Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“It was an exclusive performance,” Val says.
“You sang three songs from The Little Mermaid and then demanded applause.”
“I had range.”
“You had a hairbrush microphone.”
Gia looks delighted. “I would’ve paid the dollar.”
“You see?” Val gestures at Gia. “A woman of taste.”
“You refused refunds when it started raining,” Nico adds.
Val shrugs. “That was clearly stated in my terms and conditions.”
I laugh before I can stop myself. She looks at me then, and I get the full force of her smile. It does something inconvenient to my concentration. Matteo catches me watching her and gives me a look over his wineglass.
“Don’t start,” I tell him in Italian.
Val narrows her eyes at us. “Are you talking about me?”
“No,” Matteo answers immediately.
“Yes,” I say at the same time.
She looks between us. “Well, that was smooth.”
“Nico told me honesty was important to you,” I say.
Nico snorts. “Don’t drag me into this.”
“As if you don’t always insert yourself anyway,” Gia says to him.
Nico turns toward her. “What does that mean?”
“You love being in everyone else’s business,” she responds with narrowed eyes.
“Is this because I told you your ex-boyfriend was a talentless asshole?”
“You are proving my point.”
Gia is relaxed tonight too, though I can tell she’s watching Val more than she wants anyone to notice. That makes me like her more. She got dragged into the uglier edges of my world by accident, and she still showed up for her best friend.
Nico sees it too. He’s less obvious than usual when he watches Gia, but only barely. That’s going to become a problem eventually. I’m probably a bad friend for how much I’m looking forward to it blowing up in his face.
By the time dessert is finished, Val looks tired. Not unhappy, just worn out. She hides it well until she thinks no one is watching, but I’m watching. I’ve been watching her all night. She starts to stand with a stack of plates, and I catch her wrist before she can get far.
“Leave them.”
Her eyes cut to mine. “You hosted this dinner for me. The least I can do is the dishes.”
“I have staff for this reason.”
“And I have manners.”
“That’s debatable,” Nico says.
Val points at him with the plate. “You’re on thin ice.”
Gia takes the plate from her hand. “I’ll help.”
“No,” I say. “Seriously. I pay my staff way too much for you to take their jobs away.”
Gia looks at me, completely unimpressed. “I wasn’t asking your permission, Dracula.”
Matteo laughs outright at that.
Val looks far too pleased. “I like when people bully you in your own house.”
I narrow my eyes at her.
Gia insists on helping. Nico insists on helping Gia because he doesn’t know how not to follow her around like a lost puppy. Matteo carries exactly two glasses to the sink and acts like he deserves a medal for manual labor. Val does the least amount of work and still somehow manages to direct everyone like she’s running one of her events.
Eventually, I convince everyone to get the hell out of my house. Gia hugs Val goodbye near the front door and holds on longer than usual. Val doesn’t make a joke about it. She just hugs her back, face hidden against Gia’s shoulder for a few seconds. Nico watches them with his hands in his pockets, and for once, he doesn’t try to rush in and fix something.
When Gia pulls away, her eyes are a little glassy, but she points at Val anyway.
“Call me tomorrow. And if you pretend you’re fine, I’m driving back over here.”
“I would never lie to you.”
Gia gives her a look.
“I would only lie a little,” Val corrects.
Nico kisses Val’s forehead before he leaves. He gives me one pointed stare over her head, like I need another reminder that he’s still capable of becoming a problem if I hurt her.
“Goodnight, menace,” he whispers to her before he walks out.
Matteo is the last to leave. He pauses beside me while Val and Gia say one more goodbye.
“I’ve got updates,” he says.
“Tomorrow.”
His brows lift slightly, but he nods. “Tomorrow.”
When the front door finally closes, the house feels too big.
Val stands in the foyer, looking toward the dining room where the candles are still burning low. Her shoulders draw in now that everyone is gone, and something awkward settles back into her face. She looks almost shy.
I can handle her temper. I know what to do with that. I can handle sharp words, stubbornness, and the way she looks at me when she thinks I’m overstepping. This version of Val makes me want to reach for her, and that means I need to be careful.
“That was nice,” she says.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She glances at me, then away. “I mean it. Thank you. You didn’t have to do all that.”
“I wanted to.”
Her fingers move over the edge of the console table near the stairs. It gives her something to do with her hands, and I can tell she needs that.