Hey guys! I just want to give a huge thank you to those of you that have stuck with my slow updates on this story. I really appreciate it and your feedback. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Cam**

I watched Claire from afar all evening, only pausing a minute to roll my eyes at my classmates running around and taking goofy pictures that made it look like they were holding up the tower. Some of them actually got pretty creative which I would have thought was cool if I hadn't been so preoccupied. I realized that I'd caught Claire by surprise when I'd gone to chat her up about her song, as I could practically see the shock and confusion in her eyes. So I hoped to find a better moment to hang out with her and give her a chance to talk to me when she wasn't surprised. Unfortunately I ended up having to follow her around secretly as she laughed along with Alicia, Dylan, Josh, and Plovert the whole night. If I'd stopped to think about it I would have realized I was being way creepy, but I was on a mission. At some point I lost them, and went to hang out with Kemp. We walked through the Battistero. It was pretty cool, and it was fun having guy time with Kemp again, but I couldn't focus on anything besides Claire. How is it possible for one person to completely consume your life so quickly? It had only been about a week since I met her.

After the Battistero we texted Derrick to meet up for dinner. I realized that I'd barely seen him all afternoon, but he must have been busy because he never responded. So Kemp took me to meet up with a bunch of his more jock-y friends and their girls, and I met people I'd barely even known were on the trip. On one hand that was neat, but on the other it would have been more enjoyable knowing I had Claire.

**Massie**

The leaning tower was just as magical as I thought it would be. I don't know why it is so cool, I mean I know a lot of my classmates just thought of it as an old piece of architecture that would collapse at any moment, but it was the location of one of my favorite childhood books, and for some reason I'd just always wanted to go. While everyone else left to tour the Battistero or grab dinner, having taken their pictures and whatnot, Derrick and I sat on a bench that gave perfect view of the tower and people watched. We fell in and out of conversation, commenting on crazy tourists or laughing over something one of our teachers had said, with comfortable silences in between. I could see why Claire and Derrick were so close. They both were really great people, the kind that could make me completely let down my guard. At one point I looked over at him when he wasn't looking, and my breath nearly caught in my throat. The sun had started to set, and the glow caught his profile and made him look so handsome and almost godly. I was surprised—I'd thought of Derrick as the great friend, goofy, loveable guy, but I hadn't really found him attractive before. It was like I'd been blinded by Cam the whole time, and the setting sun was showing me what really was important.

I heard angels singing in my head for a few more seconds before I quickly shook all thoughts of Derrick and his gorgeousness from my mind. Even if they weren't dating, Derrick belonged to Claire. If I took him from her, I would not only be stealing her man, but I'd be abandoning her on this trip and that was just not something she deserved. I was trying to make her happy by setting her up with Derrick, how horrible would it be to take him for myself?

He looked over at me and smiled, reaching for my hand and giving it a light squeeze before turning back and watching the crowd. I smiled back softly and resolved to do everything in my power to not let this slip past friendship.

**Derrick**

Cam texted me asking if I wanted to join him and Kemp for dinner, but pretty much nothing less than him having a heart attack or something would have pulled me away from Massie. It was the most amazing thing to be sitting there with her, basking in the light of the setting sun and watching people come and go to admire the tower. I couldn't quite tell why, but something about the tower really made Massie excited, and to see her so happy made me happy. At one point I felt her look over at me for a while, so I reached out and grabbed her hand. The smile on my face just grew as she squeezed back, almost as if she didn't realize she was doing it.

Eventually my stomach rumbled, breaking the trance and causing Massie to giggle.

"Wanna grab something to eat?" she asked, lightly pulling her hand from mine and stretching. I looked over at her, her sparkling eyes looking expectant.

"Yeah, let's go," I agreed. We found a cool little Italian Pastry shop, and I quickly bought us both something to eat before she could protest. Then I lead her right back to where we were sitting for the last two hours. "Thanks for hanging out with me today, Massie," I blurted as she unwrapped her sandwich, and then decided I had to own it. She looked up at me and tilted her head so I continued. "Yeah, I'm really glad you're starting to let your guard down around me," I continued, then watched a soft blush creep over her cheeks.

"Oh, you could tell?" She asked softly, looking down at her hands. I'd never seen her look shy before.

"Yeah, I hope that's okay?" I replied, not wanting her to be uncomfortable but wishing I hadn't asked like that. Whether or not she wanted me too, I could see who she really was. And to me, knowing so many girls who were so heavily covered by what they wanted everyone to think they were, that was refreshing.

"Oh, definitely," she sat up straighter. "You're actually one of the few people I feel truly comfortable around. Thanks for that. I mean it," her sincere amber eyes bore straight into mine. As cliché as it was, I really wanted to kiss her right then. Hadn't I waited long enough? Claire said I had to wait until she realized she wanted me. Her admission was almost the same right? I took a deep breath and went for it. Leaning in, I captured her lips in a slow, sweet kiss. But when I pulled away, her expression was blank. I wanted nothing more to bang my head on the back of the wooden bench, but I figured that would be a little overdramatic, so I settled for just staring straight ahead, the mood totally changed.

After a few moments of awkward silence, I sideglanced over to see her face scrunched up, not in a disgusted way but like she couldn't decide about something. Great. Claire was right, I should have waited until she was sure…

Before I knew what was happening, Massie had pulled me towards her and was kissing me passionately. I responded instantly, not knowing exactly what was going on, but more than happy to play along.

**Claire**

"Claire? Claire!" I heard Massie calling me, so I took out my earbuds and looked to see her speedwalking across the deck to reach me. I had come back early from walking around Pisa to work more on my song. A quick look at my watch told me Massie was back a little early too. "I really need to talk to you," she said once she reached me, nervously looking around the deck to make sure no one else was there.

"Yea? What's up?" I asked, partially nervous because she seemed to be and partially just eager to hear what had her all worked up.

"Um. Well." She took a deep breath, "ImayhavemadeoutwithDerrick," she admitted incoherently, her guilty face coming on. "I am so, SO sorry!"

"Uh, well you're probably forgiven, but I have no idea what you confessed just now," I raised my eyebrows so she'd know I wasn't mad about anything.

"Oh, haha," she let out a nervous giggle, "I said, I may have made out with Derrick." Once I processed that, I could feel a huge grin instantly leap onto my face.

"Massie, that's great!" I exclaimed before chuckling at her confused expression. "Derrick and I are super close, yes, but that also means he's told me he adores you. I couldn't be happier for you two!" I explained. She let out a breath of relief.

"Wow, Claire, thanks for being so understanding! I'd never want to steal your guy, but I knew you were just friends, and he just… gets me, you know? And wow, he adores me? Wow," she rambled on, getting more excited. I'd seen my best friend fawn over plenty of guys, and get all of them. But this was different. This was special because I could tell that Derrick helped Massie realize things about herself that other guys only influenced her to suppress. And the genuine happiness radiating from her made me more than proud of how things had worked out. As she rambled excitedly about how great Derrick was, I sighed longingly and thought back to how coldly I had treated Cam earlier. If I could somehow show him I was sorry and mend whatever it was that had happened there, then this trip really would end perfectly.

Thanks again! I hope everyone had a great holiday season, and Happy New Year!

Hugs,

Sky