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CHAPTER SIXTEEN: NO MORE
THE MOMENT HE stepped back into the family room, that side of Anthony Michael Volpe disappeared, and was replaced with the person everybody knew him as. The sweet, kind, respectful, "I'll run away if there's a cockroach within ten feet of me', Anthony was back.
When they got back, Val had gone right over to Lila and Oswaldo, and she was smiling and talking to them like nothing had happened. His family was there now, so he pushed the memory of her lips on his, and her body against his, to the back of his mind as his mother hugged him.
"Congratulations, sweetheart!"
"Thanks Mom," he replied as she pulled away. He hugged his dad and he was about to hug his sister, Olivia, when her attention was drawn somewhere else.
"Is that Val?" Olivia asked, craning her neck to see past the people in front of her. Anthony wanted to say no, because the last thing he needed for his little sister to start talking to her, but before he could, Olivia was walking away.
"Liv, no-" He reached out and tried to grab her arm, but she was already halfway across the room. When she reached Val, he saw Val's eyes light up and a big smile spread across her face. She pulled Olivia into a tight hug, grinning as if she hadn't just been screaming and then making out, and then cursing at him.
When they were dating, Olivia and Valerie were the best of friends. He used to joke that the only reason Val was with him was so she could hang out with his sister.
When they pulled away, he turned back to his parents, an awkward smile on his face.
"So, did you guys eat anything?" he asked, trying to distract them. And even though he knew they knew exactly what he was doing, they let him change the subject.
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ೃ⁀➷VALERIE BLACK
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"Well, that was..." Val trailed off, leaning back on the couch. She looked away from the cameras and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I swear I won't keep doing that."
She was talking more to herself then she was to the cameras, and it was clear she was embarrassed. After their exchange in the hallway, the rest of the day was uneventful. She caught up with Olivia, someone who she'd missed a lot, and then after a while Oswaldo forced her to go to the team dinner. It was nice, but the whole time she could feel Anthony's eyes on her, though he didn't actually talk to her.
"Yeah, there will be no more of that." She shook her head, her eyes wide. "It's done. Over."
She nodded her head, her jaw set. She didn't want to keep having these...moments, but at the same time, it was hard. Whenever she was around him, it was her brain short circuited and every rational thought went out the window. He made her forget that she was supposed to hate him, and instead just focus on the way he was kissing her, or touching her, or...other stuff.
"So, we're done. No more...anything," she continued, her voice firm. "Like, he's not even that attractive."
🌺 🌊🥂
╰┈➤ ❝ LOTTIE'S NOTES ❞
i hate this
plot stuff will happen in the next chapter pinky promise
