The Game of Hearts

Chapter Twenty-Seven- Annabel

I wake up late the next day, exhausted from a horrible night sleep. I was up half the night, tossing and turning, wide awake from jetlag.

We all decide to go out and have lunch at a Pizzeria, because after all it is Italy. When we get to the pizza place, it's the one my uncle recommended and the most expensive place on the street, we get a table and sit down to order. I'm scanning my eyes over the menu of pizzas when I hear a cheer and look up.

Lexi is cheering, whilst waving her hands in the air. I roll my eyes and smile at Alexis, wondering why she's cheering.

A while later, after we've ordered and when I'm deep in conversation with Jason and Snow, I hear a loud bang and my head snaps to the right, looking at where the sound came from. All the polite conversation from the rest of the restaurant suddenly come to a stop.

Lola is bent over the table in silent laughter, Daisy is looking under the table and Lyra is staring avidly at her phone screen with a small grin on her face, while Felicity cackles evilly.

"What just happened?" I ask, confused because I was talking to Snow and Jason.

Lola nearly falls out of her chair from laughing, her shoulders shaking, "Lexi- Lexi..." she laughs, and then she shakes her head, unable to go on.

"Felicity?" I ask Felicity for answers because Lola isn't helping.

Suddenly a loud yell from under the table startles me, I bend down and look.

"Lexi?"

She looks at me and grins, holding her forehead, "Hey Bells!"

"What are you doing under the table?"

"I fell! Whilst happy dancing!" she beams.

"PIZZA!" Lola yells happily and when I sit up, there are the pizzas, being put on the table in front of us.

"Shhhh!" I hiss, to Lola as the waiter leaves. The pizzas are thin with sauce and cheese, but overall it smells amazing.

Lexi picks herself up from under the table and we start to eat the slices, having ordered a couple big ones to share. I finish my first piece, and it tastes just how it smells- amazing.

"You have a little sauce," Jason says with a smile, "just... there..." he picks up a napkin and wipes beside my mouth.

I laugh and shake my head.

"Jason!" Lola says with an evil grin. I look over at her and watch her release her piece of pizza, watching it fly across the table and hit Jason, splattering sauce and cheese across his denim jacket, some of which splatters onto his face.

"Hey!" Jason cries, wiping some of the sauce off his face and picking up the slice.

"Soooo cheesy Jason," Lexi laughs.

"Who has sauce on their face now?" I laugh.

***

The next day, we decide to visit the main attraction- the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We all go down stairs and sit down, with our food for breakfast. Felicity just has a cup of water and Jason is nowhere to be seen. I text him again, wondering where he is as I finish my fruit salad. I get up to go to the buffet one more time, for yogurt, when Jason appears, rushing across the restaurant with a black strap across his chest.

"What's up?" I ask when he gets to me.

"I've got a gig today, this morning, like, right now. I'm playing at a lady's ninetieth birthday party, in Florence, so I have to go now," he says, out of breath.

"But we were going to visit the Tower of Pisa!" I cry, realizing that the black strap is connected to his guitar case.

"I know, I know, I'll have go later, but I really have to do this, sorry Bell," he kisses me on the cheek quickly and goes to leave, but he keeps his hand cupping my face and stares into my eyes for a second, a longing look on his face. He wants to stay but he can't. I know he can't. I push his hand away.

"Go, I understand," I look away.

"Don't be like that Bell," he takes my hand inside of his.

"No, I get it. Just go, I'll see you when you get back," I meet his eyes and give him a smile. A cheeky grin stretches across his face.

"We can go out for dinner, just the two of us, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," I smile.

***

When breakfast is over, we take a taxi to the tower. It's fenced off, but we look up at it and Lexi makes sure to take tons of photos. Photos of us holding it up, photos of us trying to push it, normal photos and crazy photos. Everything you could ever imagine.

When we're done, we decide to find somewhere to get ice cream. We sit down on a table outside. It's in a nice park with lots of nature and there's a small gathering of trees nearby. It's mainly peaceful.

"Look," Lyra points out a guy across the grass, walking with a bouquet of flowers.

"Awwww, I bet it's for some lucky girl," Daisy says. He turns around and I almost choke on my ice cream.

How is it possible?

It's Ethan.

Somehow my thoughts have teleported into Lola's head because she looks at me in confusion. I stare at him in shock. I know he said that he was in Europe, but he never said he was HERE! And how did he find us? It must have been yesterday, when I told him we'd be around here. I duck my head and look down, holding my hand up as shield, hoping that he won't notice me.

"Maybe it's for that girl," Lyra suggests, pointing at a pretty girl sitting by herself a few tables over.

I know it's not.

It's for Snow.

'Sh*t Ethan, why?' I mentally talk to him. But he spots us. I want to grab Snow and sprint away. But he locks eyes with me, nods and walks towards us. No, no, no. Snow looks at him in confusion and I know she recognizes him, but just doesn't remember why. Ethan walks to us.

"He's coming towards us," Lola notices. He strolls to our table, makes eye contact with me, but I can't say anything. His eyes flicker to the girl next to me. Snow. He locks eyes with her and hands the roses to her. Snow reads the letter, which I read over her shoulder.

'From ?' It says. Snow's face goes from confusion to shock as she stares at Ethan for a second.

"No way," she whispers. "It's you."

"'Question Mark,'" he smiles. Lola gasps, but covers her mouth with her hand.

"Who the f*** is he?" Lexi mutters. I get to my feet.

"Guys let's give them some privacy," I back away from the table. My friends follow me and I head for the gathering of trees. I walk behind the first line of trees and sit down, my back to a tree. I swear under my breath and my head falls into my hands. I sigh.

"That's Ethan?" Lola asks.

"Who the hell is he?!" Lexi cries.

"My cousin," I say. Lola explains the story, everything that happened.

"So that's definitely Question Mark?" Daisy asks. I nod. Lexi whips out her camera and gets down on her knees, snapping photos from different angles, capturing the moment in the screen. My cousin and my best friend. I get to my feet and wipe my hands on my jacket.

"Let's leave them alone," I say.

"Let's get more Pizza!" Lola cheers.

"Come on now, Lexi," Daisy says. Lexi groans.

"Just one more picture..."