*Caterina*
As a college student, there was really no better feeling in the world than finishing up with finals and knowing that the sester was truly over. Naturally, the only thing better than that was that I’d gone ahead and aced all of them, which I happily had.
Maybe all that arguing with Elio before inspired to study harder just to prove him wrong. The second he’d marched out of the house, I had permanently planted myself at the table and dove right back into my studies. Only resurfacing for occasional food breaks and sleep, my mind revolved around nothing but my classes for the rest of the sester.
My anger was what fueled . But the mont my finals were finished, I felt utterly drained. My body was physically exhausted, and my head throbbed from the lack of sleep. I was more than happy to let myself crash the mont it was all over.
My mother was, of course, happy for that I was finally finished. Yet, the person I wanted to speak to the most was soone who’d lashed out at and hurt my feelings for so unknown reason.
As sad as it sounded, I missed Elio.
There was hardly anyone in the world who supported my studies more than him. And with all my academic success, I couldn’t find the courage—much less the energy—to reach out and talk to him.
Each ti I tried, I was instantly struck with the thought that he’d yell at again for so reason. I knew he was busy, and I wasn’t going to risk the chance. Nevertheless, I missed him and wanted so badly to see him and talk to him again.
But in the anti, I was more than ready to put the past behind , and I eagerly looked forward to my transfer to UCLA. And while my world shifted from books and howork assignnts to Christmas lights and party planning, my new classes had already been selected and my books purchased.
I felt ready.
My mind was still sowhat reeling from having seen Elio yesterday. Seeing his na pop up on my phone screen nearly made my heart jump into my throat. I didn’t know what to expect when I answered the call.
Part of half anticipated Elio to tell that a relationship between the two of us was just not worth it. Maybe he still really thought of as so immature child. But when I heard just how heavy his voice sounded, I knew that wasn’t the case.
And when I saw him standing on the other side of my doorway, any previous assumption I had bouncing around in my head instantly vanished. Aside from looking exhausted and rundown, Elio appeared distressed and... desperate.
My stomach twisted in knots when he outright apologized for his behavior from the last ti I saw him. I had honestly never thought I’d see the day when Elio would own up to his actions. It made want to reach out and snatch him from the doorway.
I wanted to remind myself what his arms felt like around .
Thankfully, Elio shared that sa interest. He’d wrapped his arms around , and I beca consud in his warm embrace.
What I hadn’t fully expected was him moving us into the living room, where I ended up full-on straddling the man on the couch. Granted, yes, I was the one who started tearing away at our clothes. But I sure as hell didn’t think that Elio would follow that up with sliding his hand into the band of my leggings and feeling just how badly I wanted him.
Oh, how my stomach fluttered at the mory of seeing his eyes filled with such raw arousal. Thank God, we made up. I didn’t think I could have handled never feeling his touch again. I still couldn’t believe that this was truly how I felt toward him after leaving to get away from him.
And yet there we were, most likely in the throes of nearly having sex out there in the open space of the living room... well, that was until Anna basically walked in on the whole scene.
No. I genuinely did not think I was going to recover from that form of embarrassnt. Even after Elio and I collected ourselves and proceeded to go our separate ways, trying our best to downplay the whole scene, Anna had been quick to drill for details.
It was only two days before Christmas, and the final details of our dinner party were just about finished up. Anna confird that nearly everyone whom we’d reached out to had accepted the invitation.
This had feeling a mix of excitent and pure anxiety. It had been so long since I last connected with our other friends. I’d planned on telling everyone about my transfer to UCLA and hoped they’d be interested in rekindling our friendship as a group.
“Oh, Cat, would you please relax?” Anna shouted from the kitchen. “Everything is going to be great tonight.”
I took my bottom lip between my teeth. “I just want everything to be perfect tonight,” I told her. “Anna, it’s been over two years since I’ve seen everyone. What if... what if—”
“What if they decide to give you hell and curse you off for not keeping better contact with them and basically shun you from ever trying to be in our friend group ever again?”
My mouth fell open. My eyes widened in startled bafflent.
“Well, shit, Anna. Tell how you really feel, why don’t you?” I stamred.
Anna playfully rolled her eyes and gave a reassuring smile.
“Seriously, Cat. Cut yourself a break. Our friends know that you went away for school because it was the best option for you at the ti,” she said. “They’re not going to begrudge you.”
As if it weren’t nerve-wracking enough trying to connect with our old friends, Anna had gone ahead and invited so new people from campus to introduce to as well. I wanted to make a good first impression.
Anna finished stacking so plates in the kitchen, and she proceeded to join in the living room. I carefully glanced around the area to make sure that everything was where it needed to be. But my eyes tended to linger on the couch too long for it to go unnoticed by my friend.
Anna smirked and nudged on my shoulder.
“So... you and Elio,” she said suggestively. “I take it that the two of you are really back on good terms with one another?”
A slight blush touched my cheeks. “Yes, Anna. It’s like I told you yesterday. Elio ca by after work and we both apologized for acting stupid to each other, and now we’re good.”
She tilted her head in thought.
“You’re sure?” she asked calmly. “I an, aside from clearly looking embarrassed, I feel like sothing was still slightly off when he left. I don’t know, maybe it was sothing in his expression. It looked a little solemn.”
Normally, I would be quick to deny and brush off anything that involved my relationship with Elio. But the more I let myself dwell on the idea, the more I felt she was right. Elio did look a little off before he left yesterday. His features appeared drawn and slack, as if he were... disappointed?
At first, I didn’t know why. Yet, the more my mind circled around the matter, the more I got to thinking.
Oh, shit.
“Do you think it may be because I didn’t invite him to our dinner party tonight?” I asked sheepishly.
Anna took a sudden step back from and stared.
“Wait. Cat, you didn’t invite Elio? Why?”
I planted my hands on my hips and let out a complicated sigh. Anna knew that we were still keeping things on the down low, which had to have been why he had looked so stunned when Anna walked in on us.
“Well, for a few reasons. One, there’s a good chance that my mother will be floating around tonight.”
“Okay, so?”
I raised a brow. “As far as my mother knows, she believes that I still hate Elio,” I explained. “I’m pretty sure it’s going to raise so questions if she manages to catch the two of us kissing.” My stomach twisted into knots at the thought of having that exact mont actually happen.
She slowly nodded her head. “Alright, I see your point there. And the other reasons?”
“He and I are still trying to keep a low profile on our relationship. For him to even be here would cause people to question things. I know that if he was going to be here, I would want to spend most of the night by his side.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would be a bit suspicious,” she comnted with a gentle smile.
“Believe , I would love nothing more than to have him here tonight, but... I feel like it’s just too much of a risk right now.”
As Anna went off to double check on sothing back in the kitchen, my gaze continued to linger on the spot where Elio and I had our intimate mont before. A strange heart-warming sensation swelled in my chest.
***
My previous worries about the evening gradually eased as the night went on. Once the sun finally set behind the tree line and festive lights were turned on, the whole place really felt magical. We had light music playing in the background, and everything was ready in place.
At first, my nerves were on edge as people were beginning to filter in. But much like my initial reconnection with Anna, many of our other friends reacted the sa way.
“Cat! Oh, my God, you look great!”
“Is it true that you’re really starting the new sester at UCLA?”
“What are your classes? We should totally pick a place on campus and make it our study spot.”
Any trace of anxiety I thought I was feeling naturally lted away as ti went on. And Anna, in between her role as designated bartender, was sweet enough to introduce to so new people that I could be sharing classes with in the future. A couple of them even had the sa major as . It was good to know that I at least would recognize so people when I started up at my new school.
Yes, everything seed to be going perfectly.
But the thought of Elio not being there really stuck in my mind. As I suspected, my mother waved her way into our night simply to say hello to a few people. I kept trying to remind myself that it simply wouldn’t have worked out if he were there.
But that didn’t stop from wishing otherwise.
A little more than halfway through the evening, I heard a knock at the door. Anna turned to give a questionable look because everyone who was invited was already there.
We both shrugged our shoulders as Anna went over to the door to answer it.
I turned back from the scene, thinking nothing of it. Suddenly, I noticed the strange shift in Anna’s tone change when she realized who it was standing there.
“Paul?”
My heart dropped into my stomach as I turned around to see the familiar figure standing there.
‘What the hell is he doing here?’ I thought angrily to myself.
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