VALENTINA - dylan kingwell

CH5 "ghost"

It had been nearly a week since the party, and Valentina still couldn't shake the memory of Dylan. The kiss had been intoxicating, and no matter how hard she tried to convince herself it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, something inside her wouldn't let it go. The silence that followed only made it worse. No text, no call—nothing.

The more time passed, the more she started to think she'd imagined the connection. She felt stupid for even hoping Dylan would reach out.
'He's 20. He's an actor. Why would he bother with someone like me?'

At school, her mind was in a haze, though she tried her best to keep things normal. She'd noticed Jake being more aggressive in his pursuit lately. His constant presence was starting to get under her skin, especially when she felt this unresolved tension with Dylan hanging in the air.

It was the middle of the lunch period when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Expecting some random group chat message, she lazily pulled it out. The moment she saw the name on the screen, her heart skipped a beat.

IMESSAGES

Dylan Kingwell
Hi Valentina

Valentina blinked, trying to process the message. It had been nearly a week since the party, and out of nowhere, Dylan was texting her.

She sat frozen for a moment, staring at the screen."Val" Kelly's voice cut through her thoughts, noticing her friend's distraction. "Who is it?" Valentina quickly locked her phone.

"No one."Kelly smirked. "Right. 'No one' doesn't get you all flustered like that. Talk to me."
"It's nothing," Valentina said, but she couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.

Before Kelly could press further, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. As the cafeteria emptied, including kelly who was hurrying for maths, Valentina took a deep breath and unlocked her phone again, fingers hovering over the keys.

De Luca✊
Hi

Dylan Kingwell
can we talk

Her heart pounded. She didn't know what to expect from him, but the fact that he wanted to talk had to mean something, right? Without thinking too much, she replied.

De Luca✊
ok
when

Later that evening, Valentina stood in the corner of a quiet park near her house, fidgeting with the hem of her hoodie. It was cold, and she'd thrown on the first thing she could find before heading out.

Her heart pounded with every passing second as she waited for Dylan to show up. Why was she nervous? It was just a talk. Right?

Moments later, she heard footsteps on the gravel. She turned to see Dylan approaching, hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket. He didn't look as calm and collected as she remembered from the party.

There was a tension about him now, like he wasn't sure how to start."Hey," he greeted her, his voice low."Hey," Valentina replied, her arms crossed over her chest.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. The awkwardness hung between them like a fog. This wasn't a casual catch-up between two friends, and both of them knew it.

The silence felt heavy, but Valentina didn't know how to break it. Dylan ran a hand through his hair, taking a step closer but keeping enough distance that it wasn't too intimate.

"I wanted to talk about...you know...the party."Valentina swallowed, nodding. "Yeah, same." Dylan's eyes flickered, and for a moment, she saw something flash in them—possessiveness, maybe, or just the weight of whatever he was feeling.