Palermo, Sicily - July 7th 2020 I woke up at seven in the morning so we could arrive at Matteo’s house in Palermo before he woke up. Isabella arranged a private driver to take us from my house to his, but that didn’t help my mood. The fact that I didn’t even get the chance to have a coffee and smoke a cigarette before we left made me irritable. We arrive in front of his house a little past eleven, and I’m glad I know the place because I know exactly where to find the coffee machine.The Barone kids and Ariana are already in the kitchen. We greet each other and I ask whether anyone would like some coffee. Isabella and Ariana nod, and then Vinnie comes over and asks me if I want a drink.“After I have my coffee and cigarette.” I mumble, feeling bad that my mood doesn’t match his.“Do you like Aperol?”“Sure.” I say and manage to give him a smile.

MatteoTaormina, Sicily – July 8th 2020Matteo doesn’t know what came over him when he first kissed her. All he knows is that the moment he saw her coming down the stairs, and the way her eyes sparkled when she made the cigarette comment did something to himHe’s never thought about kissing her until the moment Isabella pushed their heads together and their lips touched. The sound she made in that moment rang through his entire body and made him want to do it again.Now, as they enter the room where the rest of their friends are sitting and drinking, it’s all he can think about. “Speaking of the devil.” Isabella says and looks between the two of them.Matteo wonders if she can tell what they did.Valentina sits down next to her and takes the drink out of her hand. She seems to be in her own world somewhere inside her head, so Matteo tears his eyes away from

Taormina, Sicily – July 20th 2020 His father leaves the next day, saying that he has some business to take care of in New York with Paulo, but not without telling him to be in Taormina at the beginning of August.Matteo finds himself alone in the house when he wakes up, so he gets some coffee from the kitchen and goes to sit on the upper terrace overlooking the sea.His mind takes him back to what Valentina said about never being sad if she were to live at sea. He isn’t sad, but he’s definitely bored, so he texts Vinnie, Ariana, and Isabella, asking each of them what they’re doing.Vinnie’s text comes first.Vinnie: going to Sofia’s todayMatteo rolls his eyes and doesn’t even bother replying. He’s over the whole thing already.His phone vibrates again just as he lights his second cigarette.Ariana: bored in Milan

Capo d’Orlando, Sicily – July 21st, 2020Isabella and I spend the rest of the day by the pool, until the sun starts to set on the horizon, and it gets too cold to just chill in a bathing suit.“I want to order pizza.”I look up from my book to where Matteo is sitting by the edge of the pool, his legs in the water.“Yes, please.” Isabella groans. “I’m so hungry I could die. Where are you ordering from?”“I know a place.”Matteo and I make eye contact for a moment, before his eyes drift back to the screen. A few seconds later he starts talking to someone in Italian, so I zone out and try to focus back on my book.The pizzas arrive twenty minutes later and we sit down at one of the tables on the terrace.“What time are people arriving tomorrow?” he asks me then with his mouth half full.“I don’t know, I guess around seven or eight? Might be sooner.”We eat our pizzas in peace after that, and then decide to watch a movie before going to bed. We’re all tired from sitting in the sound all d

Capo d’Orlando, Sicily – July 23rd, 2020 Everyone sings happy birthday to me at midnight, even though it’s more symbolic that factually accurate, and it makes me uncomfortable but happy. We did some shots after, then Isaac tried to flirt with me for what seemed like forever, before Isabella finally saved me and brought me out by the pool half an hour later. Matteo and Vinnie are in their own world, talking on the other side of the pool. “What do you think they’re talking about?” We’ve been people watching for the past twenty minutes since we sat down. “I don’t know, what do boys even talk about all day?” “No clue. And I have a brother at home.” “They seem to have a very interesting discussion. Matteo looks serious, like he’s scared even.” “How can you even tell?” “I know him.” He turns his head, as if he already knew we were talking about him. We make eye contact before he turns back to Vinnie. “Something’s off with him.” Isabella notices. “You think?” “He’s hiding somet