Levi

Chapter fourteen

Valentina didn't attempt any conversation during the ride to his parents' house. Nerves were illiciting fire in the pit of her stomach. Valentina wasn't nervous very often- never, even. She doesn't grant others that power over her.

But she wasn't nervous because she wanted them to like her. She needed them to like her. Them not liking her, would be a blow to their cover.

Other than that, Valentina didn't worry. They weren't her real in-laws, after all. It was a relief knowing that.

''What's your favorite color?'' Levi snapped her out of her thoughts.

Valentina turned away from the window she had been staring through all through the drive, and turned to look at him. On of her perfectly arched eyebrows was raised in a way to ask him, 'What the Hell?'.

''We have to know things about each other, you know?'' He explained, and it made sense. But Valentina was still reluctant to answer. She was in a piss poor mood.

''Mine's blue.'' He then said, in the hopes of breaking the ice- and hopefully, her though exterior, ''Reminds me of relaxing things, ya know? Sky, ocean, all of that.''

Valentina did not reply to that. Instead she thought about what he'd said. It suited him, having blue as a favorite color. It just seemed to fit, somehow. Levi peeked at her while he drove, and he was getting worried about how they were ever going to pull off this fake marriage. She was still as closed off as she's always been.

''Red.'' She said finally, ''Dark red.''

It gave Levi slight hope that she was willing to try. He nodded before asking another question, leaving no time for her to shut off again.

''Animal?'' He asked.

''None. I hate them all.''

Levi wasn't surprised. It was only obvious she'd hate all living things, and not just humans.

''You?'' She asked.

Levi knew that shouldn't have made him as happy as it did. She was only asking because she had to know, not because she wanted to, he knew that. But he still got butterflies every time she took initiative and showed some interest in him.

''I like dogs, and cats. But I'm allergic, so I can't have any.'' He replied.

And just like when he told her about being adopted, she showed zero pity for him. It's like she didn't care at all. Like she knew that there were people who were dying in third world countries and she has no pity to waste on animal allergies.

He liked not being pitied, or babied for a change.

''So, what's our story?'' He then asked, ''We're gonna have to tell my parents something about how we met, they're gonna ask for sure.''

Valentina seemed to think for a moment, her lips pouted as she did so. Levi liked that habbit of hers.

''I don't know.'' She said with a sigh, ''You tell me, what kind of story would your parents like?''

''Let's go with something that's as close to the truth as possible.'' He decided, ''Kate set us up, which she kinda did that night at Joe's-''

''Kate texted you to be there that night, didn't she?'' Valentina interrupted him. She just had to hear him say it.

''Damn right, she did. And it was a good call on her part.'' Levi never budged from his opinion about how good of a fit they are. Valentina could only wish she could ever see herself being a perfect match with anyone- even that homeless man from fifth avenue would do.