Games We Play - Round 1: Never Have I Ever (18+ dark mafia romance)

Chapter 29 & 30 (Matteo)

Matteo

Chapter 29

Taormina, Sicily – July 8th 2020

Matteo doesn't know what came over him when he first kissed her. All he knows is that the moment he saw her coming down the stairs, and the way her eyes sparkled when she made the cigarette comment did something to him.

He's never thought about kissing her until the moment Isabella pushed their heads together and their lips touched. The sound she made in that moment rang through his entire body and made him want to do it again.

Now, as they enter the room where the rest of their friends are sitting and drinking, it's all he can think about.

"Speaking of the devil." Isabella says and looks between the two of them.

Matteo wonders if she can tell what they did.

Valentina sits down next to her and takes the drink out of her hand. She seems to be in her own world somewhere inside her head, so Matteo tears his eyes away from her and goes to sit next to Vinnie.

If he glances in her direction more often now, he doesn't notice. Suddenly it's like he's very aware that she's in the room, sitting on the couch across from him.

"Your birthday is also in July, isn't it?" Isabella asks her as she refills their glasses.

Valentina nods, eyes flickering to Matteo for a split of a second. He only catches it because he was looking at her first.

"The 22nd." She answers.

"Are you going to be in Italy for it?"

"Yeah, probably. I've already talked to my mother about it."

"And we're all alone in that big house." Isabella whines. "We should all do something."

Valentina hesitates and looks around the room. Everyone is watching and listening to their conversation now, and she looks intimidated.

"Maybe she doesn't want to invite us." Pia says with a mean hint in her voice.

As usual, Valentina doesn't react. She just smiles at her then looks somewhere else, which only seems to annoy Pia even more.

"It's not that, I have fun with you guys. I'm just not sure about the 'being outside if it's illegal' thing." She rambles.

Vinnie motions to the room. "I mean, we're all here now."

"Yeah, but my parents aren't that-"

"Oh God, who even cares what their parents think?!" Pia groans in Italian, rolling her eyes.

Valentina looks confused. "What did you say?"

Pia plasters a fake smile on her face. "Just that I love your outfit." Then she adds 'you fool' in Italian.

"Are you okay? Why are you being so rude?" Matteo snaps back in Italian.

Pia looks embarrassed now, just like she did when they were in Palermo and Matteo called her out.

Isabella shoots Matteo a curious look, probably surprised that he cares enough to get involved.

"I'm bored, I'm going to go to sleep." Pia decides then. She downs her drink and slams the empty glass on the table.

"She loves drama." Vinnie says once the door shuts behind her.

"Maybe we should go too." Valentina suggests. "We have a train in the morning."

Vinnie looks sad. "To go where?"

"Back to my house in Capo."

"Yes, we're going to have a few weeks just to sit in the sun and do nothing." Isabella smirks, downing her drink as well.