Chapter Three
1300 Words
Chapter Three
~Valentina~
" You'll be getting married by the end of this week", Luca announced, as I stepped into his study.
"Do you want me to kill you, brother?", I asked, and gave him a saccharine smile. I didn't have the strength or the will to throw a fit, so he had to make do with my horrible attempt at being a sweet and calm sister.
After Mom helped me calm down, I came over to Luca to hear him out. And apparently he had a death wish.
He raised his hand in mock surrender.
"I would never wish to incure your wrath, princess", he said, sarcasm evident in his tone, "But time is an asset we do not have".
I rolled my eyes at his theatrics.
"Carry on then", I said as I walked towards his desk.
"You can join Mom to plan—"
"I have no interest in planning this wedding, Luca", I interjected, "We could wed in a sewer, for all I care".
He rolled his eyes at me which earned himself a glare.
"That's fine. I'll also have Mom choose your wedding dress—"
"I'll choose my own dress", I spat at him, my glare intensifying.
"But you said—"
"For God's sake!", I yell, "Stop trying to annoy me, Luca. I haven't even forgiven you yet".
His gaze softened at me. And I almost felt bad for shouting at him. Almost.
" I'm sorry", he said, " It's just that a lot has been going on lately... And no offense, but annoying you is just... familiar".
I let out a breath as I walked over to him with my arms spread open.
He looked up at me from his chair, uncertainty etched into his features. I nearly felt bad for him.
"I'm just offering you a hug, i***t", I said, and a stupid smile touched his lips.
He pulled me into a hug and mumbled into my shirt.
"You can't blame me, Val. The last time I hugged you poured itching powder all over me".
I laughed out at his expense.
"That was a good one. Plus, I only did that cause you threw out my dolls", I said with a smirk.
"If you made me suffer that much for dolls, I should really watch my back now", he said, actual horror in his eyes.
I chuckled, "Trust me, you should".
♣♣♣
My wedding was in two days and now I felt so nervous, but it was not entirely because I'm getting married to a total stranger.
It had been a hectic week for everyone. As much as I refused to take part in any decision making concerning my wedding, my mom didn't hear any of it.
She asked for my input on everything. Everything imaginable. It was nearly maddening.
Now that almost everything was set, I could finally do the one thing I was really ever interested in— dress shopping.
Mia and I were to go dress shopping today and I was not even surprised that she was more excited than I was. Someone's best friend only gets married once, right?
I sat up from my bed and dropped my phone for the first time since I started doom scrolling three hours ago.
I wiped my sweatless palms over my shorts, a nervous habit of mine. I was about to finally do something I had been pushing off all week.
My boyfriend— soon to be ex— would be here any moment. I would be lying if I said I hadn't been dreading the moment I'll break the news to him.
I had been avoiding his calls all week and if there was a way to not have to do this, I would take it up immediately.
But there wasn't, so here I was. I was sitted on my bed at 10 in the morning, wishing my fate was different.
I heard a knock on my door and I leapt to my feet.
"Coming in", I said.
The door was pushed open and my stomach sank.
He was really here.
"Hey Adam", I said, my voice small.
"Hey", he said back, sounding unsure, "Is everything okay, Val? You haven't been picking my calls all week".
"I'm sorry about that. Umm... Let's go to the garden".
He followed me without a word and I could tell that a million questions sat on his tongue.
My heart broke at the fact that I had to do this.
Adam and I hadn't been together long enough to start professing love, but we had something. We were friends for over a year before he asked me out, and we had been together for seven months now. He was the kind of guy any girl could imagine spending the rest of her life with.
We made our way towards the garden and stopped at the bench we always sat on. The guards around the garden nodded at me in acknowledgement.
"I wouldn't be going to college anymore", I said, not starting with the worst news.
He frowned at the news, anyways and I didn't blame him.
Adam and I met at my favorite cafe over a year ago. He was here from London on a business trip. He wanted to expand his landscaping business here in America, specifically here in Las Vegas. He was able to carry out his plans here, but chose to stay back when we got serious.
When my brother and mother finally agreed that I could study abroad, I chose a college in London. After all, I didn't know anyone else outside Las Vegas and I really needed to escape this life.
" Is it your mother?", he asked as he held my hands in his, " She's having doubts again?".
I let out a sigh.
"It's more than that actually. We can't continue being together", I announced.
"What?!", he said and let go of my hand as if it burned him, "Is that some sort of joke?!".
"It's not like that. My brother just told me I'll be getting married—"
"Getting married?!", he exclaimed, standing up. I stood up as well, not liking his reaction, one bit.
"Adam", I tried, "Please calm down".
"I should calm down?!",he yelled, "I have been with you for almost a year and now you're getting married?!"
" It was out of my control, okay?", I said my voice now risen, "Luca told me—"
"Stop using your brother to cover your pathetic lies", he seethed, the venom in his words caught me by surprise.
"Excuse me?", I asked, not being able to recognize this version of Adam.
" I have put up with your babied ass for too long. So you're done with me right? It's now time to spread your legs for—"
I slapped him hard across the cheek. My eyes stung from his words but my blood boiled at his audacity
"Don't you ever talk to me like that again, you piss of s**t", I yelled as anger bubbled in my veins.
Adam was vibrating with fury, when he rose his fist at me. As if to... punch me.
The sound of several guns being c****d, stopped him immediately.
I stared at his fist, still frozen in the air. I looked back into his eyes, and saw as realization set in.
"I wasn't going to—", he began, his hand going down immediately.
"Get out of my house", I said, my voice eerily calm.
"Babe, please—"
"It's Valentina to you, Adam. Not Val and definitely not babe. Now get the f**k out of my house".
He looked around to still see several guns c****d at his head. With that he turned around, but not without whispering something.
"It isn't over, Val".
- Writer
