Edge Of Betrayal

A Retreat To Remember

As Valentina reached for the refrigerator door, Ariel began, "You knowww," she began, tapping her chin lightly, "Hmmm, maybe I should unblock him and confront him right now." she said, grabbing her phone.

Valentina's head snapped to look at Ariel sharply as she struggled to maintain her balance. "Don't you dare," she warned, her voice firm despite the dizziness that washed over her. "You know what we talked about. You know our rules. We have drunk decisions and sober decisions. That is sooo not a sober decision."

Ariel rolled her eyes, a playful smirk tuggin' at the corners of her lips. "Val, you soooo have made drunk calls," she teased, her words slurred slightly from the alcohol.

Valentina huffed indignantly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Pssh, what? Me? Never," she retorted, her tone mockingly innocent. "Anyway, I will launch your phone off the balcony. You know I will."

Ariel chuckled at Valentina's threat, realizing she was probably right. "Fine, fine, I was only joking. I'm not thatttt drunk." she conceded with a laugh.

"Good. Now let's order some food and watch some movies. If I go to sleep like this, I'll be so hungover," Val whined, her words trailing off as she flopped back onto the bed, forgetting the water..

Ariel laughed, agreeing with her friend's suggestion. "Sounds like a plan," she said, grabbing the remote to start browsing through the movie options.

~~~~~Next Day~~~~~

Ariel and Valentina lounged in their shades, attempting to conceal the remnants of their hangovers behind oversized sunglasses. They had woken up in their hotel room, surrounded by trays of half-eaten food and empty water bottles, still dressed in their clothes from the night before.

Despite the headache and the queasy feeling in their stomachs, they both agreed that the food they had last night was worth it. It had saved them from an even worse hangover. Now, they sat poolside, nursing bottles of water and attempting to regain their composure after last night.

Ariel adjusted her sunglasses and leaned back against her chair, squinting up at the clear blue sky. Valentina lay sprawled out on a nearby lounger, a hand draped over her forehead as she groaned softly.

"Remind me never to drink that much again," Valentina muttered, her voice hoarse from the alcohol and lack of sleep.

Ariel chuckled weakly, nodding in agreement. "Agreed. But you always say that."

Valentina cracked a small smile at Ariel's remark, her eyes still hidden behind her shades. "Yeah, I know," she admitted. "But this time, I mean it. My head feels like it's about to split open."

Ariel sympathetically reached over and patted Valentina's arm. "We definitely overdid it last night," she conceded. "But hey, at least we had fun, right?"

Valentina groaned, "I guesss, you're rightt."

Ariel looked over at Valentina, her concern evident in her eyes. "Hey, Val?" she began tentatively.

Valentina turned to her, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. "What's up, Ari?"

"I'm sorry if all of this is bringing up bad memories for you," Ariel said softly, her concern palpable. "You know you can tell me if it is or if it's too much."

Valentina smiled softly, touched by Ariel's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Ari," she replied warmly. "But honestly, I really am okay."

Ariel nodded, but her concern persisted. "Are you sure, Val? I don't want to dredge up old wounds," she pressed gently.

Valentina reached out and squeezed Ariel's hand reassuringly. "Ari, don't worry about me. I'm good," she assured her friend. "Talking about what happened with me and Enzo... it doesn't hurt the way it did before. It doesn't affect me like it did when everything went down. I really don't mind."

Ariel hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Well, okay," she began tentatively. "But, Val..."

Valentina noticed the uncertainty in Ariel's expression and gently encouraged her to continue. "What is it, Ari?" she asked, her tone gentle and understanding. "I can see it on your face. What's on your mind? Go ahead."

Ariel took a deep breath, her words coming out in a rush. "I was just thinking about everything that's happened, and... I can't help but wonder how you dealt with it all. With Enzo, I mean." Ariel's voice trailed off, a mixture of sadness and confusion evident in her words. "He was head over heels for you... I never understood it, and I never understood how he...... how he gave up."

Val shook her head slowly, her expression pensive. "Well, you know I never really, truly, sat down and talked to him after... after I found out everything from her, saw the proof and got confirmation. So honestly, I don't really know." She paused, her gaze distant as she recalled the painful memories.

Val hesitated before continuing, a somber expression crossing her face. "Well..... he actually never really stopped trying to reach out to me," she admitted reluctantly, her voice tinged with regret. As she noticed Ariel's surprised expression, she winced slightly and quickly added, "I may have forgotten to mention that part."

Ariel's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?!It's been two years" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

Val sighed, her gaze shifting away as she tried to find the right words. "I mean, even after... everything... he just couldn't let go," she confessed, her tone heavy with resignation. "First he'd been sending me messages, trying to call me... you remember that. I guess he got the hint after I changed my number. So he started sending letters to my house awhile after. He sends one every week.. I've been getting them since the last time I changed my number. He also sends other things here and there but I haven't read any of the letters and I donate any presents or flower" she rushed out.

Ariel's brows furrowed in concern as she processed this information. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice tinged with hurt.

"I didn't want to burden you with it," Valentina replied softly, her eyes meeting Ariel's. "And... I guess I was trying to protect you, in a way. I know the whole situation upset you too. I didn't want you to worry about all of that when you had enough on your plate."

Ariel sighed, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within her. "I appreciate that, Val," she said sincerely. "But I wish you had told me. We're in this together, remember?"

Val nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, we are," she agreed. "I'm sorry for keeping it from you. I promise I'll be more open from now on and not over think things."

Ariel's voice was tinged with curiosity, "You better...... Sooo... you really didn't read a single one of those letters?"

Val chuckled softly. "No, I really didn't," she admitted with a wry smile. "But I have been tempted."

Ariel's curiosity peaked. "Do you ever wish you could do anything different?" she asked.

Val pondered for a moment before responding, "Sometimes I do want to know the why... I think I was just scared to, or maybe I still am. Or maybe I just don't want to relive that... ughhh, I don't know."

Ariel nodded understandingly. "Well... maybe we can start feeling our feelings together for the rest of the trip?"

Val grinned sheepishly. "That sounds good... but also, maybe we can do the spa first?" she suggested with a twinkle in her eye. "One more slice of peace. Then we can pour our hearts out with a beach view for the rest of the trip and go home ready to kick ass."

Ariel chuckled softly. "Sounds like a plan to me," she agreed, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.

Ariel couldn't help but feel grateful to have Valentina by her side. In the midst of her turmoil, having a friend who really understood what she was feeling and supported her unconditionally meant more than words could express.

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It's time for the girls to home💁‍♀️