With Love, From Italy

Humming along to Daft Punk as their music filled the girls’ villa, Leigh watched as Belle placed a card on top of the growing pile. Giggling in the most evil way she could muster the redhead pulled out a skip card, followed by a pick up two. Belle let out a frustrated screech, cussing the girl out as she reached for the pile. The foreigner merely grinned; reaching for the bottle of wine they were sharing and taking a swig. While walking around the town after the castle tour the pair had come across a set of Uno cards and after a secretive discussion away from Caleb and Tom, decided to purchase them.

They had settled on a girl’s night, making arrangements to break away from everyone else after dinner and return to the villa with a couple of bottles of wine, some packets of crisps, and the deck of Uno cards. It hadn’t taken them long to push their beds closer together and place one of the bedside tables between them. Now they were half way through the first bottle and onto their third game.

“I hate you; you’re the worst person to play cards with. Why did I agree to this?” Belle grumbled, taking the bottle as the redhead held it out for her.

“You’re the one suggested it, you sore loser.”

“I will murder you in your sleep.”

“Love you too. Uno,” Leigh grinned, crying out triumphantly as Belle placed a card down which allowed her to get rid of her last one. The brunette leant over to collect them all, calling a break and Leigh rolled her eyes as she reached for a handful of crisps. Stretching widely as she placed them in her mouth she fell back onto her bed, lying there for several moments before propping herself up with her elbows. “Can we just stay here forever? I don’t want these two weeks to end.”

Belle paused in the middle of taking another mouthful of wine, placing the bottle back down on the table and swallowing thickly. The look on her face screamed pity and apologies and it made Leigh groan. “If we could I would, god knows this is better than slugging away in some office building. But as they say, life’s a bitch.”

“I don’t even know how I’m supposed to face Ida after this.”

“By having me as your badass back-up bitch? Think of it this way; it’s two weeks less you have to spend in that place and you’re already just over half way. Plus I’ve decided that if you haven’t found somewhere else by the time your contract’s up you can crash on my couch until you do,” she said and Leigh’s blue eyes grew wide. Before she could stop herself she was asking if her friend was sure and the brunette nodded, her eyes glinting cheekily. “Of course, though I don’t think I’ll be the only one offering you a couch… or a bed.”

“Belle I’m pretty sure your brother gave up on the first day here,” Leigh replied and Belle rolled her eyes, reaching over and smacking the girl’s knee as the redhead moved to have another drink.

“I’m talking about Tom you idiot,” she said with a laugh and Leigh choked on the wine, thumping her chest until she could breathe again. Turning to gape at Belle she found the girl sitting there perfectly serious.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, there is no way in hell he thinks of me that way.”

“And why not?”

“Because he’s all Shakespeare and noble gentleman, and I don’t even understand ‘where for art thou Romeo’ and choke on wine,” the Australian pointed out and once again Belle rolled her eyes, grabbing some crisps.

“He chokes on drinks too you know, stop being like everyone else and putting him on some pedestal, you know him better than that,” the brunette said, unimpressed. “Trust me, I know my cousin and when he’s attracted to someone. I mean he was practically glued to your side today, I never realized you couldn’t navigate stairs on your own.”

“You are aware at one point he was basically carrying Eva, right?”

“And you are aware that as soon as he realized I was fine after I tripped over that vine he was straight back to you,” Belle rebutted, popping a crisp in her mouth. “Besides, Sarah said she saw you two on the beach front yesterday, which by the way you totally have to tell me all about.”

“You gossip monger, you. I went down there because I was feeling bummed out over thoughts of Ida and he offered to talk when we bumped into each other, that’s all. Which by the way, I seem to get the impression that you painted me as some broken hearted damsel in distress,” Leigh said, imitating the other girl. Belle merely shrugged, taking the wine bottle back.

“I simply said the facts, it’s not my issue if he decided to see it that way. What did he say when you told him you weren’t?” Belle asked, a curious expression on her face and Leigh looked at her uncertainly.

“He said everything made more sense, and that he was confused by how lively I had been,” she answered and the brunette bit down on her lip before breaking into a chuckle.

“You blind fool, no wonder he was all over you today. Now he knows you’re not emotionally tender and are fine to approach” Belle said, still giggling and Leigh scowled, holding out her hand. More wine was definitely needed for this revelation, and as she wrapped her fingers around the neck of the bottle she fell into contemplation.

She wasn’t really sure what she thought, or felt about it. She knew that Belle wasn’t joking or playing a trick on her, but that didn’t necessarily mean her friend’s suspicions were correct. Leigh felt torn; part of her thought the idea was so surreal that she wanted to vehemently deny the very possibility. But Belle’s words also opened her eyes to moments she had brushed off, or not even realized. His persistence for her to join in all the activities, the occasional glances she would catch or share, his raucous serenading and monologues on the walks home from pubs, the way he had pulled her into a dance on three separate occasions the night before, and the fact that he had seemed a little disappointed that her and Belle wouldn’t be joining him that night. Then there was earlier on in the day that Belle had already brought up and she had admittedly noticed. The thought sparked another realization and Leigh snapped her head up, pointing at Belle.

“Did you convince me to have a girl’s night so you could specifically bring this up?” she accused and the brunette looked away, whistling. Leigh’s mouth dropped open and she immediately reached for her pillow, throwing it at the girl.

“Hey, that’s abuse! And so what if I did? You needed to know,” Belle said as she ducked out of the way. “And for the record I approve; Tom isn’t the kind to dump you on your arse because he wants a fresh start.”

“Great, and now you’re setting me up with him.”

“No I’m not, I’m simply giving you my approval should you decide that he is just as swoon-worthy as the rest of the world seems to think,” she corrected and Leigh took a deep breath, shaking her head. “Now how about some more Uno? I have to win sometime.”