Valentino stared at me for a long time after, his face impassive. A thin line of blood trailed down his chin, but he didn’t bother wiping it away. The silence stretched between us, broken only by the sound of traffic in the distance and the wind whistling through the broken windows of the factory.
I didn’t say anything either as I let him process.
“Jesus Christ,” he finally said, running a hand down his face. “You really mean it.”
“Every fucking word.”
He turned away from me, pacing a few steps before spinning back around. “Do you have any idea what this means? What you're asking?”
“I’m not asking for anything. I'm telling you how it is.”
“She's not just some girl, Elio.”
“That’s already well-established. I know she’s not just some girl. She’s your baby sister. But you know me. You know I would protect her with my life. And I will try my damndest to make her happy.”
“I… I don’t even fucking know what to say to this.”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what you say. I need to see her. I need to make it right. I need her to know I didn’t kiss Chiara.”
“What were you even doing, letting Chiara do that to you in public?”
I let out a small sigh. “I don’t fucking know. She caught me by surprise, and I shut her down immediately.” I looked at him, imploring him to believe me. “I would never do that to Isa.”
Not when she was all I saw. All I think about. Not when she was the very fucking air I needed for survival.
But hell, I didn’t fucking know how I had let the kiss happen. It wasn’t like me to be so careless. I didn’t even see the girlcoming. Had she been trying to do something else, like plunge a knife through my neck instead of that kiss…
I didn’t want to fucking think about it.
Valentino was quiet, as if debating whether or not he should believe my words.
Finally, he said, “Okay, fine. You can see her and explain. But I just got the green light to move Isa in with me. She’s not sneaking out at night with you after this. Not until you’re married.”
I scowled at him.
He crossed his arms, obviously not budging.
“Fine. I can wait a week.”
He frowned. “A week?”
“Yes, Isa and I are getting married in a week’s time.”
And even that felt like too fucking long.
He didn’t say anything for a beat. Then he threw his head back and laughed, and I imagined giving him a broken nose to match his busted lip.
“You’re fucking serious,” he said.
“Why the hell would I joke about that?”
I made a move to walk to my car when Valentino’s phone chimed. He held up his hand and pulled it out, looking at something there.
Pure, unadulterated horror filled his eyes when he looked back at me.
I felt my stomach drop. There was only one reason why Valentino would look like that.
I moved in closer to him and grabbed the phone out of his hand, taking in the recording of his apartment.
