Chapter 1
Gaia
I’ve always been able to get out of experiencing the craziness of San Sira Stadium in Milan during the soccer match that is called the Milan Derby. This competition between the two inter-city rivals is by far the most intense game all season. I mean, extremely crazy on the crazy chart. Firecracker bombs thrown from the audience down to the field are a normal occurrence at these events. Don’t believe me? Just look it up online. They’ve even made Top 10 videos out of this ridiculous shit. That’s the kind of crazy I’m talking about. Who wants to be a part of that? I’m not in favor. I would much rather be tucked away in my little bookstore on a downtown street in Venice, helping a quiet tourist find that perfect piece of reading to mentally escape and relax with while on vacation.
However, my family is all about the hype of tonight’s game. They are super excited to attend this year, especially because this is the first year my brother Luca has played professional soccer in Italy. Milan is only two-and-a-half hours away by train ride and a four hour car trip from our family home in Venice, and this is the closest he’s lived to us in the last six years. He moved to America and began playing there when he was just seventeen years old, but now he’s back in Italy and close to home. I do admire his dedication for the sport because all of his hard work through the years has served him well.
Growing up, my parents loved us dearly. Even though, they tell us often that we are total opposites, Luca with his sports, and me with my head always in the books, family is everything to us. Overall, we are a tight unit, and our love is abundant.
Mid-March weather is cool, and rain falls just about every day. Today is no different, and as we stand at the ferry station’s car park, waiting for the driver Luca sent, I’m glad I dressed warm. I have even brought a nice thick book for the journey. Of course, it will be a fast two-day trip because I have to get back to my shop. Before I left, I placed a sign on the door stating that I had left town to watch the soccer match. Everyone will understand because to them, they believe that the world stops when the rivalry takes place in Milan.
Finally, the car arrives. It is sleek, roomy, comfortable, and I’m able to relax and get lost in my book. My parents are preoccupied in a discussion about the game, debating who will take home the trophy between the two Milan teams.
Time passes fast, and I’m deep in the pages of my book when I realize we’re pulling into my brother’s driveway. We quickly put our bags away in his guest bedrooms. I don’t think my travel clothes of choice, which include sweatpants and an old t-shirt, will be an appropriate ensemble for tonight. I use the room I’ve claimed to change into skinny jeans, a jersey with my brother’s name and number on the back, and my white Converse low-top tennis shoes. I also pull my hair into a quick ponytail and fluff it a little before I refresh my makeup with a little more powder, mascara, and lip gloss. Maybe I should dress up, but I think comfy is the direction I need to go to tackle this madness. There’s going to be an extreme amount of people there. No one will even notice me anyway, so it really doesn’t matter what I wear. We all head outside at the same time, only to hop back in the waiting car and rush to get to San Sira on time.
After arriving at the stadium, it is just as I thought, wall-to-wall cars and people scattered over the parking lots. It looks like a sea of ants all bunched up together in one small space. There is no way to bypass the enormous crowd because our seats are smack in the middle, just a few rows up from the field. Luckily, we are able to get in before everyone else and sit to watch warmup.
We are cozy in our seats, as all the players from Luca’s team enter onto the field. It’s a really laid-back atmosphere, and the players jog over to their home bench. Their coach meets them and talks a few minutes before releasing them for a short while to say hello to the family and friends who have arrived early to cheer them on. It’s hard to believe that in one hour every single one of these seats will be filled, as the stadium is entirely sold out. Taking it all in, I slowly turn my back to the field and look straight up to the top of the bleachers. The sheer size of this place is totally intimidating.
“There’s my baby sister!”
Startled from my thoughts, I jump and turn around to find Luca. He is so close that I run into him and wrap my arms around his waist to hug him tightly. I’m elated with excitement at seeing him, and I take in the moment, closing my eyes to enjoy the happiness that he’s here. When I finally do open my eyes again, I expect my brother to be looking back at me, but not so far from us, I spy new eyes staring my way, ones that are the same clear crystal blue of the sea, and they most certainly aren’t my brother’s.
Luca feels me loosen my grip from our hug, and he follows my head as it turns slightly to stare at the man in the distance. While waving him over to us, he says, “Oh, yeah. Mom, Dad, Gaia, remember me talking about my roommate while I played on that team in Texas? This is Blaze.” His introduction finishes just as Blaze jogs up to greet us.
“Howdy, ya’ll,” the new member of our group greets.
Blaze’s voice is low, and it rumbles with a distinct Texas accent. As the pleasant sound works its way down my spine, my eyes wander of their own accord, taking all of him in, admiring his tall, slender physique. His defined muscle tone lets you know that beneath his way too many layers of clothes, he has lickable abs. His light brown hair is combed over, and I note how it’s the perfect length to run my fingers through. I bet it is so soft. My hands twitch to touch it, and I’m forced to stuff them in my jean’s pockets to keep from doing just that. I rock on my heels, hoping the movement will distract me. Those damn bright eyes from just a minute ago meet mine yet again, and all background noise turns off.
They only thing that remains are my brown eyes to his blue.
