Page 11 of Livia in Rome
Ma gestures towards the mostly cleared tables. ‘There’s hardly any customers, I can manage on my own. You should go too, Livia. You’re always complaining you don’t see enough of Nina.’
Giulio makes a strangled noise, clearly as horrified as I am at the suggestion, but I still throw a smile his way before twisting my head slightly to shoot Ma ‘A Look’ – with capitals. ‘Or,’ I force the words through a gritted-teeth smile, ‘maybe you and I could go, and Giulio could stay?’
Ma bats my suggestion away with a wave of her hand. ‘Once a week is enough for me. I’ll stick to Sunday lunches and leave the other days to you. I’m sure she’d rather see you two, anyway.’
A hint of frustration stirs inside me. We came all this way and she only wants to see her once a week? Why exactly are things so off between them? I’ve always accepted Ma’s excuses about the cattery and Pa’s work, and their not wanting to take me out ofschool, but there’s definitely something deeper going on, something she’s not telling me.
Inner Isla, in the meantime, is practically elbowing me in the ribs.Remember the plan. Go. With. Giulio!
I take a deep breath and, struggling for a tone that’s neither too friendly (for Ma to misinterpret) or too unfriendly (for Giulio tocorrectlyinterpret), I say, ‘Va bene, I’ll go to the hospital. I missed out yesterday and I want to see as much of Nina as I can.’
A rustling noise at the entrance grabs our attention and Signora Pedretti’s head pops into view, leaning in as if she’s been lurking just out of sight. Her smile is a touch victorious as she looks at Ma. ‘I heard you were back!’
Ma freezes, like she’s inJurassic Parkand has been told to stay still to avoid being detected by carnivorous dinosaurs. But realizing how ridiculous she looks, she loosens up and forces a polite smile. ‘Signora Pedretti, how lovely to see you again. You met my daughter, Livia, yesterday?’
Signora Pedretti nods. ‘I knew she looked familiar. Such a strong...resemblance.’ Her milky little raisin eyes linger on the big Roman monument in the middle of my face.
‘Forza!You two.’ Ma shoos Giulio and me towards the door. ‘Don’t keep Nina waiting.’
Giulio hesitates, wanting to protest, but Ma practically shoves us outside.
On the street, we exchange a glance that, for once, has nothing to do with the tension between us, and I decide now’s a good time to kick-start my fake attempt at being friends.
‘Well,thatwas weird! It looked like Signora Pedretti was lying in wait for Ma.’ I start walking towards the Metro station, but Giulio catches my wrist and pulls me back. I stare at his hand, at his long fingers, momentarily stunned by the warmth of his skin against mine.
‘Not that way.’ He tugs me gently to the left before releasing me, and I find myself standing next to his blue Vespa.
‘Wait!’ My eyes go wide. ‘You want us to go on that?’
The smug smirk is back with a vengeance. ‘It’s how we locals travel around here, Scotland.’
Dio!Why is his every comment designed to push my buttons?
Inner Isla swoops in.Zip it and channel Audrey Hepburn, Liv.
My stomach flutters at the thought of riding this iconic scooter across Rome. I mentally trace the route; it’ll take us past the pillars of the RomanForum and the imposing architecture of Piazza Venezia, then across the city to Isola Tiberina. Definitely an improvement on the concrete walls and sweaty armpits of the Metro.
And it doesn’t look like I have a choice anyway.
Giulio fishes out a second, smaller helmet, decorated with cute anime stickers, from under the Vespa’s seat. As I take it, a sudden thought crosses my mind – does he have a girlfriend? I mean, he’s probably not muscling in on everyone’s grandmother, so with a big stretch of the imagination, I suppose it’s possiblesomeonemight be into him.
The Vespa saddle looks long, but by the time I climb on behind Giulio – with only slightly more dignity than I managed the hammock – and scoot right back against the grab rail, we’re still uncomfortably close. I’m hyper-aware of every point of contact and wish I’d worn jeans instead of this skirt, because it feels like there’s not enough material between us.
The engine whines as Giulio accelerates into the road, tilting us sharply. I grab his sides, feeling hard muscle under my fingers before I pull them away and grip the saddle instead. I’ve never actually been pressed up against a guy before and I try to keep away from him, but every bump in the road shoves me closer, like the city itself is determined to throw us together. It’s impossible to avoid touching him. I can even feel the heat of his back through his shirt as we speed through the bustling streets, past historic landmarks and crowded piazzas, each corner and curve offering a snapshot of Rome’s street life and fancybuildings. The city’s beauty almost distracts me from the awkwardness. Almost.
When we reach Isola Tiberina, I slide off the saddle on shaky legs, trying not to think about having to do this all over again on the way back. Giulio pulls the Vespa on to its kickstand, and we head to the trattoria to pick up our food. It’s the only building besides the hospital, a church and a small pharmacy on the tiny island, as if access to restaurant-quality food is just as important as religion and healthcare here. And judging by the delicious smell of the carbonara and the mouth-watering aroma of sage and prosciutto wafting from thesaltimboccawe pick up for ourselves and Nina, I can totally see why.
Inside the hospital, we walk along the corridor side by side and I rack my brain for friend-type questions that might get me close to the information I’m looking for. ‘So, you’ve been working at the bar for a while then?’
Giulio’s step falters a moment. ‘I suppose. Nina’s needed me more, recently. Even before she broke her leg.’ He doesn’t meet my eyes, but I detect a challenge in his voice when he says, ‘She’s like family.’
I’m not sure what to make of that. He sounds sincere...like he actually cares about her. But does he? Would he be creeping around stealing her lettersand making dodgy phone calls if that were true?
I brace myself as we reach Nina’s door. I know I’ll have to speak. I can’t keep showing up without saying a word, but the thought of messing up my Italian in front of her is paralysing. It’s bad enough watching Giulio scrunch his face when I talk, as though understanding my less-than-perfect accent requires all his effort.
I hover awkwardly by the door, feeling like an intruder, as Giulio leans in to kiss Nina’s cheek – a mistake I won’t be making this time. I watch their easy familiarity, a pang of jealousy tightening in my chest – not just for their closeness but for the effortless way he fits into her world and into this city.
Giulio straightens and Nina’s eyes meet mine. It could be my imagination, but her smile dims slightly. ‘Livia. You woke up in time today.’
