Te Adoro - Book 2 ✔️

• 5 •

6 am.

Luca stared at his clock and stifled a groan. He could feel his eyes burning but he couldn't get comfortable. Although he sobered up, it left a small headache in its wake, annoying him.

He pressed his face into the pillows, biting it in frustration. He knew exactly why he was restless, but there was no way he could-

Wait a second.

He sat up abruptly, turning his head to the closed window, eyeing the slight sunlight peeking through the shutters. If he left now, he could come back by tonight with Alberto. If he knew where to look.

He slid off the bed and tip-toed to the desk that was on the other side of the room, grabbing a composition notebook and a pen, sliding out and onto the treehouse.

Luca felt writing things down helped engrave things into his mind. Writing lists helped organize his thoughts.

There was where they met, that cave near his home. He tapped his pen against the paper, his eyes feeling heavy. He growled and tugged at his hair.

Despite his overflowing mind, his paper was blank, except from the occasional doodle or blank bullet point. His pen tapping became faster.

Why was this rocket science?

Even that was easier than this merda.

He looked at the sky, the sun peeking more over the horizon. It might've been an hour of staring at an empty page now, knowing well enough Massimo would get up soon.

He tossed the notebook to the side and stood up. Writing wasn't going to do him any good.

He had to jump into action.

He jumped off the treehouse and made a mad dash, keeping his eyes open for the person he was looking for. He tried the distant areas on his way to the docks, not bothering with the beach now. He didn't have the time.

He had to squint, things far looked a little fuzzy to him, and it annoyed him. There was nothing that looked even remotely like him, lowering his spirits. But there was still the ocean to check.

He sprung himself off the wooden dock, landing in the water after a perfect dive, was it only then did he let out his frustrations. He bit his lip hard enough that the points of his sharp teeth drew blood. He didn't notice, instead taking a deep breath and swam near his home.

Rocky caves, thick kelp forests, open ocean, close to the deep.

He looked and looked, to no avail. He swam up to the surface and poked his head out, scanning the area, and noticing the sun past its highest peak. It was probably around 4 by now, and he was exhausted.

From a distance, he noticed a blur of red hair at the docks; Giulia must have been looking for him. With a sigh, he retreated back to his friend, who threw a pebble at his head.

"Where'd you go without telling me? Idioti I was worried!"

He winced at her loud voice and the small throb of his forehead, where she threw the pebble. "Sorry" was all he could get out, eyes frantically scanning around the both of them.

Giulia caught on to this, remembering the conversation the night before. With a sigh, she stood and looked down at him, "You were looking for Alberto this whole time, weren't you?"

Luca nodded, looking straight at her now. There was something in her eyes he couldn't understand, looking away to lift himself out of the water and shook his scales off.

"Show me the silk?" Giulia offered her hand, and a soft smile, making Luca give one of his own. He took her hand and lifted himself up, leading her to the beach.

___________

"Look. See how there's this?" He pointed to the stain of the silk in his hand, receiving a nod from Giulia.

"Okay, now remember what I said about sea monsters turning to foam when they die?" Luca glanced at Giulia, who had her brows furrowed in confusion, sitting on her knees.

"I do," she replied.

"When absorbed, the foam will leave behind a colorful reflection. In this case, it would be under, where it had contact with his body." Luca turned it over when it was touching Alberto. He looked at Giulia now, "Do you see a rainbow light, reflection, anything?"

Giulia took the silk and eyed it closely. When she realized his point, she gasped sharply, looking at him now, "So that means-"

"He's very much alive."

"Cazzo," she muttered, placing it down. She mumbled something else, then pushed Lucas' shoulder, "We have to find him!"

"That's what I've spent the whole day doing! I can't find anything," Luca sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "It doesn't help I can barely see from a distance"

"..You have vision problems?" She looked genuinely surprised, tilting her head. Luca opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, "You know there are glasses-"

"There's no time to worry about that now" Luca stood and brushed the sand off, only for the still seated Giulia to grab his wrist.

"Let me help. We can clear more ground"

Luca scoffed, "I already looked everywhere," his shoulders sagged as he sighed, "Man, a Vespa would really help us right now"

"We'd swim right over to Vespatown, track down Signor Vespa-"

Wait. A. Second.

His eyes landed on the very island he'd met Alberto.

Isola del fucking Mare.

"That's it" Luca mumbled, realization settling in.

"Che cosa?" Giulia raised an eyebrow.

His eyes snapped to her, startling her slightly, "I know where he is" he turned and dove back into the water, stopping when he heard Giulia call out to him.

"Stay there. I'll be back later. With Alberto" with that he turned and went falling into the water, swimming quickly towards the one place he forgot to look.

The tower.