sad birds still sing.
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VALENTINA
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A FEW DAYS LATER
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After my major breakdown/freakout, Enzo had managed to calm me down. I was trying to back my bags and leave, run somewhere far away to safety, but he talked some sense into me.
If someone was after me, they probably know my every move, and we're safer here, where Enzo and his men can protect us. He's been working a lot, trying to solve everything. The man who had scouted out my place had just disappeared into thin air with his gang, which made Enzo even more annoyed.
There are guards all around the house, and always at least two inside. His friends stop by a lot too, not wanting me to be alone.
I haven't spoken to my dad yet, I'm furious. He promised. To never include me in that side of his life. Not only did he endanger me, but he also endangered my son.
I don't care if people call me dramatic or that I'm 'overreacting'. I have a baby. His safety means more than anything to me; and my father's idiotic line of work has now endangered us. I know the kind of people he works withâ they won't hesitate to hurt anyone that's in their way. And I guess Alejandro and I are in the way of them and my father.
Sleeping was almost impossible. Every single small sound had me jolting up, my heart hammering against my chest. So, I've opted to spending my nights, sitting by the window, Alejandro sleeping in his crib next to me. I need him close, so I know he's safe. What if he's in another room, and I don't get to him in time? Exactly.
My hands cradled the cup of tea in my hands, as I watched the rain fall. It must be 3 AM by now, and Enzo is nowhere to be seen. We barely see each other, maybe in the mornings, sometimes he stops by for a quick shower and change of clothes. I miss him.
Yes, his friends are amazing and keep me distracted. But I can't sleep; not without him. That's how attached I've gotten.
I'm not sure if that's good.
"A little bird told me you haven't been sleeping." I heard the very familiar and very missed voice from behind me. Before I could turn, his hands slipped around my waist, resting his chin on top of my head, "Hi, beautiful."
"Hi." I whispered, leaning back into him. He smelled just as good as he always does.
I set down my teacup, turning to look at him, as I was still seated on the windowsill, "I missed you."
His lips pressed against my temple, before he gently lifted me up, carrying me over to the bed. He slipped off his shirt, before climbing under the covers with me, pulling me to his chest, "I missed you too, sweetheart. But you need to sleep, even when I'm not here, yeah?"
I shook my head, pressing it against his chest, "I can't. I just...I don't know. I can't sleep. What...what if they- they just come here and take Alejandro from right under my nose? I can't let that happen he- he's just a baby."
"Shh..." He hushed me, running his hand through my hair, "It's okay, baby, it's okay...I get it. It's hell for me to leave you guys here. I trust my men with my life, but still. The thought of not being here if something went down...it kills me."
He lets out a small sigh, kissing my forehead, "But I also know I can't rest until I've found every last one of those bastards. I couldn't lay here, knowing I'm doing nothing to keep you safe."
"I know." I whispered, leaning up to press a small kiss to his lips, "It'll be over soon, I hope. Have you talked to my father?"
Enzo nodded, leaning his head back, the hand that was in my hair, moved down to my waist. "He's been working even harder than me. He feels like shit, baby."
Pursing my lips together, I sigh. "Yeah. I'm still not going to forgive him that easily. He made a promise that he broke."
"I know, baby. I'm not trying to hint at anything like that." He nods, pulling me a little closer, "You have yours and your son's safety to worry about. It's normal to be mad at him; I just wanted you to know that he is working hard to repair what he messed up."
That's what made him amazing. He has never made me feel like my feelings are stupid, or that I have no reason to react the way I do. He understands.
"Thank you." I whispered, peppering his face in kisses, "So much." In this moment, it really settled with me, how much I actually missed him. I had grown so used to his presence, that being away from him was painful.
And I could tell he was feeling the exact same way.
"We should go on a trip. You know, after all this bullshit is over." He murmured, his eyes fixated on me, "Somewhere pretty, and peaceful."
"Hmm." I hummed, looking at him with a smile, "That does sound good. I'm just not sure if I have the funds for it right now."
His expression turned offendedâ as if I had just burned down his house, "Sweetheart, you are a crazy woman. What kind of boyfriend would I be, if I let you pay? Please, it's my treat."
My eyes widened. He can't be serious, can he?
"Enzo, I can't let you do that." I mumbled, setting my hands on either side of him, lifting myself up to face him properly, "Saying 'my treat' means buying someone dinner, not a whole vacation!"
"Well..." He hummed, his hand gripping my hip, "You can pay me back, baby." His hand trailed lower, moving to rest on my inner thigh, "You know...not with money. That's useless to me."
My eyebrow raised, watching his hand gently rub my thigh, his eyes focused on his actions.
"Very funny." I murmured, grabbing his hand, interlocking our fingers, "I don't think I'm going to use my body to pay for a vacation, Enzo." I pressed a kiss to his lips, resting my head back onto his chest.
"Don't consider it paying me back, then." He shrugged, rolling us over, his lean body resting over me. His strong arms rested on the sides of my head, slightly holding him up, "You can just consider it my...reward. For all my hard work..." His lips trailed a path along my jaw, down my neck.
A small chuckle left my lips, as I gently pushed him away, "Down, boy. My son is sleeping in the crib right over there."
His eyes darted to the crib, and I could see the look in his eyes soften as he saw Alejandro. Aw.
"Good point." Enzo nodded, pressing a kiss to my lips, before dropping his head down on my chest, getting comfortable, "I missed you so much, sweetheart. Working all the time is hell, all I could think about was coming back home to my girl."
I smiled, gently kissing the top of his head, "I feel the same way. It's hard to sleep when you're not around. Like...I know you have a gazillion guards around this place but..." I sighed, giving him a small shrug, "I don't know, I just don't feel at peace until I know you're safe too, and that you're here, keeping me safe."
He hugged me tight, "I'm always going to keep you safe. Even when I'm not here. I'll always make sure of that."
I trusted him with my whole heart. If he said he was going to keep me safe, I believed him.
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hiii lovelies <3 this was kind of a filler chapter im soo sorry it took me long to post !! i will get to writing early tomorrow and try to get a chapter out before the weekend. love you all mwahhhh