: ̗̀➛ part three of the
one for the road series
SNOWFALL / CL16
in which two childhood friends reunite. a formula one driver wants to learn how to snowboard and it just so happens that the daughter of his mum's be...
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✧ ˚ · . CHAPTER TWO . · ˚✧ sweet divine
palermo, sicily, summer 2014
The bright Italian sun beat down on my skin, sweat sticking to my skin the moment I stepped out of our air-conditioned SUV. The villa we had rented a couple of times before came into view as I slipped my sunglasses on, my eyes relaxing, no longer having to squint against the bright sunlight.
It was a stunning white mansion in a typical modern style with a heavy wooden front door. The garden was wildly kept, the miraculously green grass speckled with wildflowers while orange blossom trees lined the gravel pathway to the front door.
A cactus stood tall on top of the Mediterranean tiles, which were a murky brown against my white trainers. I couldn't wait to exchange them for slippers, although preferably I'd like to dip my feet in a pool. Sweat dripped down the back of my neck.
"Arden! Alfie!" An excited squeal sounded from inside the house, and seconds later the door flung open and Arthur came rushing out. I had barely a moment to observe him before he wrapped me in a hug. He was as tall as I was now, but gangly and bony where I was soft and curvy. I laughed, giving him a soft squeeze.
"Loulou!" My father called from the back of the SUV, surrounded by suitcases and bags. His brow was dripping with sweat, and he raised the inside of his elbow to wipe the perspiration away. "Come and let me see how tall you've gotten."
And so Arthur was whisked away by my father, who had always doted on him especially. Alfie came to stand beside me, dropping his suitcase. He looked up at the villa. "It's been a while since we've been here," He said, his voice soft, as if he were far away in a dream.
I nudged my elbow into his side to pull him back to reality, but before I could say anything two figures appeared through the doorway, followed closely by another pair. Lorenzo and Charles dashed towards us, Pascale and Hervé close behind them.
Lorenzo wrapped his arms around me, twirling me around until the world became a blurry array of colours. When he finally set me down, it took a moment before I found my footing, his warm hands steadying me where they held onto my forearms. I looked up into dark brown eyes, and they melted into something a lot like surprise and nothing like the Lorenzo I'd known until now. His gaze raked over me.
"Wow, Arden. Tu as changé." Lorenzo swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing for a moment. I laughed his comment off, shaking his touch away. For some reason, gaining his attention in such a way made my shirt itch the back of my neck uncomfortably. A heated gaze settled on me, but it wasn't Lorenzo's. I turned, and came face to face with Charles.
