I watch the early morning sun color the cloudless blue sky in streaks of pink and orange. The colors all blend together to create a picture perfect view that I've only seen artists like Da Vinci be able to capture in paintings. I feel the warmth of the sunlight resting on my cheeks once I step farther out on my hotel balcony where the railings are. I fold my arms over my nightgown with the incoming breeze from the wind and bring my mug of black coffee up to my lips. I blow over the cloud of steam before taking a sip.

I was surprised by how well-rested I felt when I woke up since Zayn wasn't here. The bed felt colder without his usual warm body lying next to mine, but with extra blankets I ended up sleeping just fine. I attributed this to the fact that I was so excited to begin searching for Angelo with Clarice and Harry that I simply couldn't wait for the night to be over.

My eyes flutter close as I inhale a deep breath through my nose and exhale through my mouth. I bring my mug back up to my lips, so I can take another sip of my delicious black coffee. Growing up, I watched my father drink a cup of black coffee every morning before work. When I had my first cup at age sixteen, I wasn't so fond of the bitter taste, but the more I drank it, the more my taste buds adapted to the taste. Drinking black coffee reminded me of those mornings I'd spend with my father before we parted ways to go about our days. Now that I'm an adult, I don't see him quite as often as I'd like to, but whenever I drink black coffee I feel a bit closer to him than I did before.

I open my eyes again slowly and glance down at the empty streets of Verona below me. The sight was almost refreshing to see since I hail from a city where people are always on the move, constantly crowding the streets. New York City will always be my home, but it was nice to have a change of pace and scenery every once in awhile.

After I finish my cup of black coffee, I go back inside my hotel room and place the mug inside the sink. I turn on the tap and fill the cup to the brim with water before shutting it off. Upon glancing at the time from the living room clock, I decide to get a head start on my morning routine.

I walk straight into the washroom to brush my teeth first and immediately floss after I'm done. Then I go into my bedroom en suite and search through my bag of toiletries for my grapefruit scented facial cleansing mask. I carry the small tube with me back into the bathroom and throw my hair into a high ponytail so that the strands won't be stuck to the sides of my face. I wet my hands with warm water and then apply the cleansing mask onto my face.

The pores in my skin almost instantly feel refreshed because of the cleansing mask's rich properties. I let it stay on for five minutes before rinsing it off and jumping in the shower. After cleaning myself up, I wash my hair with the hotel shampoo and conditioner before stepping out of the shower and drying off.

Since I showered so early, I decide to let my hair towel dry instead of blow-drying it while I got dressed. I pull out a blue denim button-up short sleeved shirt and white yoga pants from my suitcase and put them on before sliding my feet into a pair of Vince Preston black slip-on sneakers. I leave my towel hanging off the edge of the bed for the cleaning lady to wash and exit my bedroom. To pass the time while I wait for my hair to dry, I open up the Netflix app on my phone and continue watching the "White Christmas" episode of Black Mirror on the living room sofa.

My eyebrows raise in surprise when the episode takes a dramatic turn, and the plot twist becomes revealed. In that moment, I really wished Zayn were here so that I could pause the episode and talk to him about what just happened. I often found that Black Mirror episodes were too thought provoking to go undiscussed, so I made a habit to chat with Zayn after watching every episode. Sometimes, we watched episodes together as a couple, but most times I watched it by myself before bed at night.

By the end of the episode, my hair is no longer damp, and I go to remove my towel. I walk back into my room to set it on the bed before grabbing my purse from the bedside table and leaving the hotel room. I decide to have breakfast in my hotel's lobby and shoot a quick text to Harry, telling him I'll meet him and Clarice at the Star hotel after I'm done eating. Harry thought it was best we exchanged contact information before I left yesterday since he was going to be the designated driver for this trip, and I agreed.

I had just finished selecting my food items from the buffet line when I feel my phone vibrate once inside of my purse. I wait until I'm settled at my table before retrieving the device from my bag and opening the message.

Harry: Sounds good. Nan and I just woke up.

I smile at Harry's text, imagining his ring clad fingers tiredly moving over the keys on his phone as he typed this message. I take a bite out of my apple before sending him my reply.

Me: I hope you're well rested for the big day!

Harry: Yes, we're going to get ready and go to the lobby for breakfast. See you at 10:00AM

I stifle a laugh when I read over Harry's text and take another large bite out of my apple. I can't help but notice how proper he is. If I didn't know Zayn, I would have assumed it was just a British thing. I set my phone off to the side until I finish eating the rest of my breakfast. After I clean up my seating area, I head out to meet Harry and Clarice.

●

In the backseat of Harry's rental car, I gaze out the window at all of the trees and lush green fields we zoom pass. The sight was just as captivating as the skyscrapers I'd gaze upon back in New York. A cool breeze flows in from the window and ruffles around my hair. After gazing outside for a few more minutes, I turn my attention from the scenic view to focus up front where Clarice is sitting next to Harry. I watch her bob her head and snap her fingers to the beat of the Italian music playing on the radio.

For a brief moment, my eyes wander over to Harry's in the rearview mirror. The sunlight pouring in from the windows make his green eyes appear more vibrant than they usually are. His eyebrows are scrunched together in concentration as he focuses on getting us to our destination safely. Before I can turn away, Harry makes eye contact with me in the mirror, and I freeze. He only holds my gaze for a few seconds before shifting his attention back on the road. When Harry's eyes return to the rearview mirror again, I try to appear like I'm distracted by my phone.

I manage to steal another glance at him without him noticing before I receive an incoming text message from Zayn. I open it and read the message to myself silently.

Zayn: I hope you're having a good day. Love and miss you already xoxo

I smile widely after reading my fiance's text and shoot him a quick reply.

Me: Love you too. See you when you get back <3

I place my phone into my purse again when the car suddenly comes to a stop in front of a little blue house with a car parked in the driveway. I follow Harry and Clarice when they unbuckle their seatbelts and get out of the car.

"This is it. This is our first stop!" I point out excitedly as I trail behind Harry and Clarice.

Clarice smiles at my enthusiasm while Harry still appears to be thoroughly annoyed. I don't let his unamused reaction falter my smile though. When we approach the property, the three of us debate over who should be the one to knock on the door.

"My Italian is rusty dear. I haven't needed to speak it in sixty years," Clarice told me when I suggested it be her.

I let out a sigh and glance at Harry who is too busy kicking the rocks at his feet to notice that I'm staring.

"What about you Harry? Didn't you say you know Italian?" I ask him.

His eyes snap up to meet mine after hearing my question. "Knowing Italian and being able to speak Italian are two different things," Harry reminds me. "Shouldn't you be able to understand all romance languages after taking Latin?"

I huff in annoyance and cross my arms. "You know what? Forget I asked. I'll knock on the door with Clarice," I tell him before making my way to the porch steps. Clarice trails alongside me.

I've only taken about three steps when I hear footsteps behind me, and I turn to glance over my shoulder to see Harry catching up to us. I send him a questioning look, but he doesn't pay me anymore attention and continues walking up the porch steps with Clarice. Just as I reach the top, Harry swiftly knocks on the door with his fist, and I stand off to the side with Clarice as we wait for someone to answer.

An old man with a gray beard and soft blue eyes answers the door. His eyebrows furrow in confusion as his eyes sweep over the three strangers standing before him. I offer him a kind smile and extend my hand out to him.

"Hello, my name is Sofia Garcia. Are you Angelo Espositto?" I inquire.

I glance at Harry, and he repeats what I asked except in Italian. The man's confusion seems to disappear, and a smile washes over his face. He accepts my handshake with a firm grip before we pull our hands away.

"Yes, I am Angelo Espositto," He states as best as he can in English.

I move out of the way to give Clarice the opportunity to speak to him. She approaches Angelo with her hands clasped behind her back and a shy smile on her face.

"This is my grandmother Clarice," Harry introduces the two of them. "Do you remember meeting a girl with red hair and green eyes like this during the summer of 1957?" He questions the man.

Angelo appears to be lost in thought as he tries to recall that summer all of those years ago. I watch Clarice examine Angelo's face with a frown across her lips. When she turns to face me, I can tell something is off by the look in her eyes.

"It's not him," She mouths to me.

I immediately catch the hint and interject back into the conversation. "I'm so sorry Mr. Espositto. It appears you're not the man we're looking for," I say to him. Harry sends me a quizzical look, but I don't get the chance to explain.

Angelo snaps out of his thoughts and stares back at me with widened eyes. "I remember now. I met this beautiful woman with long reddish brown hair at the beach," He recalls. I raise my eyebrows at Clarice, and she shakes her head.

"And you're sure that she," I pause to point Clarice, "is the woman you met?" I ask him.

"No," Angelo shakes his head, a chuckle emitting from his lips. "This woman I met was the devil. She cursed my entire family with poor crops. I was a fool for marrying her."

A gasp falls from my lips at his confession, and I cover my hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing at how serious he sounds. I watch Harry's eyebrows shoot up, and he clears his throat before taking his grandmother's hand and leading her back to the car.

"We'll be on our way now. So sorry to have bothered you," I quickly apologize before making my way down the porch steps.

The sound of a window opening causes me to stop in my tracks and look over my shoulder. I see an old woman with gray hair and moles all over her face perch her head outside.

"Take him with you! Please!" She begs.

I bite my lip and force myself to keep walking so that they don't see me burst into laughter. Clarice and I found that whole situation to be comical, but I could tell we were the only ones who were amused. Harry was reluctant to drive to our next destination because he thought it would be a waste of time, but Clarice demanded that he do so, and he remained quiet for the remainder of the drive.

By the end of our trip, we crossed two Angelos off of our list. Even though we didn't have any luck on our first day, I don't feel discouraged since there are still more Angelos for us to find. However, I can't say the same about Harry.

After dropping Clarice off at the Star hotel, Harry graciously offered to walk me back to my hotel room. I was caught off guard by his offer at first, but I accepted it in hopes that I could begin to understand why he was being so guarded during our trip. We spend a few moments walking in the silence of the night before I finally speak up.

"Listen, I know we didn't find our Angelo today, but I'm confident we will eventually," I admit to him.

Harry lifts his gaze from the ground so that he can look at me properly. The moonlight casts a soft glow over his face, accentuating his features. I got so lost in the sharpness of his jaw that I didn't notice he had asked me a question. I shook my head to snap myself out of my trance and flickered my eyes over to his.

"Sorry, what was that?" I ask him with flushed cheeks.

A small grin creeps up onto Harry's face, but he rolls his lips together to hide it. "Can I ask you a question and receive an honest answer from you?" He says while raising his eyebrows.

I nod my head. "Go for it."

"Am I wrong to have any hesitations about this whole trip?" Harry asks me with a look of uncertainty in his eyes.

His question catches me off guard at first. I didn't expect those words to come out of his mouth, but a part of me feels touched that he's actively looking for my opinion on the matter. I take a few seconds to gather my thoughts as we approach the doors to my hotel's lobby before answering him.

"No, in fact it's perfectly normal," I assure him. "Whenever I get assigned a case to fact check at my office, a part of me always fears that I'll end up with no results. However, I don't let my inhibitions stop me because at the end of the day the job has to get done."

Harry lets out a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair. "I just worry about her, you know? It took her awhile to get over my grandfather's death. I'm all she's got left really," He tells me.

I stop outside of the doors to my hotel's lobby and turn to face Harry fully. "Well, what about your parents?" I inquire.

"They died in a car accident when I was nine years old," He confesses with a sad smile.

My heart drops at the news. "I'm sorry," I apologize. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No," Harry insists, shaking his head at me, "there's no way you could've known," He points out. "Besides, I like to think they're in a better place watching over me and my nan."

"I think it's really admirable how much you care about your grandmother," I tell him. "It shows through your actions."

Harry grins widely at my words. "She's the most important woman in my life right now," He replies with a nonchalant shrug.

Another question comes to my mind after hearing his response, but I catch myself before I can ask it. I have no business inquiring about his romantic life, so I don't. Instead, I offer him a warm smile.

"Well, thank you for walking me back to my hotel, Harry," I state while folding my arms across
my chest. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome..." Harry trails off before continuing with, "so, I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" He asks.

"Definitely," I assure him. "Goodnight Harry."

"Sweet dreams, Sofia," He emphasizes my name before turning on his heel and walking back in the direction we just came from.

I feel my heart pound just a little harder after replaying his farewell in my mind on the elevator ride up to my hotel room. I can't get over the way my name sounded from his mouth. He emphasized it with importance and though it may sound silly to some, the gesture meant a lot to me. No one besides my father has ever spoken my name as if those five letters could hold such meaning before.

A/N

Hello my beautiful wattpad readers. I hope you're enjoying your weekend and enjoyed reading this update. I'm sorry it's taken me awhile to update, but I promise once I finish Behind Closed Doors, I'll be updating this book a lot more. I only plan for this book to be 22 chapters + an epilogue + 3 bonus chapters.

Fun-fact about myself: I'm a first year in college and managed to snag a staff writer position at my school's Journal of Law and Public Policy.