hadn’t noticed me yet as he tipped his head back and stared at the sky. I took a step closer, and my sandal landed on a twig, the thin piece of wood snapping, seeming obscenely loud, as if a gunshot had been let out and it echoed off the trees that surrounded us.
Gio lifted his head and looked in my direction, and the moment our eyes locked, I saw so much emotion cover his face that I swayed a little.
He was standing a second later, striding over to me at a brisk pace. And all I could do was stand there, not sure if I should move forward to meet him.
Before I knew it, Gio was right in front of me, his hand on the back of my head, his lips crashing to mine. I was so surprised, so taken aback by his sudden display of affection, all I could do was hold onto him, grip his bulging biceps, and let him take control.
He broke away after a few seconds, and I gasped, trying to catch my breath. I felt like I was falling, and Gio was the only stable thing in my life. He had one hand on the back of my head still, and now the other one cupped my cheek. He stared down at me, the expression on his face stealing my breath.
He looked… enamored.
“What’s happening?” I asked on a whisper.
He was silent for long seconds but then exhaled slowly. “I’m doing what I should have done a long fucking time ago, Pyper.” He smoothed his thumb along my cheek, and I found myself leaning into his embrace.
I didn’t know what would happen next, or if anything would, but I felt like for the first time in my life things weren’t as desperate as I’d felt they were.
Chapter Eight
Pyper
For the next hour, we walked around the property, Gio refusing to let go of my hand, which was totally fine by me. We talked about nothing in particular, yet everything under the sun. He asked about school, about all my likes and dislikes. I asked him about the same things, if he planned on visiting Italy, seeing his family. At that, he stopped, cupped my cheeks in his hands, and kissed me. He murmured we could go together one day.
He told me he confessed to his parents how he felt for me but hadn’t delved more into what those feelings actually were. And I didn’t ask. I was afraid to know how deep they actually went. I could have interpreted his pool house words my own way, but I would’ve stretched them so far it wouldn’t be realistic.
I loved him. Did he love me too?
And knowing he told his folks made me want to tell my parents all the more. I’d wanted to be honest with them for a very long time, but without knowing if Gio even wanted me, what would’ve been the point of bringing that to anyone’s attention?
But knowing what he’d done made things very different now, and for the better.
Before I knew it, we found ourselves on the pool patio. It wasn’t lost on me that it was just us, no one in the house, my parents gone for the rest of the night.
It was as if time stood still as Gio and I stared at each other, the glow from the patio light filtering around us.
“Gio.” I said his name softly, having no idea what I should say, what I should do. This was happening, and I knew there was nothing that would stop it. I’d make sure of that. “My parents are gone for the night,” I whispered. I prayed he took the very blatant, obvious note in my words.
“Pyper,” he said with longing in his eyes, this desire so fierce I felt it.
He wanted this, same as me, just as powerfully, just as desperately.
And so I took his hand in mine, led him through the back door of my house, the lights mainly shut off, since no one was home, the staff all gone for the night, and headed upstairs. We didn’t say anything the entire way to my room, but I felt Gio intermittently squeezing my hand. Maybe his calm and cool composure wasn’t as rock-solid as he was playing off like it was? I knew mine wasn’t. I was nervous and scared, never having done this, never even thinking about this before.
Before I knew it, we were in my room, and I watched as Gio stepped forward. I closed