Chapter 27

“I have to go now,” Garbi said, wiping his mouth. “Pietro will…you know this already, what Pietro is like.”

The heat of his lips vibrated my mouth, making it difficult to form words. “Is that it?” I asked, eventually finding my voice.

“No, but what can we do?”

“I want to go to the game.”

“No.”

“Then what?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, Lawrence. Will you follow my team all over California, then up to Oregon and then—”

“All over California,” I echoed.

He took the bowl of strawberries. “Your life is here.”

“You must get a break when the season ends.”

“Do you feel so much?” Garbi asked.

“Fuck, yes,” I said and clutched his hand holding the bowl. “I hate it, but yeah, I feel so much.”

“We’ll see. For now, I give you my numbers and you call me. I don’t like texting, but you could send me some pictures to keep me hopeful.”

“Hopeful?” I used his arm as leverage and stood up.

“We might see each other again,” he said with a smile. “Are we not both romantic now?”