Page 105 of Sicilian Sunset

To my surprise, Alonso slides in the front seat a moment later, and the car takes off.

Hmm, why is Alonso here?

Should I ask him?

Perhaps he’s got business in Syracuse, and it makes sense for him to ride along. Surely, he’s not here to follow me around… or is he? He’s a security guard, after all.

I tap my fingers against my legs as my mind overanalyzes the situation. My eyebrows draw together, and I bite my lip, debating if I should say something.

I really wish I had Rhia’s forwardness sometimes. But I remain silent and decide to speak up should Alonso attempt to accompany me. I made it clear I didn’t want that, didn’t I?

We travel in silence. I’m uncomfortable not knowing what’s going on. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I take out my phone and google Syracuse to jog my memory of what’s there.

Ah, it looks so beautiful. Scrolling through the pictures helps me relax, and I’m getting excited about this afternoon’s exploration.

“Fabio, could you please take me to the Neapolis Archaeological Park first?” I ask.

With a nod, he sets the navigation in the car to my requested destination, and half an hour later, we arrive on site.

“Will you wait here, or would you like me to call you when I’m ready to move on?” I ask as I slide across the seat to get out of the car.

“I’ll wait,” Fabio says indifferently.

As I leave the car, Alonso gets out too and looks ready to join me.

No, that won’t do.

Gathering my courage, I speak up. “Alonso, it’s not necessary for you to come with me. I’m okay on my own.”

For a moment, he looks bewildered and a little confused.

“Actually, I’ve never been here as an adult. I hope you don’t mind, but I want to have a look around. I won’t disturb you. Once we reach the amphitheater, I’ll take a different path.”

Shoot.

I can hardly say no to that, even though I don’t like the idea of having him around.

I nod and turn to walk off. “Miss O’Neil,” Alonso calls after me, and I peer at him expectantly. “Please take my phone number.” He hands me a business card. “Just text me when you’re ready to leave, so I won’t hold you up, waiting for me.”

Aww, that’s thoughtful of him.

I smile at him as I put his card in my purse.

When we reach the amphitheater, I sit down on one of the ancient steps and let the energy of the place sink into my bones. If these stones could talk, I muse, what stories would they tell?

True to his word, Alonso has walked on and is admiring the view from the opposite side of the arena before disappearing out of sight.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

Even though he didn’t gaze my way, I felt watched.

I pull out my phone, take a snapshot and send it to Rhia.

Me: Wish you were here with me.

A response pops up almost immediately.

Rhia: Damn. I really wanted to see Syracuse. Now, I probably never will.

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