Tangled Alliances

50

I came home from Sabrina's, hoping I could shake off the day, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get my mind to settle.

So, I did what I always do when I needed to drown out my thoughts—I put on Gossip Girl. The familiar scenes played out in front of me, but my mind wasn't on the drama.

It was on Matteo.

I didn't want to think about the tension still lingering between us from this morning, but it was there, buzzing in the background of every thought.

Every time I tried to focus on the show, his words echoed in my head, and I hated that I let him get to me like this.

Then, like the universe wanted to mess with me, there was a knock at the door. I didn't even need to look to know it was him.

Who else would it be?

I didn't move, pretending I didn't hear it, but the door opened anyway. Matteo walked in, filling the space with that impossible-to-ignore presence of his.

The door clicked shut behind him, and for a second, neither of us said anything.

"Hey," he said, his voice low and quiet, but it sent a jolt through me anyway.

I kept my eyes on the TV, acting nonchalant. "Hey."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him take off his blazer and toss it onto the chair.

He was wearing a simple white undershirt beneath it, fitted against his chest, the fabric stretching across his shoulders, showing off his tan skin and the gold chain he always wore around his neck.

The way it glinted against his skin caught my attention, and before I realized it, my gaze lingered a bit too long on the curve of his collarbone, the dip in his throat.

I bit my lip, forcing myself to look away before he caught me staring. I shifted on the couch, trying to act casual, but the room felt smaller with him standing there.

He loosened his tie, pulling it off and letting it fall beside the blazer, his movements smooth, casual, but there was something about the way he did it that had my pulse picking up.

I couldn't help it—my eyes flickered back to him, trailing over the way the fabric of his shirt clung to his body.

His skin was warm, glowing slightly, and that damn chain hung just right, sitting perfectly against the hollow of his neck.

He was close now, standing just at the edge of the couch, and I could feel his eyes on me.

I shifted again, sitting up straighter, turning my attention back to the TV. Focus, Valentina.

But I could feel him looking at me, and it took everything in me to keep my eyes on the screen.

"What are you watching?" Matteo asked, his voice casual, but there was an edge to it, like he knew exactly what he was doing.

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. "Gossip Girl."

"Of course," he said, with a faint smirk in his voice. I didn't need to look at him to know he was giving me that look, the one that said he knew exactly how to push my buttons.

He walked around the couch and sat down beside me, not too close, but close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

My breath hitched for a second before I forced it back to normal, still staring at the screen like it was the most interesting thing I'd ever seen in my life.

But I could still see him in my peripheral vision, the way he leaned back, his arms stretching out over the back of the couch, his body relaxed, but there was tension there too.

And that stupid chain. God, why was I so focused on that?

I glanced at him again, just for a second, and my gaze locked on his jaw, the sharp line of it, the way the shadows played against his skin.

His lips were pressed together, but there was something about the way he looked right now that made it impossible to think straight.

This was torture.

Since I got to Valentina's house, something had felt off. She wasn't talking to me, barely even looking at me. I couldn't tell if it was because of what happened last night, or this morning, or a mix of both.

She sat beside me on the couch, the tension between us thick enough to cut. I was waiting for her to say something—anything—but she didn't.

Her focus was fixed on the TV, but I knew she wasn't really paying attention. I wanted to ask her what was on her mind, to get her to talk to me, but I didn't know how to start.

I wasn't even sure what I would say.

Valentina got up suddenly, turning off the TV without a word. She crossed her arms, and for a second, I thought maybe she was going to say something.

But then she just stood there, like she was tired of being in the same room with me.

"Where are you going?" I asked, watching her closely.

She glanced back at me, her expression unreadable. "I'm tired," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "I'm going to bed."

I could hear the distance in her voice, like she'd already checked out of the conversation we hadn't even had.

"Val," I started, not wanting to let her walk away without clearing the air, but I stopped myself.

Pushing her right now wouldn't fix anything. She was still mad, and I couldn't blame her.

She didn't wait for me to finish whatever thought I was about to have. She just turned and headed toward her bedroom, leaving me sitting on the couch, feeling like I'd been shut out.

As she disappeared down the hallway, I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. "Valentina," I called after her, keeping my voice even. "I have a business dinner tomorrow. And you're going with me."

I heard her footsteps pause, but she didn't come back into the room. "What time?" she asked from down the hall, her tone flat, like she wasn't interested at all.

"Six," I replied. "It's formal. Wear something nice."

She didn't say anything else. The silence that followed was heavy, and I leaned back on the couch, staring at the dark TV screen. I hated this—hated feeling like she was slipping away from me.

I wanted to talk to her, to fix whatever this was, but tonight wasn't the night. She was shutting me out, and I wasn't going to push her. Not yet.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'd make sure we figured this out.

AUTHORS NOTEE
Anyone else fans of gossip girl??
The business dinner is gonna go crazy so I hope you're prepared!!
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