Page 30 of The Fallback

He stretched his legs out in front of him, arching his back slightly and then settling back, allowing Rosie to rest against him again.

‘That food was amazing.’

‘Mmm…’ Rosie agreed, feeling the soporific pull of a full stomach.

‘Are you capable of saying anything other than “mmm”?’ laughed Mitch. Rosie just smiled happily to herself.

They were sat on a bench on the terrace of the farmstead after yet another amazing meal. This time it was a ravioli dish rich with ricotta and other cheeses and several glasses of a local red wine which was largely responsible for Rosie’s sleepy state.

They weren’t the only guests but everyone else seemed to have either retired for the evening or made the short walk into the town, looking for more lively entertainment than that provided for on the terrace. But Rosie and Mitch were quite happy where they were. The terrace overlooked the Tuscan countryside and the last rays of sunshine were catching the tall trees in the valley. Sparkling lights in houses had started coming on and the first stars were appearing in the sky above them. If they were on a romantic holiday this would be the perfect moment to kiss, except they weren’t, and it wasn’t.

‘I think this might be the best holiday yet,’ Rosie said sleepily, cuddling into Mitch.

Rosie felt him stiffen a little beside her and immediately she was wide awake. Had she said the wrong thing? Had she said too much? She hadn’t declared her love for him or anything awful like that, simply said what a great holiday it was. Her thoughts started to spiral and she pulled a little away from him, putting some space between them.

Mitch shifted, moving slightly away from her, too, but turning his body so he was looking at her. He put his foot up on the bench, pulling his knee in under his arm and stared at her.

‘Yeah, it is pretty great, isn’t it?’

Rosie didn’t know what to say, she was sure she hadn’t imagined the atmosphere changing between them, but wasn’t sure why it had. She’d clearly said something to change things, but she couldn’t work out what.

Mitch reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. ‘Rosie, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.’

Rosie did her worst fake laugh. ‘Huh! Sounds like this could be serious!’

‘Rosie can you just listen, OK?’

Rosie nodded.

‘It really is a great holiday, and I’ve loved being here with you,’ he said.

This wasn’t so bad, Rosie thought to herself, he was just agreeing with what she had said, although it did sound like there was a but coming…

‘But…’ Mitch paused and took his hand from Rosie’s shoulder, twisting back to face out into the valley again so Rosie couldn’t see the expression on his face.

But what?she wanted to shout.But we should never do this again? But I know you’re in love with me and this is just getting tragic. But I never want to see you again??She leaned forward anxiously, her mind already several steps ahead. Planning her escape, wondering how she would ever be able to look Mitch in the face again after the confrontation they were about to have.

‘Signor Mitch?’ Both of them snapped round immediately, seeing Federico from the farmstead rushing towards them across the terrace. Rosie immediately felt a terrible sensation of vertigo. She knew something bad was about to happen but she was powerless to prevent Federico from telling them what it was. And at the same time, she also had an overwhelming urge to hug Federico for preventing Mitch from telling her some terrible home truths and breaking her heart to boot.

Mitch stood up and Rosie felt the bench rock beneath her.

‘Federico? What is it?’ Rosie heard the strain in Mitch’s voice.

‘Signor Mitch, it’s a phone call. They say your phone don’t work. I don’t understand the details but it’s about your mother.’

Rosie looked up at Mitch, fearing the worst. His face drained of colour, his mouth was moving but he wasn’t saying anything. Rosie was immediately on her feet and by Mitch’s side, and she took his hand in hers.

‘I think there’s been an accident, Signor, you need to come to the telephone now.’

Rosie felt her hand drop, Mitch pulling away from her, running back towards the reception desk and the phone that promised to deliver terrible news. Her stomach plummeted.

And then it was a rush of phone calls, rearranging flights, silent taxi drives to and from airports and for Mitch, a two-day vigil by his mother’s hospital bed as she lay in a coma after a drunk teenager had plowed his car into her as she waited to cross the road.

For Rosie it was a period of silent fear. She wanted to be there for Mitch, but there was very little she could do. And always at the back of her mind there was the conversation that Federico had interrupted, the one where Mitch was about to tell her to back off and leave him alone. But he never did, and perhaps her support and friendship during those days and weeks, not to mention her inspired haggling with the airline which got them out of Italy on a flight home within three hours of hearing the news, had made him reconsider his confrontation. Rosie still wondered to this day what exactly Mitch had been about to say.

NOW

Rosie sighed and pulled herself back to the moment. This was why she needed to do something and fast or that friendship she’d been so careful to preserve with Mitch would slip away from her; either because she couldn’t get past her feelings for him or because he would fall in love for real and leave her behind.

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