Harbinger Of Glory

Chapter 379: Back In Rome!

The afternoon eventually began winding down, and after spending the whole day at her brother’s, Mia began to notice the time.

She pushed herself off the sofa, stretched once and grabbed her phone from the coffee table.

"I should probably get going," she said.

"I’ve got school tomorrow."

From where he was sitting, Leo looked up from his phone.

"Wait."

Mia paused and looked at Leo, who was already reaching for his keys.

"I’ll drop you."

"Oh."

Mia blinked.

For a second, she looked genuinely surprised before turning toward Vittoria.

"You want to come?"

Vittoria looked up from where she’d been curled into one corner of the sofa.

"Why not? Just let me grab something other than this," she said as she stood to her feet and gestured at what she was wearing.

"I even forgot you had a car," Mia said after Vittoria had left.

"Yeah, right," Leo said, thinking Mia was joking, but there was no such mischief on her face.

"I genuinely forgot," Mia affirmed as Leo’s widened mouth closed.

"Well, you have already said that you don’t like it."

"I don’t dislike it."

"You called it an old man’s car."

"Because it is."

"No, it isn’t," Leo said, but then waved Mia away a second later.

A few minutes later, all three stepped out of the apartment, and after Leo locked the door behind them, they headed downstairs together.

.....

The following morning arrived with considerably less peace.

Leo had barely finished part of recovery training when one of the staff informed him Dawson wanted to see him.

That alone was enough to make him suspicious.

Dawson rarely summoned players for reasons players enjoyed.

A few minutes later, he knocked on Dawson’s office door.

"Come in."

Leo stepped inside as Dawson gestured toward the chair opposite him.

"Take a seat."

Leo noticed the smile on Dawson’s face but didn’t make anything of it.

A second later, he sat in the seat that Dawson had gestured towards while the latter folded his hands together.

"How are you? Is everything good? Are you feeling well? How’s your aunt?"

At that, Leo immediately sighed while Dawson raised an eyebrow.

"What?

"Not again."

"Not again what?" the manager’s lips twitched.

"Why are you saying that?"

"Because every time I’ve seen you and you start with things like ’how are you’, or ’Are you feeling okay,’ something that I don’t usually like to hear follows it."

Dawson looked away for a moment, trying not to laugh.

"That’s a terrible level of trust."

"Well, it’s you who made it such."

That earned a chuckle as Dawson leaned back slightly. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Well, since we’re here, you know we’ve got Gillingham next in the cup."

Hearing that, Leo already knew what was coming and nodded.

"The EFL Cup isn’t our priority this season," Dawson continued.

"We’ll rotate heavily."

This time Leo sighed, while looking at Dawson with a sort of ’There it is’ expression.

"Are you disappointed?" Dawson said as Leo looked down at his feet.

"Get over it. I know you want to play every game, but you can’t have it like that. Others need to play, and I need to keep from going on the table too often."

Dawson let the silence sit for a moment as Leo finally looked back up before continuing.

"Anyway," he said as Leo leaned forward a bit, wanting to hear the actual reason for him being called in.

Dawson opened a drawer and pulled out an envelope.

"As you already suspect, I didn’t call you in because of Gillingham."

Leo’s eyes dropped to the crest printed on the front, and there, he saw it: the Italian Football Federation.

His expression changed instantly, and Dawson noticed that too.

"Thought that might get your attention," he said as he handed it over to Leo, who took the letter and began caressing it.

"Just open it," Dawson said, causing Leo to chuckle before he ripped the letter open.

A second later, a smile followed.

"Finally," Leo muttered as he leaned back, making Dawson laugh a bit.

"That’s your reaction?"

"Well, I’ve been waiting," Leo said before looking at the letter again.

"Well, anything other than the senior team would have just been them digging their own downfall," Dawson said before leaning back into his chair.

"You’ll be leaving in a few days," he continued before glancing at his calendar.

"The first International break of the season starts soon, and I hope you make us much use of this break as you can."

"Got it," Leo muttered with a smile still on his face before Dawson stood.

"So congratulations."

Leo rose too.

"Thanks," he muttered and then paused.

"Can I go tell people now?"

Dawson pointed toward the door.

"That’s generally how this works."

By the time Leo got home later that evening, Vittoria already knew something was up.

Mostly because someone else had already informed her of her predicament. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Now she was sprawled dramatically across his bed while he sat beside her.

"Don’t be like that," Leo said as he tossed his key onto the bedside desk.

"I just came," she groaned into the bed sheet before raising her head to look at Leo.

"And don’t mention ten days like it’s short," she flopped back dramatically onto the bed.

Leo shook his head, laughing, just as a pillow landed against his shoulder from Vittoria for laughing at her predicament.

Before he could respond, his phone buzzed with a call from Carlo, which he answered immediately.

"Hello?"

The first thing Carlo heard was Vittoria complaining in the background.

"Unbelievable."

Carlo burst out laughing.

"I take it she knows?"

"Unfortunately."

"Good luck," Carlo said. "Gianna’s been doing the same thing for the last half hour."

"Well, Vittoria doesn’t look like she’d stop any time soon," Leo managed before another pillow hit his back.

Then Carlo asked, "Ready?"

At that, a smile crept onto Leo’s face as he leaned against his wardrobe.

"Yeah," he said.

"I’m ready."

"Well, see you at the airport, or in Rome," Carlo said before the call clicked off!