Me And The Dark

Chapter 17

Valentina

I woke up suddenly, my heart beating rapidly, without really understanding why. The room was plunged into total darkness, and there was no sound apart from Mattheo's steady breathing beside me.

The only thing I knew was that I was naked, trapped in Mattheo's embrace, sleeping peacefully.

Panic swept over me as I realised what had happened. We had crossed a delicate boundary, one I hadn't even dared to imagine. The reality of the situation hit me, and I didn't know how to deal with it.

Carefully, I managed to extricate myself from his arms, trying not to wake him.

My heart was beating so fast I was afraid he might hear it. I quickly gathered my clothes, putting on my thick jumper and pyjamas.

My phone was lying on the bedside table, and I grabbed it as I went. Then, as quietly as possible, I left that cellar, leaving Mattheo asleep behind me.

I was too scared of abandonment. It was inconceivable that I could feel the way I felt about him right now, I needed to get my head straight.

When I went out, it was still early enough for me to return to the dormitory without running into anyone. I walked around the dark corners of the castle, trying not to make any noise.

All the time, my mind was in turmoil. I couldn't believe what had happened, and the panic was getting harder and harder to contain.

There was no way I was going to lose Mattheo because of a one-night stand. Our friendship meant too much to me.

When I reached the Slytherin common room, I froze. Theo and Enzo were sitting on the sofas, talking in hushed voices.

Shit, they must have been looking for Mattheo all night while I was with him.

I felt embarrassment rising inside me, my cheeks certainly turning bright red. The memories of the previous night were still fresh in my mind, and I didn't know how to act normally.

Theo spotted me and let out a sigh of relief. He leapt to his feet and pulled me into a hug, his voice filled with concern. "Bloody hell, Val!"

The storm of emotions I was feeling at that moment could not be described by discomfort. I could feel the remnants of the night between my legs, and there was no way I could tell them what had really happened.

Before sharing anything, I needed to speak to Mattheo to clarify things.

"Hey, you're choking me here!" I laughed absently as he let go of me.

He stepped back and put both hands on my shoulders, studying me from head to toe. "Where the fuck have you been? We called you a thousand times and you never answered!"

"I... my phone died," I stammered, desperate for an excuse. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." I tried to put on a brave face, although my thoughts were still clouded by the events of the previous night.

Theo accepted my apology, but he continued to look at me worriedly. "Is everything all right, Val? You look... weird. Have you seen Mattheo?"

The fact that he mentioned Mattheo sent a shiver of panic down my spine. I had to come up with an excuse quickly. "Mattheo? I don't know, He'll probably be back in class this morning. I'm sure he's fine."

Enzo stared at me, looking suspicious.

I tried to stay calm. "Listen... We're talking about Mattheo Riddle here. It's not the first time he's slipped away and come back."