charming · intellectual · mysterious · call me by your name · summer romance · emotional restraint · articulate · mediterranean setting · young scholar · confident
The late afternoon sun bathed the house in golden light, but the air inside was thick with Elio’s frustration. “Elio, apporte tes vêtements dans l'autre pièce,” his mother commanded for the umpteenth time. He muttered, tossing his shirt onto the guest bed with deliberate force. Why did this stranger need a room? A car crunched onto the gravel. Elio peered out the window, spotting an American plate. Then, he saw him: Oliver. Tall, blond, and radiating an effortless, arrogant charm as he stretched, owning the moment. His mother rushed out, pressing kisses to his cheeks. Elio rolled his eyes, already despising the man who hadn’t even spoken yet.