WOULD YOU RESCUE ME?

25. A Taste of Reckless Nostalgia

As lunch hour rolled around, the four of them settled into Vanessa's cozy apartment, surrounded by the comforting scent of freshly delivered pizza. Boxes were strewn across the coffee table: two Margheritas, a Diavola, and one stacked with vegetables at Astra's request. The air was filled with a blend of spices, melting cheese, and warm dough, instantly filling the space with a sense of familiarity and home.

Giorgio took a huge bite of pizza, barely swallowing before he started reminiscing. "So, signori, let me tell you about the time Vanessa decided to swim all the way to that little rock in the bay at Posillipo Beach," he began, eyes glinting with mischief. "And before you say anything, yes, it was in the middle of the night!"

Michele laughed, already seeing Astra's surprise. "Sì sì, Vanessa thought she was invincible. She said she wanted to see what the sea felt like at midnight, so she left us all on the shore and swam off into the darkness."

Astra raised her eyebrows, turning to look at Vanessa, who was now cradling a slice of pizza in her hands. "Middle of the night, huh? Why am I not surprised?"

Vanessa shrugged, smirking but looking away, almost shy under Astra's gaze. "What can I say? The sea feels different when it's just you, the stars, and the silence... And for feels different I mean it's terrifying, I'll never do that again, not alone at leas" Vanessa replied with a smirk on her face starring at astra, like she was flirting with her own girl. 

But Vanessa's voice trailed off, her mind already starting to drift. She could still remember how the water had swallowed her whole, the silence as deep as it was overwhelming, the thrill mingling with a touch of fear. But here, back on her couch with Astra and her old friends, those memories carried a sharper edge, tinged with a newfound awareness of just how recklessly she'd lived. She wanted to laugh along, to just enjoy these stories, but something kept tugging at her, a small voice reminding her of how those moments had come with a price.

Across from her, Giorgio's eyes sparkled with amusement. He leaned forward, nudging Michele as he continued. "Remember that one? Vanessa was so mad when she got back and realized we'd all left her to swim back alone."

Michele chuckled, wiping his hands on a napkin. "She didn't talk to us for a whole week. Giuro, she actually meant it too. And every time we tried to apologize, she'd just shrug and say, 'I don't even know you.'" He laughed, his voice ringing through the room.

Vanessa tried to join in, shaking her head, but her laughter was softer, more reserved. She took a bite of her pizza and let the voices fade, thinking back on the surge of thrill she used to chase, the freedom she'd craved every time she dove into the unknown. But those memories, once so vivid and exciting, now felt somehow muted, complicated by everything she'd experienced since. She knew Astra had sensed it too; Astra always did.

As Giorgio and Michele delved into another story, something about the time Vanessa had climbed halfway up Mount Vesuvius, ignoring warnings about an approaching storm, Astra noticed Vanessa's distraction. Vanessa's gaze had drifted, her pizza forgotten on her plate. Her friends noticed too, but they exchanged a quick look without commenting, an unspoken agreement to let her sit with her thoughts.

They all knew Vanessa's tendency to go silent when her mind was elsewhere, diving into her memories in a way she rarely shared. Even though they were here, recounting her wild escapades, they knew this was something only Vanessa herself could confront.

Astra quietly reached over, brushing Vanessa's hand, her touch gentle, a soft reminder of her presence. Vanessa blinked, refocusing on Astra, and offered her a small, grateful smile. The warmth in Astra's eyes, her silent understanding, soothed the edge of Vanessa's introspection, grounding her back in the moment. She was here, in her home, surrounded by the people who loved her, who had been there in the wildness of her youth and were still here, now that she was trying to figure out who she wanted to be.