Tangled Alliances

37

I pulled up in front of Valentina's house and watched as she unbuckled her seatbelt, the streetlights casting a soft glow over the car. She turned to me, giving a small smile. "Thanks for today. I'm gonna hang out with Sabrina for a bit."

I nodded, leaning back in my seat. "No problem. Have fun."

She hesitated for a moment, then added, "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, of course."

Valentina pushed open the door and climbed out, giving me one last wave before heading toward her house. I waited until she was inside before driving off, feeling the silence settle over me.

As soon as I pulled into the driveway, I spotted my father's car. My jaw clenched. He was here for a reason, and it probably wasn't one I'd like.

I walked through the door, I saw him sitting at the dining table, a glass of whiskey in hand. He looked up when I entered, his expression unreadable, but I knew that look. It meant he was waiting for something.

"Matteo," he greeted, his voice sharp and to the point.

I nodded in response, shutting the door behind me. "Padre."

He didn't waste any time. "You need to get on top of your work ."

I blinked, of course. "I know."

Sabrina's excitement was palpable. "Seriously, Matteo's hot, and the way he stood up for you with your mom? He's definitely into you!"

I gave her a skeptical look. "I don't know. It's all so confusing. I can't tell if he's actually into me or just playing along because of the arrangement."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Come on, Valentina! He's definitely into you. The way he looks at you is way more than just for show."

I shrugged, still unsure. "Maybe. I just don't want to get my hopes up if he's not really serious."

Sabrina's enthusiasm didn't waver. "You're way overthinking it. Matteo's into you, and you two have something good going. Just enjoy it!"

I decided to change the topic and asked, "By the way, how's Julian? I haven't seen him around lately."

Sabrina's cheeks flushed, and she looked away. "Oh, Julian's fine. He's been busy with work and stuff."

I raised an eyebrow. "You've been spending a lot of time with him lately, haven't you?"

Sabrina's blush deepened as she stammered, "Oh, um, not really. We just happen to run into each other sometimes."

I pressed on, teasingly, "Come on, Sabrina. You've been getting closer to him, haven't you? I've noticed."

Sabrina tried to deflect, her voice a little defensive. "It's not like that. We're just friends, you know?"

I grinned, enjoying the playful banter. "Sure, just friends. But you seem pretty happy about it."

Sabrina laughed nervously, trying to change the subject. "Well, you should focus on your own situation with Matteo. It's way more interesting."

I chuckled, "Fair enough. But don't think I'm not keeping an eye on you and Julian!"

Sabrina rolled her eyes, though her smile betrayed her embarrassment. "Whatever you say, Valentina."

Sabrina shifted the topic, concern evident in her voice. "How's Logan doing? I haven't heard much about him lately."

I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "He's out of the hospital now. I've been giving him some space. With everything going on with Matteo, I've been really busy."

Sabrina nodded sympathetically. "I get it. It's been a lot for you. You don't have to keep juggling everything."

I shrugged. "Yeah, I don't want Logan to be involved anymore. It's complicated enough without adding more stress."

Sabrina looked at me thoughtfully. "You're doing your best, Valentina. Just make sure you're taking care of yourself too."

I appreciated the concern but tried to brush it off. "I'm managing. Just trying to handle one thing at a time."

As we chatted, my phone buzzed with a new message from Matteo. I glanced at the screen and read his text:

- Hey, can I come over? I want to hang out for a bit.

I looked at Sabrina, who raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Looks like you've got plans. I should head out so Matteo can come over."

I hesitated for a moment, but Sabrina's expression was encouraging. "Alright," I said, standing up. "Thanks for hanging out. I'll see you later."

Sabrina waved as she gathered her things and left. I quickly texted Matteo to let him know he was welcome over.

AUTHORS NOTEEE
Short chapter!!
Sabrina and Val's convos are my favourite!!
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