I shake my head. Olivia explains that Lindsey is a YouTuber who came to fame on America’s Got Talent. “She plays the violin, fusing classical, rock, hip-hop, and dubstep.”

“What’s dubstep?” I ask, noting that Olivia is one of those cool girls who doesn’t try to be cool—or make you feel dumb because you’re not cool.

“It’s a kind of electronic dance music that blends two-step rhythms and dub productions with other elements,” Olivia says, her face getting more animated by the second. “It originated in South London as a garage band offshoot.”

I nod, even though she might as well be speaking Italian.

“So is this guy any good?” I ask her.

“I think he’s good, but art is subjective,” she says. “What do you think?”

I listen intently for a few seconds, then shake my head. “I can’t tell.”

“You can’t tell if you like it?” She smiles.

“Oh,” I say, nodding. “If that’s what you mean, then yes, it’s catchy and…happy.”

“Then we agree. He’s good,” Olivia says, her smile widening.

A second later, a waitress comes to take our order.

Olivia gestures for me to go first.

“Un limoncello, per favore,” I say.

“Fanne due,” she says, holding up two fingers. “E possiamo avere i calamari, per favore?”

“Assolutamente,” the waitress says, turning back toward the bar.

“Wait,” I say. “Did you just order a limoncello and calamari?”

“I did! Nice translation,” she says, giving me a fist bump.

Her smile fades as she looks into my eyes.

“Are you worried about Lainey?” I ask.

Olivia shakes her head. “No. I’m not really thinking about Lainey right now.”

My heart skips a beat. “What are you thinking about?” I ask her.

“I’m thinking that I like you,” she says, angling her shoulders toward mine and holding my gaze.

“Oh,” I say, feeling a small rush. “I like you, too.”

“I like you, and I admire you,” Olivia says.

“You do?” I say.

“Yes. Very much.”

“Why do you admire me?” I ask. I’m not being self-deprecating—at least I’m not trying to be—but I really can’t imagine why she’d say such a thing.

Olivia swallows, her eyes locking in on me. “Well, let’s see…. I admire you for caring about Lainey so much that you flew down to Texas and walked into Ashley’s living room with her…. I admire you for reaching out to me. I admire you for coming to Italy when you could be curled up in a ball in Atlanta, feeling sorry for yourself…. Or worse, going through with the wedding…”

“Wow,” I say, feeling touched. “Thank you, Olivia. That’s really nice of you.”

“It’s just the truth. You’re a badass,” she says, smiling.

I smile back at her, my whole body feeling warm.

“Can I ask you a question?” she says.

I nod, getting butterflies in my stomach.

She takes a deep breath, then slowly exhales, looking as nervous as I’m suddenly feeling.

“I was just wondering,” she says. “Have you ever kissed a girl?”

I let out a nervous laugh, then say no.

With the smallest smile, she stares into my eyes, then says, “Have you ever wanted to kiss a girl?”

“You mean…before now?” I ask, my heart racing.

It is by far the boldest thing to ever come out of my mouth, and I watch as Olivia’s smile spreads across her face.

“Yeah,” she says, nodding. “Have you ever wanted to before now?”

“Not before now, no,” I say, shaking my head.

“And how about now?” she whispers, leaning in so close that I can feel her breath on my face.

My eyes flutter shut. I know what’s about to happen, but I’m still blown away as I feel Olivia’s lips grazing mine. They are the softest, sweetest lips I’ve ever felt. For several seconds, I am frozen. Then I kiss her back, finally answering her question.

Chapter 27

Lainey

When I leave the dress boutique, I find Tyson standing a few storefronts down, gazing in a window. I pause, watching him for a few seconds, soaking in the moment. It’s been a magical afternoon, and I don’t want our time alone together to end. Fortunately, I have yet to hear from Hannah, so when I catch up to Tyson, I ask if he wants to get a drink before we head back to the room.

“Sure,” he says. “A cold beer sounds perfect.”

The café on the Piazzetta is very crowded, so we keep walking, going over to one near the funicular. As we check in with the hostess, an outside table opens. She offers it to us, and we take it.

We settle in our chairs, bags at our feet, and look out over the Gulf of Naples. I let out a big sigh, feeling a wave of intense contentment.

“You good?” Tyson asks.