Page 50 of Chasing You

“And reminiscing on when our dear husbands used to look as handsome as you,” one of her friends says, resulting in a snort from Donna.

“Speak for yourself,” the other one says with a sideways glare. “Alessio never quite looked likethat.”

A flush crawls up my cheeks. I’m being accosted by three women over seventy.

“Are you doing crunches when you’re up in the sky, are you?”

“Cynthia!” Donna gives a weak smack to her friend's arm. “Leave the poor boy alone.”

“No,” I shake my head with a chuckle. It’s flattering more than anything. “I spend a lot of my spare time in a boxing ring.”

“Oh, have you met Boulder?” The third friend asks. Both Donna and Cynthia start muttering and nodding their heads.

“No…who’s Boulder?” I ask.

“He’s our local Hulk,” Cynthia chimes in.

“He’s a boxer too,” Donna adds. “He holds tournaments here every now and again. Very entertaining really, if you can get over the whole spitting blood thing.”

A decent fight, then, if there’s blood involved. “Where can I find this Boulder?” I ask.

I’ve been itching to get my hands in a pair of gloves for the last few weeks. Running didn’t hit the mark of distraction the way boxing does. Especially considering I ran straight into the thing I’m supposed to be distracting myself from.

“Luna’s gym,” Donna says. “It’s two streets back from Main, you’ll find it.”

“Doesn’t he have a tournament coming up in Sorrento next week?” Cynthia says.

The women begin muttering among themselves again, but the wheels are spinning in my head.

I need to get into that tournament.

chapter twenty

MARINA

PAST

“All of thebest rom-coms come from the nineties,” I say. “Notting Hill, Ten Things I Hate About You, Runaway Bride, Dirty Dancing—okay technically that was late eighties but nonetheless, it’s the best.Pretty Woman.”

“So really you just love Julia Roberts,” Miles says from his spot on the couch.

“It was her era!” I say, pulling the popcorn from the beeping microwave and drizzling melted butter over the top. “It’s not my fault she was cast in all of the best ones.My Best Friend's Wedding? Another classic.”

Miles just chuckles, shaking his head. “Your brain is a mystery to me, you know?”

“How?” I ask through a mouth full of crunch, buttery, deliciousness as I walk over to the couch.

“I swear I learn a new thing about you every day.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” I plonk down beside him. “You did want to know more about me than my favorite color, remember?”

He reaches into the popcorn bowl, collecting a handful. “Yeah, I remember, princess.”

“Oh!Miss Congeniality!” I interrupt him. “Wait, no, that was Sandra Bullock.”

He just chuckles through his nose. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I thought I was remarkable?” I turn to face him.

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