26
August
Rome was beyond my wildest dreams. Watching Carson geek out and rattle off historical facts about the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel might’ve made me fall even harder for him.
It’s been nearly two weeks since our first date in Venice, and with each day that passes, I’m finding myself not only getting lost in Carson but also rediscovering myself. I feel like a butterfly breaking free from my chrysalis.
Florence was what fantasies are made of. The house Carson rented for us was tucked away in the countryside and I got more writing done in the six days we spent there than I have since I decided to begin writing my book. I’d be lying if I said the landscapes of the rolling vineyards outside my window were the inspiration that put me in the right headspace to write so much.
We didn’t see much of Florence outside of our little countryside haven, and that was fine by me. Each morning, Carson woke me up with his head between my thighs and I’ve never been so deliciously sore in my life. It’s been nearly two days since he was last inside me, but I still feel self-conscious as we walk down via Lorenzo D’Amalfi.
Our last two days in Italy will be spent on the Amalfi Coast before we drive north to fly out of Naples.
Looking to my side, I take Carson in as we walk to the rental company, where we plan to rent a Vespa for the day. He’s wearing olive green chinos and a white linen dress shirt. If I didn’t fall asleep to the sound of his beating heart each night, I’d swear he was immortal. The way he looks so put together all the time, without a single hair out of place, free of imperfections, should intimidate me. But the validation and reassurance this man gives me each day is uncanny, making it impossible to feel any insecurities when it comes to how he feels for me.
Now, I know we’ve been on a month-long vacation, where I’ve fallen head over heels in love with him, but Carson showed me how much he cares about me long before we touched down in Italy.
We make it to the rental place, where they give us the key for a cream-colored Vespa with a cute wicker basket on the back that is all ours for the day. I want to squeal and do a happy dance at how adorable it is. And seeing Carson in the cute little bucket helmet has me even more smitten with this man.
Carson insists on driving a few side streets solo so he can get a hang of driving before I hop on the back. Once I’m on, I hold tight around his waist and press my front to his back, loving the feel of his muscular body against mine. Even though we’ve been on vacation for a month, he’s made it a priority to work out each day and practice stickhandling drills in the hotel rooms or rental houses we’ve stayed in. It’s fun to pursue my passion and write my book while he’s refining his body and skills for hockey at the same time.
The midi dress I’m wearing keeps me modest while riding the Vespa. When we woke up at the hotel this morning, Carson said we were going to do “cute, coupley things.” So I chose to wear a light blue mid-length dress and cream Esmeralda wedge sandals that tie at my ankles. The dress has a corset top that had Carson trying to lay me back on the bed for round two.
We’ve wound around the streets of the coast when Carson pulls to a rest stop on the road so we can take in the views. We park the Vespa and place our helmets on the back before walking to the guardrail to take in the view. The iconic, colorful coastal buildings provide a beautiful backdrop as I grab ahold of his hand and gasp when he gently squeezes mine three times.
“Carson,” I whisper before squeezing his back four times.
His head snaps up to meet my eyes.
Tears fill my eyes as I say, “Ti amo, ragazzo d’oro.”
“Say it again,” he pleads.
“Ti amo.”
“You love me?” he asks incredulously.
“I do. So very much,” I admit, nodding my head.
“Ti amo anch’io, ragazza dei sogni,” he replies as he scoops me into his arms, and I giggle as he spins me around. My laugh is cut off when he claims my mouth in a searing kiss that steals the breath from my lungs.
When we finally break our kiss, I ask, “What does that mean, exactly? I only asked how to say, ‘I love you, Golden Boy.’”
“It means I love you too, Dream Girl. And I do. So fucking much. I’ve been dying to tell you for a while now, but I didn’t know if you were ready. You had a skewed perception of love because the marriage you were in was toxic and abusive. All I’ve wanted to do is show you what love should be, Austen.”
It’s my turn to shake my head incredulously. “You’ve shown me what love should be from the very beginning of our friendship. Our love may not have started with romantic intent, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t fall hard right away for your friendship—for your irresistible charm and witty humor. You quickly became someone I couldn’t imagine going a day without talking to long before we made things official, and that is due to you consistently supporting me and showing up for us.”
Carson pulls me into a tight embrace, and I feel the deep rumble of his chuckle against my chest. “I can’t believe you love me back. It’s about time you realized you have feelings for me.”
“Oh, Golden Boy. I’ve known I loved you since at least our first date.”
“Such a late bloomer,” he teases me before declaring, “This calls for a celebratory selfie.”
He wraps his arms around me from behind, holding my phone up in the air and flipping the camera so it’s facing us. After he takes a few pictures, he swipes to video mode and starts filming the two of us.
“Hey, kids, it’s your mom and dad here in Italy. Your mama just told me she loves me for the first time. Isn’t that right, Mama?” Carson asks as he looks down at me and places a kiss on my temple.
“Carson, what are you doing?”
