Crazy Over You

📚 Chapter 36 📚

"Thanks for this, Tinker." I say before grabbing a toilet paper and blowing out my nose.

"That's what I'm here for kiddo." Vale assures me as she places a band-aid on my knee.

I chuckle, throwing the paper into the trash since we're in the bathroom of my house.

Vale took me home after sending my brother a text message of what I assume is what happened.

I drop my head into my hands after remembering what happened. I couldn't help but groan.

"You okay?" She asked me.

"No. I'm incredibly embarrassed." I confess.

"You fell. It hurt. It happens." Vale slightly smiles. "I once broke a nail and cried like there's no tomorrow. Eros shoved a family of sour heads into my mouth to shut me up."

I let out my first laugh.

She's wearing an off-shoulder sweater with black jeans. Her hair is on its natural state, it's all curled up but it's into a bun. She's wearing these gold hoop earrings. The more I look at her, the more I admire her and wonder how the hell hasn't my brother fallen in love with her. Friendships really do work differently.

"Cally." Vale says softly. She leans on the counter while looking at me with a gentle smile. "Remember when I got into a car accident?" She ask me.

Of course I remember. I don't know much about the detail, but I do remember Mom getting a phone call from Eros except it was a face time because my brother couldn't talk. He went mute due to the high stress and the overwhelming fear. We know sign language so when my brother face times Mom and signed that he's at the hospital because some idiot on the road not only hit Valentina, but also went off driving.

He was in a panic because he was right there. He saw it happen and didn't get to her in time. Mom immediately did her best to calm him, but we had to go the hospital. I didn't know much about Valentina since she friendship with my brother was still fresh and new, but I knew she was important to him.

Eros went mute two times after that incident and both times involved Alora. 

Vale was in a cast but never did she lose her smile.

"I do, but I don't know much about the detail other than you getting hit by a drunk driver." I explained.

Her smile was there but it was sad.

"I've been playing soccer since I could walk. I was really good at it too. If you asked me back then what I wanted to do, I would have told you that I wanted to play for the FIFA Women's World Cup." She tries to put enthusiasm into it but she fails.

I think this is the first time I've ever seen her down like this.

"My biggest supporter was my dad. He went to every game I had." She chuckles at the memory but I sit here confused as to why she's telling me this. "He bought me every cleats I needed and practiced with me whenever I wanted. If I felt like I couldn't do it, I knew all I had to do was look at the crowd and there I would find my papi. We're such soccer fans. Of course, we call it football at home, but they were my best memories."

I've never been one to stick to a sport. I've tried a few times, mainly due to Denny and gym class, but I never had a passion for sports like my brother or James had, or even how Valentina is. To me, she has always been a dancer. I've heard she played soccer, but since I've met her, dancing was what I always associated with her. She does these latin dances. She learns and teaches.

"But to be honest, I can't remember much about the accident. I had... A lot of broken bones." She chuckles while shaking her head but there's no joy in her laughter. "When I woke up, my papi was in the room. He cried in joy to see me awake. Called for a doctor and everything. I was told what happened and if I could remember anything. Papi couldn't be on the case since it's too personal but he got his buddies from work to make sure to find the bastard. Mama made sure to sue the drunk driver too because in her words, the bastard better hope he gets prison time or else she's sending him to hell." She speeds up as if she wants to get this conversation over with.