𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝

50

valentina

I choke on air and my body freezes up.

"Did I hear you right? A paternity test? You think that you're my father?" The words come tumbling out of my mouth and my heart rate skyrockets so loud that it's all I can hear.

I don't look at him. I keep my eyes locked on the beautiful gardens in front of me. I'm too scared to look, scared of what I'll see when I look at him, scared that one look at him will convince me because we look that similar.

"I think that there's a possibility."

His words echo in my empty mind, bouncing off the blank walls until they taunt me.

He thinks there's a possibility.

I think of the years I spent crying over seeing dads and daughters in the street walking. Seeing mother and daughter shopping together or getting lunch. I think of the years I spent crying over happy families at the playground. I think of the years I'd spent alone.

"Okay." If there's any possibility, any chance at all I'll take it. Because it's never too late right?

I'd given up on finding my family a while ago but who says I can't try one last time. I won't get my hopes up though. I know even though there's a chance, that it's unlikely and that's okay. I've been disappointed many times in my life, what's once more?

"Okay?" He chokes out, as if he didn't expect me to agree.

"Mhm. Why not?"

A deep shaky breath gets released into the air beside me and the tension diffuses in an instant.

My tensed shoulders drop and I turn to face the man that could be my father. Ale's already looking over at me with glassy eyes. Unsure of what to do and uncomfortable with physical contact I hold out my fist. He glances down at it before connecting his.

A fist bump is more appropriate than a hug to a man that may or may not be my father right?

I don't know how this family shit works.

After a few deep breaths I leave him out on the balcony, awkwardly tapping on the door for the bodyguards to let me in. They do so without even looking at me and I step through with my eyes scanning the room to find Matteo. I find him fairly quickly, stood in the corner with a drink in hand not talking to anyone and staring right at the doors I'd just walked through. We both start walking towards each other and end up meeting in the middle.

Matteo stares down at my face, scanning it for something. A moment passes and he lets it go, slipping his arm behind my back and tucking me into his side.

"What did he want?" He looks around the room, not making eye contact and speaking lowly as we pass by various groups of very rich looking Italians. I don't know where we're walking; I don't really care. 

"A paternity test."

His body tenses like mine did and I watch as he nearly stumbles over his own feet. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

"What did you say?"

"I agreed." My answers are short, my mind is running a hundred miles an hour right now and I cannot form more than a three word sentence.

"Do you want to leave?"

Do I? I mean I'm not upset, just processing.

"No. I'm good, I'll tell you if I change my mind though."

We reach some corridor that he leads us through. It's quiet, no one else is here except for us.

Using the hand on my back, he turns me to lean agaisnt the wall and dips his head to brush his lips agaisnt mine. Both of his hands fall to my waist, arching my body closer to his as he slips his tongue into my mouth.