—Emilia's brows contorted to a frown, and her smile faltered, all happening in a split second before going away. "Oh," was all she half-heartedly responded with before letting go of my hand and introducing herself to Cali.

"Where is Aelius?" Achilles asked, already making his way to the house. Emilia was close by, and her conversation with Cali was interrupted by the question.

"He's in the kitchen cooking something."

"I'll go and help him, then," Achilles said before leaving us three.

"Nice place," Cali commented as we entered. Plush, green couches and a black coffee table welcomed my line of sight. A near-empty wooden bookshelf was situated at the back near the dining area, but my eyes eventually gravitated to the walls. Several caps and framed pictures hung on the taupe wall by the living area. Just like that, the history of the Vitalis soaring the seas with Royal Allure presented itself before us.

"Alon."

And just like that, my heartbeat had gone erratic. Slowly I turned around, my gaze panning to the man that took myriads of hours for me to see again. My shoulders grew tense, and I could only hope no one noticed my resolve break from the simple mention of that damn name.

"Hello, Aelius," I greeted before going back outside.

I didn't need to look at him any longer. I noticed how fast his demeanor went from calm to tense, how he had to put his knife down and stop slicing the vegetables in front of him, how his eyes lingered to where I stood when I called him by his real name for the first time.

I noticed everything, even my best friend and Achilles' chatters that suddenly halted when they heard me, and the way Emilia froze upon seeing Aelius react like that when I went past her,

I noticed everything.

But they didn't notice how my eyes welled with tears when I turned away and left them with nothing more to say, painfully aware that his name was the last thing I uttered.