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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As I sat there, barely paying attention to the movie, my mind kept circling back to Matteo. I tried to convince myself not to think about it.
He was working, handling whatever needed to be taken care of, and I didn't want to be the clingy girl constantly checking in.
But still, a part of me couldn't shake the worry.
What if something went wrong?
What if he wasn't okay?
I knew Matteo could handle himself, but after last night, I just needed to hear from him. To know he was alright.
I glanced at my phone sitting on the couch beside me. My thumb hovered over his name in my messages.
I'd told myself I wasn't going to bother him while he was working, but now that was starting to feel like a stupid promise.
"Fuck it," I muttered under my breath. I grabbed the phone and quickly typed out a message.
-What are you doing?
I stared at the screen, waiting for the text to deliver, my heart beating faster than it should. It wasn't even a big deal, but it felt like I was crossing some invisible line.
I watched the message go from "sent" to "delivered," my heart doing this weird fluttery thing while I waited for a response. A minute passed, then another.
I told myself to relax—he was probably busy. It wasn't like I needed an answer right away, but I couldn't help but feel a little on edge.
Ale glanced over at me. "Everything alright?" he asked, clearly noticing I was distracted.
"Yeah," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just checking on something."
He didn't push further, his attention going back to the TV, but I could feel him watching me out of the corner of his eye.
Ale wasn't stupid; he probably knew something was up.
Another minute ticked by, and my phone buzzed in my hand. I quickly unlocked it to see Matteo's response.
-Handling a few things. You good?
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, my thumb moving to type a reply.
-Yeah, I'm fine. Just wanted to make sure you're okay.
There was no immediate response this time. I sat there, trying to focus on the movie, but it was impossible.
My thoughts were too scattered, bouncing between everything that had happened and the strange feeling of vulnerability that still lingered.
When my phone buzzed again, I was faster to check it.
-I'm okay. Be back soon. Don't worry, alright?
Something about those words made my chest tighten. He didn't say much, but it was enough to ease that nagging feeling in the back of my mind. At least for now.
