Beneath the surface

The city’s heartbeat pulsed beneath My feet as I stood on the rooftop of my apartment building, staring out at the shimmering skyline of New York.

" How time flies, I’ve made,it and on to another year of passion and dreams ” I think to myself as the sun was dips low, painting the sky with hues of gold and amber, casting long shadows over the streets below. To most, it would’ve been a calm picture, but to Me, the city was alive, even in the quiet moments. It was here, in this chaos, where I thrived.

At twenty, I had everything I could’ve wanted —a thriving art career at Columbia University, an impeccable apartment with sweeping views of Central Park, and a circle of friends who made life feel like an endless adventure.

" you’ve completely transformed , I mean look at you, you’ve mastered the uni look , babe”There was Bianca, whose beauty and intelligence could make anyone feel small,

" Sarcasm won’t get you far Bianca , I think you look great Neen”, and Raffael, who was as kind as he was handsome, always the peacemaker of the group. ” Nina , you’re an art student , you could wear a tatted torn shirt and still fit the aesthetic ” she laughed, slightly un amusing but comforting.

Then, of course, there was Demi, My best friend since high school, the sister I never had. Demi had come from old money, a world that I had always been on the outside of, but Demi never cared about that. To her we were family.

Yet, despite her perfect life, there was always him—Lorenzo De Luca.

I still couldn’t decide what it was about him that grated on my nerves and pulled at the strings of my anger . Maybe it was his arrogance. Or the way he could stare through you, as if he could see things you weren’t ready to admit to yourself. But most of all, it was the way he knew he had this power over me and seemed to take pleasure in it.

Lorenzo was everything I couldn’t bear . He was dangerous, captivating in the way that dangerous men always were—impossible to ignore and utterly untouchable. He was older, and that age gap had always seemed to put a divide between us, one that no amount of bickering could worsen the wall. It didn’t help that Lorenzo and I’s relationship had always been built on sarcastic comments, playful teasing, and the occasional biting remark.

Our banter had always been just beneath the surface of something darker, something more—like the thick clouds of a storm waiting to break.

After his late start at university, Lorenzo had gone off to Italy for his studies and to Per-sue work for his father in their “secret” enriching job that provides them with their reputation and wealth leaving behind his family and me...

in those four years, I’d heard little from him. For me at-least, it had been like a storm passing. There had been no more tension in the air, No more sharp exchanges, no more icy stares from across the room.

I hadn’t seen Lorenzo in nearly four years. I guess I never really realised how much id missed the weight of his presence.

Demi and I were having our weekly early morning coffee before lectures, it was a routine, one I’ve always enjoyed as it was our time to get ready for the day ahead with some girl time.

“Guess who’s joining us on our trip to Italy ?”

Demi had grinned, her emerald eyes sparkling as she sipped her coffee.

I looked up from my menu, my brow furrowed.

“Who?” I asked curiously and slightly concerned by the way she said it.

Demi’s lips curled mischievously.

“Lorenzo” she said confidently and excitedly , Demi always knew her brother and I never got along , but still tried her best to push us together to get along.

I choked on my water “What?”

I gasped, mind racing.

“I thought he was busy with work , you know , travelling?.”

“Not anymore.“Demi said, pushing her dark hair over her shoulder.

“He’s off for the summer, he’ll be staying with us at the family house we have there !, I never thought he’d make it but I’m glad he made time , I am his little sister of course , and I’m sure he missed you to0” she says with a wide smile

I froze. Italy. Sun-drenched hills, Mediterranean air, and Lorenzo De Luca—who,had returned with an air of experience and maturity that, if I was totally was being honest with myself , left me slightly rattled.

Italy was in a week And now, here I am. Packing for the trip that would take me straight into the heart of a storm