A lover's guide to love

Chapter eleven

Pietro felt sick.

For the whole week they where apart, he almost physically felt sick. Like Ava being away from him was eating away at his soul, like an infectious disease only she could cure. But he had no choice but to endure, the same way he would endure a tsunami, hoping not to get destroyed in its path.

He wanted nothing more than to run all the way to her apartment and kiss her as hard as he possibly could, not caring one bit if he ran out of air. He was already dying; it might as well happen with his last memory being the taste of her lips.

Most of his week he spent in his studio, alone, focusing on the sculpture he refused to show until it was ready. Every time he would carve in a new detail he wondered; would she actually be there to witness the finishing product he had promised her that she would? Or was he working on it in vain?

Now, in his black, three-piece suit, surrounded by a hundred people coming to celebrate Angelica's wedding, he felt defeated. The restaurant was decorated with flowers in vases and tables covered with white, silk tablecloths, but all Pietro could think about was how much Ava would love to see it all in person. And yet, she was nowhere to be found.

"Lei non verrà." Pietro sighed as he fixed the button of his suit, shaking his head at himself for believing he could ever change her mind.

"Tu devi avere fede, Pietro." Giovanni placed a comforting hand on Pietro's shoulder and squeezed, accompanying Pietro as they exited the restaurant and to the outside area, where the party was taking place.

People danced and celebrated the union of Angelica and Adam, the poor man being cornered by Pietro's very drunk uncle.

The sight made Pietro chuckle, momentarily forgetting the extreme sensation of anxiety that was rooted deep in his gut. His uncle may have been living far away from Pietro, but whenever he came by he made sure to remind who the craziest in the family was, and how much crazier he could get with good alcohol and good company. And him and the new member of the Balma family were long overdue for some quality bonding time, since Angelica was widely known as his favourite niece.

Before Pietro could greet his uncle properly, Vincenzo barrelled through the crowd and fell upon Pietro quite messily, unable to fully stop himself, almost sending them both to the floor. He seemed excited and very much out of breath, his eyes gleaming with astonishment that Pietro felt to find the reason for.

"Che cazzo Vincenzo — " Pietro let out before Vincenzo grabbed his face and turned it abruptly towards the direction he wanted him to look at, his annoyed gaze turning into a stunned one as his eyes detected the face he was searching for all night in a sea of irrelevant others, his heart stopping its rhythm before picking up the pace once more. His Adam's apple moved visibly up and down his throat as he tried to bring himself to his senses, his wish finally coming true.

Her beauty was always a given, and yet every time it managed to surprise him. Even when the memory he had painted with incredible detail in his head still very much lived in the corridors of his mind. But now she was right there, in front of him, in a red, satin dress with thin spaghetti straps, the material flowing on her body in the same way the Northern Lights danced in the night sky. Her black, strap heels complimented her feet as she walked, lifting her off the ground elegantly.

Her lips where coated with a neutral colour, the edges darker, the two colours blending perfectly. That, paired with her winged liner did things to him he could not put into words, and yet could definitely act out if Ava gave him the chance.