All I Need

Chapter 36 - New Evidence

Elias

I truly didn't know what to say to that.

How was I, as a man, supposed to respond to a woman telling me that she had been assaulted? That her daughter probably didn't even know that her real father was her uncle?

"Valentina-"

"Please, Daniel. Please." She placed a hand on my knee, finishing her cigarette and throwing it into the sand. "There is nothing you can say that will change what happened, or change how I treated my children... it's on me. It's my shit to deal with."

I shut up right away. By her facial expression and body language, I could tell she very much didn't want to hear my voice. Valentina...she just wanted me to listen.

So I did.

"Jealousy was, and is my problem." Bianca's mother let her head fall back, staring up at the darkening sky. "I was jealous of my sons, for being men, for having control. And jealous of my daughter for being so confident. If I was anything like her when I was eighteen, things might have gone differently."

Nothing could fix the past, or fix Valentina's pain. What happened to her wasn't her fault. I understood that she didn't see it that way, and I knew there was no amount of convincing I could do to change her mind. I just wished that one day she could see the truth.

"But I'm just so fucking proud of my daughter, you know? She's so strong, and she would never let a man get away with that type of abuse. She would kill him before it ever got that far. Even on the off chance that it did happen, I would kill him myself. I would never let anyone hurt my little girl."

Although I doubted she could be forgiven so easily by her daughter, I hoped that they could make up. It was obvious that Valentina loved her deeply, and despite her actions, there was still time. Bianca still had time to talk with her mother, I prayed that she wouldn't leave it until it was too late.

My father on the other hand... if we had more time, maybe things could have gone differently. He had a bad childhood as well, and in no way shape or form does that make up for what he did to our family, but maybe if I understood I could have let go of some of my anger.

"When I looked at Bianca before, I used to see her father's face," Valentina admitted. The guilt and shame she felt burned the back of my throat, almost as if I was experiencing it myself. "Now I just see her, and it's the best feeling in the entire world."

I saw her smile then, and it seemed that I had honestly helped a bit by listening. I wasn't sure what to do with the information I just learned, so I kept quiet. It wasn't my place to tell Bianca if she didn't know. Valentina could do that when she was ready.

Lighting another cigarette, her green eyes had closed. Valentina's head rested on my shoulder as I continued to smoke, watching the beach in front of us.

Lamps had been lit all around. Music was playing, and people were dancing. A sadness came over me then. I would have danced with Kaia, but she was... she might be...

No.

Worry about that later, Elias.

"Is my mother bothering you?" a voice came from beside me. It was Leonardo Vitale, with a woman hanging off his arm. "She's drunk, isn't she?"

"Who isn't drunk right now?" the lady laughed, showing me the glass of champagne she was holding. "My name is Alyssa, and you are?"

Alyssa was a tall person, standing almost at Leonardo's height. She wore a red fitted dress, which contrasted nicely with her dark skin. She had locs that went all the way past her hips, and a ring on her finger.