When Where and How to Love

Chapter 3: Ankles, Ice and Anti-inflammatories

Juliana quickly got up from the ground and ran to help Valentina, who had taken the worst of the collision.

"Hey, are you okay? Let me help you," said the brunette approaching the blonde.

Valentina didn't know what had happened, she raised her head... "YOU? YOU AGAIN! ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME? YOU WANT TO KIDNAP ME TO RANSOM ME, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING! POLICE, POLICE!" The blonde screamed from the ground. "HELP, HEMMM," she couldn't continue because the basketball player's hand was now covering her mouth.

"GOOD GOD, CAN YOU JUST CALM DOWN? RELAX WOMAN!" Juliana tried to stop her, but it was difficult because Valentina continued to struggle. "AUCHHH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU BIT ME!"

"IF YOU HADN'T COVERED MY MOUTH, I WOULDN'T HAVE BITTEN YOU!" Valentina seethed.

"IF YOU HADN'T STARTED SCREAMING LIKE A BANSHEE, I WOULDN'T HAVE COVERED YOUR MOUTH! Plus, I have no intention of kidnapping you, nor am I following you! And IF, listen well, IF I had wanted to kidnap you, I would return you within half an hour, because you are UN-BER-A-BLE!"

"Pfffff, you wish you were lucky enough to spend more than half an hour with me! ARE YOU GOING TO STAND THERE LIKE FOOL OR ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME UP?" Valentina asked indignantly.

"Fine, come on, give me your hand."

The blonde squeezed her hand as she tried to stand up.

"AYYYY AUCHHH!" Valentina complained and fell back to the ground, but this time more gently.

Juliana tried to slow her fall. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"OKAY? WELL, NO, I AM NOT! BUT APPARENTLY, I HAVEN'T BEEN SINCE I BUMPED INTO YOU THIS MORNING!"

Why did I want to have lunch outside? I could be happily sitting in my apartment eating a delivery and watching TV, but no, no Juliana, you had to go out to eat! And now you have literally bumped into this blonde again, with her intimidating blue eyes and her raised eyebrow that could raise the dead. Juliana's thoughts were interrupted by another scream.

"ARE YOU GOING TO STAND THERE WITH THAT GOOFY FACE ALL DAY, OR ARE YOU GOING TO CALL A TAXI TO TAKE ME HOME?" Valentina demanded as she tried to stand up, but again without success and a scream of pain, "AUCHHH it hurts."

"Okay, let me look at your ankle, you must have twisted it," Juliana said as she crouched down and grabbed the blonde's foot.

"No, you're not a doctor, are you? Why don't you do something useful and get me a taxi?"

Tired of the blonde's protests, Juliana took Valentina's face and forced her to look at her. "LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!" The startled blonde found Juliana's face. "I'm not asking you; I'm telling you. I'm going to look at your foot and you're going to relax and stay quiet while I do it, OKAY?"

"Mmrmr," Valentina muttered something incomprehensible.

"I said, OKAY?"

"Okay," she answered very softly so Juliana could barely hear her.

Delicately the brunette took Valentina's foot, she removed the boot, then the sock and very gently began to inspect her foot.

"Does this hurt?" She asked as she bent her foot inwards.

"No," she answered flatly.

"And this?" Juliana moved her foot outwards.

"AAAHHHH IT HURTS, IT HURTS!"

"Hmm, yeah, you've twisted your ankle. But don't worry, it's nothing serious. With a little ice and some anti-inflammatories, you will be as good as new."

"Don't worry you say? And how am I supposed to walk three blocks home to get the ice and take the dammed anti-inflammatories?"

"Three blocks you say?" Juliana asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, what? Are you hard of hearing now too? Three fucking blocks!" Valentina answered while inspecting her foot.

"Come on," Juliana said confidently as she bent down to try and lift Valentina.

"WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Come on princess, I will carry you to your house." Juliana tried to lift Valentina again, but the woman was putting up a fight.

"ARE YOU CRAZY OR WHAT? You and I are not going anywhere. Or at least I'm not going anywhere on top of you!"

Juliana was tired, twice in the same day this blonde had awakened the beast.

"STOP IT! EITHER YOU ALLOW ME TO TAKE YOU HOME OR I LEAVE YOU HERE!" She said as she bent down and with great strength, lifted the blonde.

"LOWER ME, LOWER ME NOW! I DEMAND YOU PUT ME DOWN!" Valentina tried to get rid of Juliana, but without success, the other woman kept walking. "PUT ME DOWN!" She tried again.

"Look QUEEN OF ENGLAND, I'm not going to put you down, so you better collaborate and let me do this because the faster I do it, the faster I can get rid of you!"

"BUT..." she tried to protest again.

"BUT NOTHING, YOU SHUT UP I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU ANYMORE."

"But..." she tried again.

"WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU!"

"YOU ARE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION!" This time Valentina made herself heard.

Juliana paused, turned around and started walking without being able to hide her shame. "Well, you are authorised to speak only and EXCLUSIVELY to tell me how to get to your house."

"Blah blah blah!" Valentina teased from the brunette's neck, since Juliana had lifted her like a bride entering her room on her wedding night.

"I heard you, making fun is also talking and I said no talking!"

For three blocks Valentina only spoke to tell Juliana where to turn and where to stop, but nothing more.

"This is it here." The blonde announced. "Can you put me down now?"

"No. Open up. I'll take you up. I'm sure you live on a high floor and I will not let you walk a step and SHHHH, no arguing!" Juliana was already anticipating her refusal when she saw the blonde open her mouth to say something.

Valentina took the key out of her bag, opened the door, and directed the brunette to her apartment. Juliana without saying anything began to climb the stairs until she reached the door of her apartment.

The blonde looked at Juliana to release her but without daring to say anything, but the athlete motioned for her to open the door. To which Valentina agreed, without protest which surprised the brunette.

Juliana carried Valentina into the living room, walked her to the sofa and very gently left her on it.

"Keep your foot up," she ordered. The blonde agreed again to Juliana's surprise. "Okay, now tell me, do you have any anti-inflammatories?" Valentina shook her head.

"Huh, well, it doesn't matter. For now, you can rest it with ice. You can you call your boyfriend, husband, friend, or whoever to bring you the medication." Juliana informed her.

"Did you say boyfriend? I don't have... SARA, SARA, OH GOD, SARA!"

"My name is not Sara." Juliana said, confused by the blonde's outburst.

"NO, NOT YOU! SARA IS MY GIRLFRIEND. OH GOD SARA, I FORGOT ABOUT HER! SHE WAS WAITING FOR ME!"

At that moment, the door of the apartment flew open, revealing a very pretty redhead with a face like thunder.

"VALENTINA WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU? I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR HOURS!" Sara looked at Juliana. "AND WHO THE HELL IS THIS?"