Simone Valentino

~~~20~~~

Eleanor

The next morning we didn't acknowledge what happened, we simply ate in his grand dining room. He had made scrambled eggs with bacon, and the thought was nice but I spent the whole meal picking out the bacon. We sat on opposite ends of his long, dark, wooden table. John was sleeping in and I guessed that was better. It didn't feel like awkward silence but it was that loaded, tense kind of silence. I reach out for my glass of water and it falls over. I sigh and get up, ready to learn it. I'm looking around to find something to clean it with, when Simones walked up behind me and made a small circle, drying the table.

"Nora-"

"Simone?" we say at the same time, both spinning to look at each other.

"You first." I said,

"You need to learn to fight." He raised an eyebrow as he said this. "I have guns, punching bags, kickboxing stands, and swords. I can teach you them all or you can master one but we need to start now." Oh. "John is also welcome to come but I can't bring him to the wedding. He can be our getaway if he can drive." He said and smiled a little.

"Ah. Perfect, that's what I was going to ask about anyways."

"Alright. I'm going to get some work done. You have class in an hour so you should get ready." I nod and leave. He's being so different, I wonder what's going on.

We both turned to the thudding coming down the stairs.

"Good morning John." I say and smile as he walks through the doorway. There were red lines in his face from his pillows and we both laughed at him. He rolled his eyes and then saw the eggs.

"Ellie you could have woken me up I would have made you something else." He clicked his tongue and sat down at my seat, finishing my eggs.

"You don't like eggs?" Simone says, his eyes full with unreadable grief.
"Doesn't matter, I just eat around them." I say, but he's already spun around and headed to the kitchen.

"This is why I didn't say anything," I said and rolled my eyes at John jokingly.

Simone came back in with a plate of colourful fruit.

"You didn't need to do that," I say but I pick at it with my fork.

"I'll see you both later." He says and walks upstairs. Leaving us alone.

I use the time I have to fold my clothes then, as I'm going to ask Simone for car keys when I found our pair hanging outside my door, I grabbed them and walked out.

Our car was parked right on the curb and I walked in. I knew where we were so I wasn't worried about being lost. I understand why he lives here. People don't walk around here. I didn't see anyone the entire way into the heart of the city.

My professor came up to me before class and sat down in Marco's old chair, and I stiffened.

"Ms Johnson, how's the Valentino thing going?"

"Well I've been looking but it's all coming up dead. The cops couldn't get it, it would make sense that I can't either." The lie slid through my teeth.

"That's a shame. But it's no worries. You did the best that you could at the very least." He stood, giving me a small smile then walked to the board, stating class.