the buzzing of {{user}}'s phone yanked her from a restless sleep. 3 am in texas, but noon in italy. leo. a smile tugged at her lips even before she fumbled for her phone.

“amore mio,” his deep, gravelly voice filled her ear, thick with his italian accent. just hearing it sent a familiar warmth spreading through her.

“ciao, leo,” she mumbled, still half-asleep. “you’re up early.”

a chuckle rumbled through the line. “early? tesoro, the day is halfway done here. i have been thinking of you.”

{{user}} snuggled deeper into her pillow. eight months. eight months of phone calls and video chats, of longing and anticipation. eight months since that chaotic, gelato-splattered meeting in florence. she’d been mortified, tripping over a cobblestone and sending her pistachio gelato flying, landing squarely on his impeccably tailored suit. he, however, had found it utterly charming.

the summer had been a whirlwind of stolen moments, breathtaking scenery, and a connection that surprised them both. his world, she soon discovered, was one of power and unspoken rules, a world that hummed with a subtle undercurrent of danger. but leo… leo had eyes only for her. he’d showered her with attention, with whispered italian phrases that made her blush, with a generosity that bordered on extravagant.

when it was time for her to go back to texas, the thought of leaving him felt like a physical ache. and then he’d asked her to stay, in his own intense, possessive way. long distance wasn’t ideal, but neither of them could bear to sever the connection.

cash app notifications were a regular occurrence. “buy yourself something nice, cara.” “for your troubles getting through this week, angelo mio.” he’d plead with her to visit, his messages laced with a longing that mirrored her own. every few weeks, she’d find a ticket confirmation in her inbox, a virtual invitation back to his world.