Tuscan Love Letter

CHAPTER 10

We decide to keep it light today and stay in the villa, mostly doing nothing. In the morning, I go out on a walk with Mark, Victor, and Hannah. We visit the local market, and I hope we'll bump into Sofia, but we don't.

The rest of the day goes by normally until lunch when Sofia finally comes back. Victor, Chris, and I are on the terrace having a drink when she walks into the little disco the kids have put on in the living room. She joins in, dancing with Noah, making me internally roll my eyes.

"Guys, we really need to find some gorgeous Italian woman like Noah," Victor says, sipping his drink.

"Yeah, no kidding," Chris agrees. "He got really lucky."

I watch Sofia dancing with Noah, her laughter ringing out. It bothers me more than it should. I can't shake the feeling that she deserves better than Noah. He just doesn't seem to appreciate how special she is. Noah isn't a bad guy, but I feel like he takes Sofia for granted. He doesn't seem to realise how amazing she is or how lucky he is to have her to himself.

"Finn, you look like you've got something on your mind," Victor says, interrupting my thoughts.

I shrug, trying to play it off. "Just thinking about how Noah lucked out."

"Yeah, well, sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time," Chris says, leaning back in his chair.

As we continue to chat, my eyes keep drifting back to Sofia. She is so full of life and energy, always bringing joy to those around her. I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy and a desire to be the one making her smile like that.

When Noah takes a break from dancing, Sofia comes out to join us on the terrace. She is still glowing from the fun inside, her smile contagious.

"Hey, Sofia," I say, giving her a warm smile. "Having fun in there?"

"Oh, absolutely," she replies, her eyes sparkling. "The kids are hilarious, and Noah's not a bad dancer either."

I chuckle, even though the compliment to Noah stung a bit. "Yeah, he's got some moves."

Sofia grabs a drink and sits down with us, and I take the opportunity to steer the conversation towards her. "So, how was work today? Anything interesting?"

"It was good," she says, taking a sip. "The kids were a handful, but they're great. I actually met some new vendors at the market who had some amazing products."

We talk for a while about her day, the market, and her experiences living in Italy. I find myself drawn to her stories, each one revealing more of the incredible person she is.

Noah eventually comes back out, wrapping his arm around Sofia's shoulders. "Hey, love. Having a good time out here?"

"Yeah, just catching up with the guys," she says, smiling up at him.

I watch as they interact, and despite my reservations, I can't deny that there is a genuine connection between them. Still, a part of me can't shake the thought that she should break up with him.

✽✽✽

The whole group is downstairs, and Noah is taking Sofia out on a date today, so they are getting ready upstairs. Adrian asks about some plans for the next few days, and since Noah is the only one who knows about them, I tell them I'll go ask him. In reality, I want an excuse to see Sofia more than anything.

I walk over to their room and knock on the door. I hear Sofia say something and take it as an invitation to enter. As soon as I step in, I see her quickly covering her chest and turning around.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," I stammer, my face flushing with embarrassment.

"It's okay, I thought you were Noah," she says, her back still turned to me.

"I was looking for Noah," I explain, trying to sound casual despite the awkwardness.

"He's in the bathroom," she replies, pulling the straps of her dress over her shoulders and turning back to face me.

"Do you need any help with the zipper?" I ask, stepping closer to her.

"No, it's okay," she says, shaking her head.

"I insist," I say, wanting to help and unable to resist the urge to be near her.

Just as I reach for the zipper, Noah walks in. His eyes immediately narrow, and I can see the scepticism written all over his face.

"What's going on here?" he asks, his tone guarded.

"I was just helping with the zipper," I say, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Adrian wanted to know about the plans for the next few days, and I thought I'd come up and ask you."

Noah's gaze shifts between Sofia and me, and I can tell he isn't entirely convinced. Sofia, sensing the tension, quickly interjects.

"It's fine, Noah. He just walked in by mistake," she says, smoothing her dress. "I thought it was you."

Noah's expression softens slightly, but he still looks wary. "Alright, well, I'm here now. Finn, if you need to ask about the plans, just give me a second to finish getting ready."

I nod, trying to keep my composure. "Sure thing. I'll wait outside."

As I turn to leave, I can't help but glance back at Sofia. She gives me a small, reassuring smile, but I can still feel Noah's eyes boring into me. I step out of the room, leaning against the wall and taking a deep breath.

Seeing Sofia like that was equal parts hot and awkward. Part of me doesn't regret it at all, especially when I saw Noah's reaction. It was clear he didn't like me being so close to her, and honestly, I don't mind pushing his buttons a bit.

Noah joins me a moment later, closing the door behind him. "So, what did Adrian want to know?"

I fill him in on Adrian's questions, but my mind is elsewhere. Seeing Sofia up close like that, knowing she is getting ready for a date with Noah, stirs up feelings I am not entirely comfortable with.