In the heart of a modern city, two rival families hold the power. Valentina, a fiercely loyal daughter, and Matteo, a cunning and determined son, find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous feud. But when their paths unexpectedly intertwine, th...
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I sat at the edge of the bed, my fingers playing with the edge of my phone when it buzzed in my hand.
Matteo was next to me, lying down but scrolling on his phone, relaxed. I saw the name on the screen—Ma—and sighed softly before answering in Spanish.
"Hola, mamá," I said, keeping my voice steady.
"Valentina, mañana tienes la prueba del vestido para el baile. No te olvides," her voice cut through the line, sharp as ever.
(Valentina, mañana tienes la prueba del vestido para el baile. No te olvides, - Valentina tomorrow you have the dress fitting for the ball. Don't forget.)
"Sí, lo sé," I answered, my voice quiet, hoping she wouldn't say anything more.
(Sí, lo sé, - Yes I know)
"Y cuídate con la comida," she added, her words stabbing deeper than I wanted to admit. "El vestido te quedará mejor si no comes tanto."
(Y cuídate con la comida, - And be careful with food.)
(El vestido te quedará mejor si no comes tanto. - The dress will look better on you if you don't eat so much.)
My chest tightened. "Está bien," I forced out, the words bitter on my tongue, but I knew better than to argue.
(Está bien - alright)
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Matteo glance up from his phone, his attention now fully on me. I could feel his gaze on me as I tried to keep calm through the rest of the conversation.
"¿Dónde estás?" my mom asked, her tone changing slightly, suspicion lacing her words.
(Dónde estás - Where are you?)
"Estoy con Matteo," I replied, keeping my voice as neutral as possible, but I felt Matteo shift beside me.
(Estoy con Matteo - I'm with Matteo.)
"¿Con Matteo? ¿A estas horas? ¿Qué haces con él tan tarde?"
(Con Matteo? ¿A estas horas? ¿Qué haces con él tan tarde? - with Matteo? At this time? What are you doing with him so late?)
I swallowed, trying to think of something that wouldn't raise more questions. "Sólo estamos estudiando. Nada más."
(Sólo estamos estudiando. Nada más. - Were just studying. Nothing else.)
There was a pause, then her sigh came through the phone. "Bueno, no te quedes hasta tarde."
(Bueno, no te quedes hasta tarde. - Well don't stay up late.)
"Sí, mamá," I muttered before hanging up, staring at my phone for a moment, trying to shake off the sting of her words.
Before I could process anything, Matteo's voice cut through the silence. "Come here."
I glanced over at him, confused. "What?"
He didn't answer with words. Instead, he reached out, his hand wrapping gently around my wrist as he tugged me toward him.
My body tensed at first, unsure of what he was doing, but he didn't stop until I was closer. His eyes were softer now, a calmness there I wasn't used to seeing.
"Matteo, what are you doing?" I asked quietly, though my voice lacked any real protest.
"Just come here," he repeated, pulling me down gently beside him. I didn't resist, letting him guide me until I was lying next to him on the bed.
He shifted, moving his arm so it was wrapped around me, his warmth instantly surrounding me.
The tension I'd been carrying all day began to melt away, but my mind was still buzzing with everything—my mother, the gunshots, Matteo.
It was overwhelming, but in this moment, Matteo's closeness was the only thing grounding me.
His hand rested on my arm, his thumb tracing slow, soothing circles on my skin. "You okay?" he asked softly, his voice low, almost like he didn't want to break the fragile quiet between us.
I didn't respond right away, not sure how to answer. I let myself sink into the silence, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest against my back. "I... I don't know," I admitted quietly.
He didn't say anything, just tightened his hold around me slightly, a silent reassurance. His presence was steady, and for once, I didn't feel the need to pull away from it.
Instead, I closed my eyes and focused on the rhythm of his breathing, the warmth of his arm around me.
It was enough to make me forget the phone call, the ball, and all the chaos that had come before.
Matteo's hand continued its slow movement, calming in a way I hadn't expected. The longer we lay there, the more I felt the weight on my chest start to lift.
I didn't know why, but being next to him, feeling his heartbeat steady against my back, made everything else seem far away.
After a moment, he shifted slightly, his lips brushing lightly against the top of my head. "You're safe here, Val," he murmured, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper. "You don't have to worry."
I sighed, a long, quiet breath leaving my body as I let his words settle in. For a moment, they were enough to make me believe that everything would be okay.
Even if just for tonight.
As I lay there, feeling my body relax more with every passing second, Matteo reached for the blanket and gently pulled it over us, tucking it around my shoulders. His movements were careful, as if he was afraid of disturbing the quiet moment between us.
With the blanket wrapped around me and his arm still holding me close, I finally let go of the last bit of tension, my eyelids growing heavier. Everything outside of this room felt far away, and for now, that was all I needed.
Matteo whispered again, "Everything's fine." His words were a quiet promise, one that I wanted to believe with everything in me.
And in that moment, I did.
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