VAL'S POV
I went downstairs, and luckily, there was no Charlotte or Hayley anywhere, I guess they went out or they are maybe in their rooms. Who cares anyway.
Now I have to think of a way to get through the guards. Oh yes, I have an idea, I hope it works.
I went to the gate guards with a serious look. They looked at me, and when I was about to pass them they stopped me.
"Um, Miss De Luca, we can't allow you to go outside," a guard said
Okay, it's now or never Val
"Are you telling me what to do?" I tried sounding angry.
"No, miss, we were j..." The other guard tried to reason.
"Save it, no one is going to stop me from going. Otherwise, I will tell my dad that you tried to stop me even after getting permission from him." Oh God, please forgive me for lying.
"Sorry miss, you may leave now," they said and opened the gate for me.
I sighed out of relief once I went out of the gate. 'That was easy,' I thought to myself. You see, our house is a little bit isolated, I mean, it's far from the other houses , for 'safety purpose' like what my dad said.
I walked for a while before seeing Em smoking cigarette besides his black corvette c8. He was wearing a black leather jacket, which was hugging his broad shoulders like it was made just for him. Beneath it, a plain white T-shirt clung to his chest, contrasting with the dark ink of a tattoo peeking out from his collarbone. His ripped jeans hung low on his hips, revealing a hint of a chain hooked to his belt loop. Scuffed boots thudded against the ground as he stood against his car confidently. A silver chain glinted under the dim light, and his hands, adorned with a couple of silver rings, one was stuffed in his jacket pockets while the other one was holding a cigaretteHis hair was perfectly tousled, as though he hadn't tried but somehow got it right anyway. He looked so handsome.
When he saw me, he smiled and dropped the cigarette, then stepped on it.
"Hi," I said when I arrived at where he was.
"Hey," he said and gave me a hug.
"You look beautiful." he said after we broke the hug.
"Thanks," I said. "Even though I know,"I added that to hide my blush. Em just gave me a smirk as if he understood what I was trying to do.
"Alright ma'am, shall we go now?" he said as he opened the passenger door for me.
I nodded and got inside the car. He closed the door and went to the driver seat before we set off.
"So where are we going?" I asked
"You'll see,"
After some time, the car stopped, and they both got out of it.
"What's this huge building?" I asked
"You'll know when we get inside, let's go," Em said, and we walked inside the building.
3RD POV
"WOW!" Val exclaimed the moment they went inside the building.
"Is this an art gallery?" she said as she looked around in awe. She ran to look at each and every panting that caught her eyes. Every now and then, she will tell Emilio about the meaning behind each painting, not like he understood though but he still listened.
Emilio shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, feeling slightly out of place in the pristine white halls of the art gallery. He glanced at Val, his best friend, her eyes wide and bright as she admired a painting of a starry night. She talked about brushstrokes and light techniques, words he didn't completely understand but loved hearing her say.
"You're really into this stuff, huh?" he asked, leaning casually against the wall, trying to seem indifferent even though his heart raced just watching her. He knows she had always liked art ever since she was little.
Val turned to him with a soft smile. "It's not just paint. It's... feelings on a canvas."
Emilio chuckled. "Feelings, huh? Guess I wouldn't know much about that."
She rolled her eyes but laughed, the sound making his chest tighten. "You could, if you gave it a chance."
For the next hour, Emilio followed her through the gallery, pretending not to notice how her face lit up with each piece. He even tried to comment on a painting of a red rose, but it came out awkward. Val didn't seem to mind.
"Thanks for bringing me here Em, it's been a long time since I've been to an art gallery," she said as they stepped outside into the cool evening air. "I know this isn't your scene."
Emilio shrugged, his voice lower. "It's worth it... for you."
Val froze, caught off guard by the rare sincerity in his tone. She quickly recovered, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Well, I've really enjoyed it,"
"Let's go, I saw an ice cream parlor on our way here," Emilio said. They got inside the car and set off to the ice cream parlor.
At the small ice cream parlor, Emilio ordered a simple chocolate cone while Val got a towering scoop of pistachio with sprinkles. They sat on a bench outside, laughing as her ice cream nearly toppled over.
"You eat like a 5 year old, you know. Just look, you've got some ice cream on your nose,"Â Emilio said, smirking.
"Oh please," Val said as she rolled her eyes.
"Where is it?" Val leaned closer, and before she could wipe it off, Emilio reached out and gently brushed it away with his thumb.
For a moment, the air between them shifted. Val's eyes softened as he looked into Em's greyish eye, and Em swallowed hard, his usual cocky demeanor slipping.
"Tina..." he started, his voice quieter now.
"Yes?"
He hesitated, his heart pounding, then smirked to mask his nerves. "You're going to owe me big if I keep doing all this artsy stuff with you."
Val laughed, but there was a knowing warmth in her gaze. "Deal."
"Come on now, let me take you back home it's already late." Em said, and indeed, it was late cause the sky was darker.
As Emilio drove Val home, he realized he didn't mind being out of his elementâas long as it meant being by her side.
They arrived at Val's home, and this time, instead of dropping her far, he dropped her in front of the gate. He didn't get off the car because he knew the guards knew who he was, and the moment they see him they will show looks of fear which will cause Val to ask him a lot of questions.
"Um, I'm going now, so bye, see you tomorrow at school. I won't ask you why you were not at school today but I expect you to come tomorrow, do you hear me?" Val said
"Yes, I hear you loud and clear babe, now give me a hug," Emilio said as she smiled lovingly at Val.
"Good," Val said as she hugged him. When she broke the hug, unexpectedly Em pulled her toward him again, but this time, he peeked her lips and then released her.
"Bye babe," Em smirked when he saw Val blushing so hard that she opened the car door so fast and got out before closing it.
After she got out of the car, Emilio drove off.
_________________________________________
Vote and comment lovely readersð¥°
What do you think about this chapter?