I awaken to his face, as he sits across from me with a lowered gaze and a cup of whiskey in his hand. I swallow the fact that I was asleep and he was watching me before feeling the rush of last night come to me in a wave.
I breathe, and feel my throat burn. I need water. I lick lips, pushing myself up to sit as he watches. "You should rest." He hisses.
"Where's Luca?" I ask, before remembering that he's gone. As my eyes move around the room, I can't help but sigh. I miss my home in New York. I miss my life in New York.
"Val, please. Rest."
Val.
"No." I hiss, which gets a laugh out of him. I pull myself to sit up and taste the blood in my mouth. Fucking Alex.
"You almost died as a result of not listening to me," He licks his lips and puts a cigarette between his teeth before lighting it up. "Your guard Leo thought I fuckin' killed you when I brought you to your room, you should get someone to speak English because he had a gun to my head."
I laugh before wincing. "Ow."
"Rest." He instructs, raising a finger before he waggles it in front of me. "You need me listen to me." He groans in a stretch. "You know what? I'm piss drunk, I should go."
I look out the window and see that it's dark out still. I turn back to him and shake my head. "Stay."
"What?" He gets up to stand and squints his eyes. "No, no. I can't stay."
"Please. Tommy. Stay." My voice is soft. Mentioning the bed, I turn slightly before looking back at him and seeing darkness.
My eyes snap open at the realization that I was dreaming. I wince, feeling my breathing come out in a deep screeches. Everything. Aches. I look down and see that I'm still in my dress. My fingers sit in my lap, as my head rests on something hard. I press my lips together, moaning before noticing that I'm in a moving vehicle.
"You awake?" His voice is raspy and low. Thomas.
I rub my eyes, "I think." I groan. "Where are we?"
"I'm taking you home, how are you feeling."
"Like I almost died."
He chuckles, and I groan in response.
"You were asking me to stay in your sleep." He remarks. "Called me Tommy."
I blush, resting my head on his arm again. "No I was not." I lie, cuddling into his arm. "Mmmmm-my head hurts."
"That's because you almost died." He leans into me, "Try to sleep,"
Sleep. That sounds good. I can practically hear his smile, and I would be smiling too if everything didn't hurt.
The next I awaken, it's when the car comes to a hault and my door is open. I squint, still leaning against Thomas when a man looks down at me.
"Leo." I exhale, taking his hand. The little rest I've got has only increased the pressure around my neck. "I need you to invite Thomas inside..."
"We need to go to the hospital! Who hurt you?"
"He's dead now so it doesn't matter." I step out of the car and rub the side of my neck. "Leo, do as I say."
My husband used to say that I was far too determined for this world.
He said, Valentina, one day you'll end up dead because of that foul mouth. And I would always tell him, Luca, one day you'll end up dead because you don't use that brain of yours.
