Page 9 of Kiss Me Again

"Don't be ridiculous; I heard your doctor said strictly: no pressure on the knee, including long walks, gym, and driving! Only those sessions are allowed."

"I'll call an Uber," I say, making another try.

"To the doctor? Don't be ridiculous! What if you need help?" Diana insists.

"It's not like it's surgery," I point out.

"I don't mind, really," Mia says, looking at me with...is that pity?Is she agreeing to this because she feelssorry for me? When did I become a charity case?

"I'll ask Marco to drive me. We already agreed that he's driving me tomorrow. I'll ask him for more favors," I blurt out. Mia looks at me with disbelief.

Of course, it's a lie. I haven’t even talked to Marco. He's the teammate who lives the closest to our house, and he’s home for spring break. I only have to ask him, but I'm sure he'll agree. He's a good guy.

"Marco is coming tomorrow?" Di asks excitedly, obviously not realizing that I am lying, unlike Mia. "I'm so glad you're here! You have to meet this guy! He's Italian and the most handsome guy on the team. And that sexy Italian accent..."

"I'm still here," I remind my sister.

"He is perfect." Di winks at Mia, not paying attention to my words.

Only then do I realize that my sister means Mia's first time.

No way in hell I'll let Marco take Mia's virginity.

And I was the one who just said that he was gonna come tomorrow when he didn't need to in the first place.

Just my luck.

CHAPTER FIVE

BEN

I'm waiting for Marco. Diana left early in the morning without even saying goodbye. I don't blame her. Becoming an actress has always been her dream, even our parents know that. Our dad once offered her a part in a TV series. I think it was aGossip Girlremake or something. Di refused. She said that when she receives her role, it will be because of her talent and not because of her parents' connections.

There is a loud sound, and I turn to see what happened. Mia is holding a bunch of books, and she dropped one of them to the marble floor.

I go over to help her immediately, but she shakes her head. "You don't have to do that. Your leg..."

"Don't act like my sister," I say with a smile, looking up at her as I retrieve the book. Mia smiles back, and a warm, pleasant feeling invades my body. I look away. "They're too heavy for you," I say, taking the other books from her hands.

It's the longest conversation we've had in months.

Our week together without Di around may work out.

"Well, well, well,buongiorno," I hear a familiar Italian accent say, and my body stiffens. He wasn't supposed to come inside.

I didn't want him to see Mia, and I really didn’t want her to meet him. I'm positive that she's going to like this guy.

"I didn't know you lived in a house so much bigger than mine,amico,"he continues, looking around with a smile. “I guess I underestimated the magic of the movie industry. I might consider becoming a producer myself instead of this sports career."

Marco sells himself short. He lives nearby in a Spanish-style mansion smaller than ours. Still, his parents, billion-dollar Italian food company owners, recently bought a house with half an acre in Encino Hills.

Marco isn’t at all interested in a being a soccer player. When his parents moved to Los Angeles, they donated two million dollars to make sure their son got a place on a team.

Marco is tall, broad-chested, and muscular, especially for a nineteen-year-old. He could become a good player if he put in more of an effort. But he will inherit his parents’ company someday, so he doesn't need to work hard to make a career out of it, unlike me.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a girlfriend." Marco notices Mia and comes closer, extending a hand. "It's nice to meet you,bellissima.I'm Marco, but you can call me whenever you like, honestly."

She smiles in response as she places her hand in his. Why the hell did I take all of her books? I should have let her keep them so she couldn't shake his hand.

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