Valentina was out of bed by noon. A new personal best. She wasn’t dressed yet, but one step at a time. Laying on the couch, she watched some romantic comedy starring some TV actress-turned singer-turned fashion designer-turned movie actress, while spooning large servings of Boston cream flavored yogurt into her mouth. She wasn’t feeling particularly motivated to do anything, except eat yogurt and watch movies. There was a new terrible ache in her heart. Watching fake romance, and living vicariously through leading ladies was all that could keep her from crying.
When Valentina woke that morning, she felt like she could think clearly for the first time in months. Unfortunately, that also meant her break up with Eli felt fresh. She had a new perspective on old memories, and wasn’t sure how she’d ever remembered it differently.
Vividly, she could see herself storming into the apartment she shared with Eli. It was his apartment. He’d graciously asked her to live with him. Valentina made him get a puppy before she’d move in. Looking back at that, she felt so embarrassed. She was never truly good to him. Playing at what he wanted. Valentina enjoyed the nice parts of their relationship, the nice restaurants, his nice car and apartment, the sex, playing house. But Valentina realized that’s exactly all she was doing, just playing house. Eli was in love with her. He was trying to build a future with her. God! He was probably trying to find Mischa so that he would be there to walk her down the aisle at their wedding. And she pointed a finger in his face, and threw an ultimatum at Eli. Me or my father. What kind of decision was that? And now he was gone.
Valentina looked at her phone, tempted to send Eli a message. She wondered if he’d even respond. If Eli had treated Valentina like she had treated him, she’d never want to speak to him again. But she probably would. She was still taking Billy Duke’s calls well after she knew he had cheated on her. Valentina had always thought of herself a nice girl. After the fiasco with Billy, she thought she was too nice. Now she didn’t know what to think. She had been so cruel to Eli.
Other memories returned as well, related to their break up. A conversation with Levi Coates, after she had badgered him to let her into Eli’s apartment while he was at work. For days Levi had insisted that Valentina should confront Eli herself if she had wanted her belongings back, but finally he relented and agreed to meet her at his brother’s apartment in the late morning.
“Why are you doing this?” Eli’s older brother asked. He sounded so sad, sharing his brother’s emotions.
“I’m not just going to leave all my clothes here. They’re expensive. God! Men don’t know anything about fashion.” She muttered to herself.
“No, I mean why are you leaving him? He loves you.” Levi crossed his arms over his chest. Quite the feat for a man made of mostly muscle. He watched her carefully as if she actually would steal anything of Eli’s.
“No, he doesn’t. He made his choice.” Valentina snipped at him, shoving thousands of dollars’ worth of blouses into a suitcase.
“No, you made his decision for him.” Levi sighed. “I know he’s not the best at communicating how he feels. That’s kind of part of Eli being Eli. And I don’t know if he ever told you about Rhianne. I know you know about our father. You should know that Eli doesn’t really trust or love easily. You were something very special to him. And throwing it all away like that… Valentina, I’m worried he might do something stupid.”
“If he does, then he’ll succeed in finding my father.” Valentina winced at the memory of the last thing she said to Levi Coates. Had she really told him, in a sense that she didn’t care if Eli committed suicide? The more she turned the line over in her head, it started to sound like she wished it. Of course, she didn’t want Eli to kill himself!
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Looking For The Light (Book 2)
ParanormalElijah's life has been thrown for a loop. His girlfriend left him, he's leaving his home behind, and setting off into the unknown. Doubting his mission and himself, the young telepath struggles with many of the great questions of life.
