Stella Pulisic has been away at college - tucked away at Villanova. After graduation and a couple months with a grimy job, she takes time off to join her famous brother and his teammates in Qatar for the World Cup. She's reunited with her childhood...
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Stella sat on the open patio, feeling a cool breeze brush against her bare shoulders. She patted the satin black dress that hugged her figure. The fabric was tight around her stomach and thighs, but Hannah had persisted it would drive Gio crazy. The good kind of crazy. He wore a simpler outfit, as most guys do, consisting of a black shirt, matching jeans that fit his toned legs perfectly, and a silver watch tugged around his wrist. He always looked cute. No matter what he was wearing.
She felt like she was looking into a picture, the way the trees and candles in the background faded and blurred. The only part in focus was the handsome man in front of her, talking about something she didn't mean to tune out. Stella was just absorbed in every finite detail of the forward. The way his tongue kept running over his bottom lip, the loose strands of hair not protected by gel falling onto his forehead, the subtle flexes of his muscles as he leaned forward in excitement, and the way he smelled like the warmest summer night.
Stella caught the end of a chuckle escaping his mouth. He was watching her, perplexed. "Was I boring you, love?"
She blushed, feeling the crimson color heating her cheeks. "Not at all. I just got distracted, I'm sorry."
He glanced at the white napkin resting over his plate, smiling like a playful child. "What were you thinking about?"
She could tell in those honey brown eyes, he already knew. He was teasing her. His teeth bit into his lip, showing off a dimple in his right cheek as he grinned. She tilted her head to the side, feeling her ponytail swoop over her shoulder. "That's a secret I'll have to share another time."
Gio laughed- the skin around his eyes crinkling as he smiled. His laughter was pure and tickled her ear. "Then I won't tell you what I'm thinking either, darling."
"I never asked." She giggled, but deeply was wondering if his own thoughts reflected hers.
He nodded slowly, perching his elbows on the table as he inched closer. "But I so hoped you would."
She could feel her heart pounding against her chest. It was strong and loud, and she was even scared he might've been able to hear it over the soft ambiance of chatter. She decided to change the subject, hoping to calm down. "Your parents are going home Wednesday?"
He still eyed her with his devilish grin, but confirmed. "Yeah, Joah and my dad will turn around and go back to Qatar for the final. But Car will stay with my mom. She starts school again soon."
Stella clasped her hands together, resting them beside her empty plate. "That's good. I'll miss them, though. Are you also headed back with them?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, actually." Gio rubbed the back of his neck, turning nervous. "I know I mentioned you coming to Germany... but a lot has happened since. I won't be upset if you don't want to come anymore."
