All the People in the World

Chapter 14: A Penthouse in London

"You liar!"

The girls received the news of me and Luca with a lot of squeals and jests. Many a "I knew it!" was uttered yet in the back of my mind, I was all too aware that none of them knew much of anything regarding us. What was between us. I kind of liked that. I was arrogantly convinced that no one had ever known or experienced a love like this and I selfishly wanted to hang on to it a bit longer.

I told them the details they wanted to hear. The romantic settings, the slow easy days where we lounged around the house and kissed and ate fruit, how good he was in bed. And I kept for myself all whispers and pining and glances and claims of desperation, which would have made me feel silly and dramatic if shared out loud. The things I found to be of actual substance.

Maeve was laying in my lap, staring whimsically up at the ceiling. She nodded, as if to confirm her own thoughts. "I always thought he'd be a good lover."

I rolled my eyes and shoved a pillow down onto her face. She tore it off, laughing. "I'm serious, he's always brooding and pensive-" She flipped over onto her stomach and stared at me. "Plus the way he always watches you. Like it's painful to look in any other direction besides yours. Or be in conversation with anyone other than you. Even in groups, he speaks to us all... but he speaks to you." She flashed a grin, "One can only imagine how that must translate in the bedroom."

I smacked her once more. "You're ridiculous."

"Wait but what will you do?"

"What will I do about what?"

"Well... You are going back to New York."

I didn't say anything. Maeve sat up, concerned with my silence. "You are going back with us, right?"

"Well, well I could stay. If I wanted to. Finish my masters here. I don't know, I haven't thought about it that much."

"I didn't even think you were thinking about it at all," Maeve stared at me, mouth open, as if I'd told her I'd been having an affair with her father for the past three years.

In truth I had thought quite a bit about it. Luca didn't know. He never brought it up after the fight we had early on in the trip. He seemed afraid to upset me. Or maybe he was afraid to receive an answer that would upset himself. Either way, he had remained silent on the matter.

I retreated to my room with the excuse of needing to unpack. I knew Maeve would hate me for a couple days before finally conceding and telling me to do whatever made me happy. The hatred came only because she loved me so dearly and we had been attached at the hip for the majority of our lives. We were sisters, truly. And how could one blame her for wanting to be near her sister.

I was hanging up a rose colored sweater when she appeared in my doorway. "Are you seriously considering staying?" Her tone was cross, even cruel, if I wanted to hear it that way. She continued, "So what... you move in with him? This random guy you-"

"He's not random, Maeve."

"Oh I know, I know, but how well do you even know him?"

Well. Considerably well. More than I've ever known another person.

"And what if it doesn't work out? Then you're just here alone in a foreign city. You hardly speak the language. You have no family here. Your life is in Manhattan... Ava, come on."

I smiled softly and spoke to her as simply as I knew how, "I love him, Maeve... Everything you say makes sense and I am sure you are right... But I am more sure that I love him and I love him in a way I never thought I'd get the chance." I sat on the bed, folding my hands neatly in my lap. I was composed. I was sure. "I don't know what I'll do. I meant it, I really have not given it a lot of thought... But if I choose to stay here and you find that foolish, then let it be foolish. Something life has so scarcely afforded me the opportunity to be."