With Love, From Italy

That afternoon saw most of the group return to Levanto by bus, only the really enthusiastic members taking the hike back. Leigh was glad to return to the villa and be able to wash both herself and her wounds under the shower, as painful as it was. She successfully dimmed the pain a little with a few drinks over dinner and upon orders from almost everyone returned to her room after to rest her limbs. The next day the scrapes on her knees had receded to a dull throb and a bit of stiffness, while she could only feel the ones on her palms with movement. Not letting anything so small hold her back she was down and waiting in the foyer with the others for the day’s activities to begin. She was luckily able to assure almost everyone at once that she was fine, although a little tender and was happy when Tom finally appeared.

“Alright folks, are we all set for a bit of a drive today?” he asked and everyone nodded. Today the actor had arranged for a day trip to Florence, something that had excited Leigh greatly given that she had missed out on the city on her own brief travels through Europe. Slipping an arm through Belle’s she tried not to bounce up and down on the spot, knowing her knees would never forgive her for it. It took a few minutes for them to figure out who would travel with whom, but eventually keys were extracted and they all moved out to the car park.

“So I vote that one person drives there and another back,” Belle suggested as they made their way towards the rental car they had acquired on landing. Once again it was the four youngest that had been pooled into one of the vehicles, a fact that Leigh didn’t mind in the slightest.

“Shotgun not!” Caleb immediately cried, sprinting away from them to come to a halt by the front passenger seat and Belle rolled her eyes.

“I can drive there if you wish,” Tom offered and the brunette nodded in agreement, handing the keys over. Grabbing Leigh’s hand the girl dragged her towards the back seats and several moments later the four of them were settled in the vehicle, Tom easing them out of the car park.

“Does anyone have their iPod with them?” Caleb asked as they crept onto the main road out of Levanto and Leigh answered affirmatively, reaching into her bag. A moment later she produced the device and handed it over, looking quizzically at Belle who had her brows raised.

“Do you carry that thing around everywhere with you?”

“Yup, you never know when you might need it. Plus I feel a little lost without it, I like knowing it’s always within reach,” Leigh answered and the brunette shook her head. After a few moments of fiddling with an auxiliary cable Caleb had sheepishly produced, causing more questions, music flooded the car.

“Daft Punk? I’m impressed,” Tom commented and the redhead thanked him, turning slightly to hide a smile. “Caleb you should put it on Contact, it’s definitely the best on this album.”

“Nah uh, Instant Crush is by far,” she disagreed and he shot her a look in the rearview mirror. Somehow despite its intensity she managed to hold it until he broke to return his attention to the road. “You may as well play the whole album; we have a couple of hours.”

Caleb waved his hand to acknowledge her statement and she leant back in her seat, turning her attention to Belle who had just opened a packet of lollies. Leigh was beginning to wonder if half the girl’s suitcase had been full of them, but happily held out a hand to receive some. They spent the two hour drive talking, snacking, and singing obnoxiously loudly to all the songs they knew the words to. Thanks to Tom’s lead foot they were the first to arrive and assembled at the arranged meeting place, commenting on the heat of the day.

Once everyone was accounted for they headed towards their first destination, the Duomo Cathedral. Leigh could no longer hide the bounce in her step as they made their way through the streets of Florence and grabbing hold of Belle forced the girl to skip down the sidewalk with her.

“God Leigh, I can’t keep up with your spritely youthfulness,” the brunette gasped after about a hundred metres, pulling loose of the Australian and dramatically doubling over to gasp for breath.

“I’m three years younger than you, I’d hardly call that spritely youthfulness,” Leigh said with a joking roll of her eyes, pulling her friend upright. They waited for the others to catch up, looking rather amused as they did so.

“You look like you’re looking forward to today,” Tom commented as he fell into step beside them and she nodded, taking his arm instead of Belle’s when the English girl nudged her. “You’re not going to make me skip too are you?”

“Nah, I am excited for it though. What about you? It’s the last day you have to play host, whatever will you do with yourself from tomorrow?”

“Probably end up at the beach with a book repeatedly.”

“I thought you hated beaches,” she teased lightly and he chuckled, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“I suppose it depends on how often you frequent it,” he replied and Leigh almost choked on nothing, feeling her cheeks blaze up. She tried to hide it, though as she forced herself to take a calming breath she sensed that he was very much aware of her reaction. As they entered the cathedral and parted, Leigh concentrated on pulling her camera out of her bag. It had been a long time since someone had turned her into a blushing idiot. Years had passed since her and Matt had begun things, and even then she had pushed passed all her nerves and giddiness to approach him like a normal person.

“You okay there, Tomato?” Belle asked when the redhead finally had her camera in her hand and once again resembled a normal person. Leigh less than gently hit her friend’s arm for the comment and acknowledgement of her reaction.

“I’m good.”

“Really? Because from where I was standing you looked like you forgot how to function,” the brunette said with a smirk, wincing as she was once again hit. “You’re so violent when you’re embarrassed.”

“Shuddup Belle, do you know… don’t worry,” Leigh trailed off, focusing her gaze on the beauty around her. For some reason she didn’t quite know how to admit that Tom had just made her feel like some kind of pre-teen girl with a crush. Belle didn’t relent though, gently assuring the girl with a squeeze of her arm. “I was just going to say, well, it’s been a while since… this.”

“This?” Belle questioned, tilting her head to the side. Taking Leigh’s hand they began to slowly move, the redhead using the footsteps and picture opportunities to form her words a little better.

“Well I mean Matt and I had been at that comfortable stage for a while, you know? There were no more butterflies, compliments were received with a smile and a kiss… or a smack on the backside,” she said slowly, tilting her head back and inhaling sharply at the sight of the decorated dome.

“You know what I think?” Belle started, pausing briefly as someone pushed past them. “I think there’s love, and then there’s love; relationships, and then relationships. I think once you meet someone that you have a true chance of spending the rest of your life with that never dies away. Sure you may not quite have butterflies, but I think even after years you still get a bit of a tummy flip, that their compliments can still leave you smiling shyly because this person in front of you truly thinks you’re that beautiful.”

Leigh froze as she stared wide-eyed at the other, blinking frequently as she regarded Belle. “Jesus Belle, that was disgustingly romantic. I never would have pegged you for the vomit inducing kind.”

“Thanks for your equally deep reply Leigh. It’s probably why I’m so morbidly single right now.”

“Chin up, you never know. We might bump into some hunky Italian guy today who’ll sweep you off your feet and let you rub oil into his abs,” Leigh said, smiling at the girl. Letting out a groan Belle pushed the redhead lightly, giggles ensuing as they continued deeper into the cathedral. Despite the lightened mood however, Leigh couldn’t help but hear the brunette’s words echo through her mind with every step. Was Belle right? Was what she had with Matt always doomed to end? And was the girl trying to suggest the possibility of something like that with Tom?