A lover's guide to love

Chapter ten

Ava's bike shook slightly as they travelled through the streets that led towards a secret beach location Pietro apparently knew all about, and yet nobody else of the group. Ava found it somewhat comforting to not be the only one stranger to the lands, everyone else sharing the same thought process as her. They all followed blindly to the spot that was supposed to be the trip's perfect ending.

Two days; two days they spent avoiding each other's eyes, or touch, or speech. Every time they talked to each other it was like an explosion waiting to happen, all of it bubbling beneath the surface. Both tried to pretend like nothing ever happened, like the sensation of desire was never lit when their lips grazed against each other's, or about how close yet so far they had gotten to becoming one. And how Ava could feel herself want it so much and so badly, it could tear her apart piece by piece.

But every time Pietro would find the courage to speak more, Ava found herself getting lost in the flow of vowels that were sliding off his tongue and into the space around them, before fading away and the sound was replaced by silence.

  A cave entrance stood in front of them in a small arch, the sound of the beach nearby acting as white noise. It was a gradient change between the strong structure of Venice homes to a cave that was a five-minute bike ride away from the beach, and Ava was quite fond of it.

            The bikes where abandoned at the entrance as Pietro led them through, occasionally stopping to offer Ava a helping hand so she wouldn't slip on the rocks that were coated with salty seawater, her hand lingering in his a little longer every time.

            What was right in front of her Ava could stare for eternity, admiring it so intensely, as if it would disappear in the blink of an eye if she dared to look away. Glimmering waters were staring right back at herm the secluded, natural pool reflecting its calm flow on the ceiling made of rocks. It danced in a rhythm Ava quickly deciphered, like it was greeting its admirers.

            She took a step closer to the edge that stood a few inches above the water, carefully, following the rest as they shed their clothes and stood only in their bathing suits. Ava's eyes wondered over to Pietro who grabbed his shirt by the back of his neck and pulled it over his head, carefully folding it in his backpack that was abandoned in a close-by corner.
             Her eyes where quickly diverted elsewhere when his head was turning in her direction, but not fast enough, for Pietro caught her staring with a hint of a smile dancing on his lips.  And as she unsuspectingly inched closer to the water to inspect the depth below, she received a sudden push, Pietro's hand being the culprit.

            Her hands and feet quickly pushed her towards the surface, pushing her hair away from her eyes once she did to get a better look of Pietro, watching him laugh for the first time since that night. There was no way she could get mad at him when he seemed so happy.

            "How's the water?" Pietro asked, Ava narrowing her eyes in response with a grin.

            But now it was his turn for karma to take action, Manuela taking advantage of his careless mind to push him with all her might. His fall created subtle waves around the water, Ava having to raise her chin up a little higher to avoid swallowing any water.

            Manuela winked at Ava with pleasure before she sat down at the edge before sliding in the water, Pietro finally emerging to stare at Manuela with a startled glare. But she never badged and stared right back proudly, Pietro unable to fight back a snicker that was rising from his chest.

            One hand ran down his face as he tried to divert the water from his eyes to anywhere else, his water-coated lashes now darker and longer above his eyes. Even the simplest thing he did had the power to grab Ava's attention and hold it captive, having her sink lower in the water in an attempt to cool herself down.