Storm and Sea - Book 1

Chapter 4

TW In the description
Thank you to Inkendz on Instagram for the art!

Giulia POV

Giulia was getting hungry.

"What is taking Alberto so long?" Giulia complained, lifting her head off Luca's shoulder.

"Maybe we should go check on him?" Luca suggested. Giulia groaned again.

"Fiiiiine." Luca stood first then offered his hand to help her up. She took it and let out a little giggle.

"What's funny?" Luca asked.

"Oh, nothing." She said giddily.

It was no secret. And Giulia wasn't really trying to hide it. She had a crush on Luca.

It only started about a year ago. She found herself looking at him and thinking he was cute more and more often. Everything from his dark brown hair to his roundish nose made her giggle with delight. Plus, she had known him since they were kids and lived with him for a few years. She couldn't think of anyone she knew better.

She took his hand. "Let's go see the festival!" She shouted and ran down the hill with Luca in tow.

The stalls were laden with fancy fishing equipment and clothes, as well as ocean-themed jewelry and decorations. But what Giulia was most excited about was the rich assortment of fried foods.

"Oooh, Luca, let's go try some!" She said and, without waiting for an answer, dragged him to a stall selling fried Pineapple.

"Doesn't this look amazing!" She said, staring at the golden rings of fruits.

"Shouldn't we be looking for Alberto?" Luca said, not paying attention to the food.

"We will, we will!" Giulia said, waving it off. She looked up. "Look over there! I think that's Guido and Chicho? Let's go say hi!" She said, remembering their old friends from years ago.

She took off through the crows of people. When she got close enough, she realized it wasn't them and turned back disappointedly.

"Rats, it wasn't them. Oh well. Let's go get some pine-," she looked around. "Luca?" She scanned the crowd over and over, but Luca was nowhere to be seen.

She groaned and searched for a high point where she could get a better view. She had really been looking forward to spending time with Luca ALONE. Ever since they got back from Geneva, she couldn't get a single second with him. And no matter how obvious she was, Luca didn't seem to notice that she liked him.

Giulia walked around the carnival for another hour. Finally, she resigned to getting herself some pineapple and sitting back on the hill by herself. The stalls began to close, and the lights turned off.

"This kinda sucks." She said to herself, taking the last bit of her pineapple. It stung that Luca took off like that. Probably to look for Alberto. She leaned back and smiled at the sky. It didn't matter. Maybe it was the warm night air or the sweetness left on her tongue from the fruit, but Giulia decided then and there what she was going to do.

"I'm going to tell him. After the race." She said to no one. It would take ages before Luca caught on that she liked him. Tomorrow was the Portorosso Cup. After the race was over, she would tell him.

Giulia giggled with excitement. She couldn't wait.

Alberto POV

The morning of the race was mayhem. It was pretty much a never-ending barrage of Giulia yelling instructions to everyone.