Page 11 of The Fear of Falling
He wasn’t in the lobby this morning when I headed out to find breakfast at this adorable little outdoor café. I thought about hanging around the hotel for a bit in the hopes of running into him, but that feels a little desperate. Avery Baldwin is not the type of person to get desperate.
Nor is she the type to contemplate a week-long fling, but here we are.
I sip my cappuccino and pop the last bite of my cornetto into my mouth, savoring the buttery bread. If I’m not careful, I’ll be late for my guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery. Art isn’t always my favorite thing, but this is Italy, and the gallery feels like the kind of place someone should go if they’re here. But a part ofme wants to keep sitting here at my table and watch the people walking by, locals and tourists alike.
I wonder what all their stories are.
My phone buzzes right as I’m getting up from my table and slinging my purse over my head—harder for someone to steal it this way. Opening my text thread with my sister, I keep to the side of the busy street so I’m out of anyone’s path.
Dani:
Sexy and creative and hardworking and kind…sigh. Am I nauseating or what? ;)
Very gentlemanly of him! Though I’m a little disappointed the two of you didn’t end up with only one bed. It happens in romance novels all the time but never in real life.
Avery:
Does it mean I’m on the rebound if I wish it could be a real-life trope? Are they still called tropes if it’s real life?
Ugh, I shouldn’t even be thinking about this guy when I’m only going to be here for a week. I don’t know anything about him other than the fact that he’s drop-dead gorgeous and heroic and smells like a rainy forest and has the kind of smile that saves babies from burning fires.
Dani:
How does a smile save babies from burning fires? Is that a skill he could list on his resume? I might need a demonstration.
Also, aren’t all fires burning?
I cringe as I look back at my last text. Wow, that was a mess. I’m going to blame the nonsense on the fact that I slept for like thirteen hours last night and am running on nothing but bread and caffeine, none of which is doing me any favors when it comes to combating my jet lag.
Avery:
I might be a little jet lagged. I tried to sleep on the plane, but freaking Benson was over there looking all manly the whole time.
I’m going to stop fantasizing about him being interested in me, because that will never happen, and focus on myself the rest of this trip. Reset. Mostly I texted you to let you know I made it safely, and I’ll be sure to eat some gelato for you.
Dani:
Of course he could be interested in you! You’re intelligent and gorgeous and passionate! And it’s about time you started noticing other men. Men that actually have personality and depth, unlike You-Know-Who.
Rolling my eyes, I start typing a text in defense of Eric, telling her that he totally has depth because I wouldn’t have started a business with him if he didn’t. But I pause halfway through the thought and flip back to the texts Eric has sent me since I left. It’s all work-related, and most of them are things he can easily figure out himself. I honestly can’t decide if he’s floundering without me there or if this is some strange way to tell me he misses me.
I bite my lip and consider that. Eric and I were together for six years, which is anything but insignificant. Does he really have nothing to say to me other than asking me where we keep the bookmarks?Same place we’ve always kept them, Eric. We used to talk about anything and everything, but it’s beenmonthssince we had a conversation about anything that isn’t our company. Even before we broke up. And while I love talking about our books…
I miss that. I miss having someone to talk to about the big things and the little things and all the things in between. But it’s only been a couple of months since Eric and I broke up, and it’s not like I can flip a switch and pretend our relationship didn’t happen. Dani says it’s time for me to move on, but what if I’m not ready?
What if I can’t find anyone I can talk to like I used to with Eric?
Avery:
While I appreciate the praise (you’re the best sister ever), it’s a bad idea for me to flirt with some guy. It’s not like we
Someone bumps into me, nearly knocking my phone out of my hand as I accidentally hit send. “Scusi!” he says. “Sorry, I didn’t—Avery?”
Alarm shifts quickly to surprise as I meet Benson’s gaze, all too aware of his hand cupping my arm to keep me upright. “Oh! Hi. Hey.Hola.”
His lips twist in a smirk. “That’s Spanish, but I like the effort. Hi back. I’m sorry for running into you.”
“I’m not.” Oh goodness, that’s not the kind of thing someone says out loud. “I mean I’m glad it’s you and not some handsy Italian guy.”
