Valentina's POV
With my hands tightly wrapped around him firmly and my head on his back, I let the sound of the motorcycle engine drown my thoughts, concerns, and worries.
I am also ignoring the suspicion I am having about Rocco lying to me about the kiss. I don't want to think about anything now. I just want to enjoy the evening air brushing past my face and hair.
If I wasn't in a sad mood, I would have loved to shout into the air with one of my hands flying around and the other holding onto Rocco as he drives.
I don't know where he is driving me to but I don't care. I just want to be far away from that cold room and let my worries go.
My father is still in the hospital. I wanted to spend the night with him but my mom insisted on having me gone. From her persistence, I can see how much she wants me and Rocco to work unlike what I told Rocco a few minutes ago.
Even with that, I still believe that the person who needs this sort of assurance i
Valentina's POVFred and Brenda are the only ones who know that I am a virgin. No one else knows. Not even my mother.Because of the wild parties Brenda and I go to and the fact that I had a boyfriend, she must have assumed that I have lost my virginity.She never asked me but I know that is what she thinks. She is my mother yet she doesn't know a lot about me.If only Mother knows, I will think she told Rocco this behind my back but Mother doesn't know so who did?"You can't have sex with someone you don't love but you never had sex with Fred and you two have been together for years. Don't you love him?""Ho..w..how did you know that?" I find myself stammering as I ask him with intense curiosity."How I know doesn't matter, does it?""It does", I retort back, desperate for him to answer me.Silence ensues, except for the loud beating of my heart which I can hear. I continue to watch him, anticipating the answer to
Rocco's POVCelina has been blowing my phone up with calls for days. She never had a reason to call me all this while but seeing me again after so many years with a woman I call wife must be so bothersome for her.Valentina does not need to know who she is. Her topic annoys the shit out of me.I wonder how she got my number. She never called me once and then all of a sudden, she starts to call.When she first called and I heard her voice even before she introduced herself, I quickly hung up and I haven't been picking ever since then.This morning when she called, I blocked her from reaching me. She is too annoying and I blame her for Valentina's recent coldness.I have no one to blame. I don't want to believe that my offer is what is making her so cold.So Celina is at fault.It's been days already since I took her to the garden and she has been ignoring me on purpose.She has been spending the ni
Valentina's POVFather is refusing to answer all my questions. I gave him enough time before bombarding him with the questions but his aloofness shows how much he doesn't want to talk about it.Now, I am sure he knows something. I am sure he is either hiding something or he wants to protect Rocco's father just because he is my father-in-law.Just like Rocco said, how can we help him if we don't know what they had in the past?I try to touch him to see if I can persuade him once more when the door opens without a knock.I turn to the door to see Mother come in with a huge smile on her face."Guess who is here?" She beams in excitement as she stretches her arms toward the ajar door and it reveals Rocco.I don't know if it's from my imagination or if Rocco is really looking upset tonight. His jaws are clenched and he is looking at me with a sort of new gaze that
Rocco's POVThe rage that fills me up even after apologizing to her is unexplainable. I can't explain the tightness in my chest and the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.I can't even control my anger anymore as I grit my teeth while sitting down in front of the bar counter downstairs and drinking the combination of wine and whiskey in my glass cup.I wish this never happened. I wish I never told her how I felt, then maybe this wouldn't be happening.She is still in love with him. He is her boyfriend. Or rather he was her boyfriend before I came along.Perhaps, if she didn't get to know about the betrothal, she would have accepted his apology and accepted him back.I guess it's not so easy to get rid of her first love. I guess she misses how he used to kiss her."Shit!" I voice out, slamming my fist on the counter and groaning in pain.I neve
Valentina's POVNetflixing for over two hours with a bowl of tasteless popcorn, I sigh deeply and take the phone and the cone of popcorn away.I am bored despite the movie. I have lost interest in almost everything and nothing seems to kill the boredom.Not even the popcorn.Maybe it's because it is tasteless.I am beginning to feel sick out of boredom. At first, I thought it was because I was in my room so I came over to Rocco's room so I could at least feel his presence but that only worked for a while because I am now dead bored.I need a walk.When I was unmarried and in a relationship with Fred, I barely felt bored but whenever I felt bored, the solution was easy.Fred. Or parties.I miss my old life. Not the relationship lifestyle but the enjoyable moments I had without having a cause to worry about anything.
Rocco's POVI ache so desperately for the remaining months so she can go and I can be back to my normal self.This is what she wants. If she wanted to be gone, then maybe she will be out of my mind as well.I hate this pathetic feeling in me.With my hand entwined with hers, we run all the way home. As soon as we are inside the massive gate, I let go of her hand and begin to walk faster so I can get away from her and away from the longing I feel.When I step inside, I hurry towards the staircase. I need to get rid of these clothes and have a hot shower before going to bed.I get to my door, open it and enter before proceeding to remove my clothes. I am halfway done when the door opens again and Valentina comes in.I hear her locking the door from behind and I turn back. "What are you doing here?""I want to sleep", she answers indifferen
Rocco's POVValentina seems like one hell of an adventurous woman. The laughter that leaves her mouth gets me reeling in laughter too, not because I found the whole running funny but because her laughter is contagious.When we sober up, I stretch my hand at her where she is squatting to help her up. She stands up with my help and we walk quietly to the car with hands entangled.I open the door for her, and she flashes me a cute smile and gets in. Suddenly, the tension is back.As high as ever.I close the door when she is seated inside the car and turn to the other side to get in too.It is a failed attempt already so we need to re-strategize and come back next time. Dad is hiding something in there that I need to get my hands on.Sometimes, I just feel like I barely know him. Each time, his behavior seems to be different, especially whenever we argue.&n
Valentina's POVEverything inside of me is in disarray and I can't even think properly with him beside me and his hand holding onto mine firmly like I was going to be out of sight the next minute.Well, that's what I plan to do. I'm going off.The moment John enters the gate and halts in the driveway, I open the door, releasing my hand from his hand, and off I go, walking briskly towards the front door."Valentina?!" He calls and I begin to hear the sound of his approaching feet.I increase my pace and when I am inside, I rush towards the staircase, taking two at a time."Valentina?!" His voice booms from nowhere, louder than before, and I wonder how he managed to come this close within minutes.I do not stop. I am too embarrassed to look him in the face and tell him anything. I can't even think of anything to say.I don't even know what I want. The
Rocco's POVNervous is an understatement of how I feel. This isn't the first time Valentina and I are doing this but it feels like the first time. It feels like this is what will determine our forever after. It feels like a dream too and I can barely think of anything else other than to get this done with."Hey, relax man", Richard chuckles as he throws a Rolex wristwatch at me. I catch it and heave a deep sigh of relief.This isn't a big deal, I remind myself. This isn't a big deal.We are renewing our vows and this is what makes it a big deal to me."Are you ready?" he shouts from outside the curtains.Still fixing the wristwatch on my wrist, I nod intermittently and exhale deeply.He claps his hand as a signal for me to come out. I take a quick step further and another until I am outside where my groomsmen are lined up waiting for me.They are all dressed in black suits while I am wearing a three piece Blue Weddi
Valentina's POVHis lips capture mine as his hands work on my long hair while I cling to him as close as I can because I can't get enough of him.As he kisses the life out of me, a small groan leaves my mouth and suddenly, he pulls away, making me flutter my eyes open.With a smile, he caresses my face.I concentrate on his expression trying so hard to figure out what he must be thinking.I made us come here for a good reason and I know he is a little sad about it. Today is the final judgment for Mr. Lorenzo, Anita, Brenda, and Celina. Rocco was getting prepared to go to the court when I suggested we take a day trip here. I wanted to see the mountains and more of nature and coming here was the best idea.I didn't want him to go to court to be reminded about the death of his kind Mother. I didn't want to go either because I don't want to feel any iota of sympathy for any of those criminals, especially Brenda.She must
Rocco's POVThe denial and her expression said it all; she doesn't want the baby and it takes me back to my shell of grieving.Hearing about the news of a baby coming made me forget my sorrows for a second and reduced the pain of losing someone who means so much to me.I am not superstitious but it felt as if the baby was going to be a replacement for my dead Mother. Now, my hope has been shattered by Valentina's outburst and confidence about not being pregnant.Her parents were extremely shocked too. It proved to me that I was wrong about her joking over a serious matter like that.I didn't say a word. I just remained quiet till when it was time to discharge her and we came home.It's been days and Valentina isn't saying anything yet about the baby. If she doesn't feel the baby, then am I supposed to wait till her belly begins to protrude before bringing this issue up and resolving it once and for all?The baby is a blessing.&n
Rocco's POVIgnoring the emptiness I suddenly felt when her body was lowered feet down the ground, I glanced away to stop myself from breaking down but it was impossible because the action alone hit me hard.She is gone. Never to be seen again.I want to break down now but I can not. I am a man. I have a wife who is looking up to me. The way Valentina reacted to her death was shocking and I have to control myself so she doesn't end up crying again.But I can't hold it back.How can I when this woman meant so much to me? Is it the pain of losing her when I least expected it? Or the pain of thinking about the people who killed her?Maybe if it had been a natural death, I wouldn't be in so much anguish. Maybe if it weren't planned by the people I know, I wouldn't be hurt this way.Why her? Why Mother?Everybody loved her. She was a great woman. She was wealthy but no one knew she was because her husband was handling everythi
Rocco's POVHE IS NOT YOUR FATHER, ROCCO! I LIED.These were her first words to me. If only I was there before the last moment, I would have heard her say them to me herself instead of writing them down.I wanted so desperately to hear the whole truth from her but I wanted to give it time. I wanted it to be the right time to ask so she wouldn't give me an excuse not to talk about it but now she is gone.I will never hear her talk to me again.I REGRET LYING TO YOU, SON. IT WAS NOT IN MY INTENTION TO DO THAT BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE WAS WORTH IT. APPARENTLY, HE ISN'T WORTH IT.I THOUGHT I COULD CHANGE HIM. I THOUGHT I WAS DOING A GREAT JOB CHANGING HIM FROM THE MAN HE USED TO BE BUT NOW THAT IT IS TOO LATE, I REALIZE HOW MUCH DAMAGE I HAVE CAUSED TO YOU AND MYSELF.YOUR BIOLOGICAL FATHER DIED A MONTH BEFORE YOU CAME TO THE WORLD. DAVIS STOOD BESIDE ME AND HE WAS LIKE A FATHER FIGURE. I NEVER KNEW HE HAD ULTERIOR MOTIVES.I REG
Rocco's POVShe is gulping down the whole content of the wine and looking away to make me think she wasn't staring at me peeling off the baggy shirt and trouser she gave to me on behalf of her dad.All of a sudden, I feel like taunting her a little about it. This is definitely not the first time she is seeing me naked, so why is she uncomfortable with it?Well, maybe it's because it's the second time. We have had sex only once and that was the first time she saw my nudity and also the first time I saw the beauty beneath her clothes.I know this is definitely not the right time for this but I can't help it. Coming here was the right decision and I feel more than relieved to have gotten help from Mr. Lewis."Hey", she shoots to her feet abruptly as I approach her and she begins to walk to the door, hiding her face from looking down at my naked body.Laugh erupts from my stomach, not at her action but at the fact that the door is locked and the
Rocco's POVThe glances I was stealing at her did not make me realize we were being followed until I turned the next corner and saw the black big van behind us trailing us from a distance.Intentionally, I took another turn to see if the van would follow or not and they did follow us at a safe distance, to avoid arousing my suspicion.Valentina is sitting next to me while I am driving. She is slumped in the seat looking exhausted, probably from too much crying or the information that my supposed Father tried to hurt her Dad.She saw this coming and this was the reason why I was stealing glances at her.It was in admiration for her intelligence. She is beautiful whether exhausted or not and it makes me think of where we are in our relationship at the moment.I thought we would resolve everything tonight since Mother already brought the issue up but that will no longer be possible because of what happened.What I have to be worrie
Rocco's POVSlamming my fists on the steering, I let out a growl of frustration as my head drops to the wheel.I hate him with all my being.I hate him for pretending to be my father all these years. I hate him for everything.After letting out several puffs to calm my nerves, I finally step down from the car. I close it back and walk straight into the hospital.I wonder when Mother will be finally discharged. Even if he wanted her back into the mansion, I wouldn't have allowed it. I have plans of keeping her with me till everything is resolved.After making plans to keep her in my house, I was a little scared she might want to go back home but now that he is throwing her out, it will work to my benefit. I can never let her take him again and I need to know what exactly is happening and why all of this happened.After all, he asked me to demand questions about this from her. I only hope she answers me this time and does not lie
Valentina's POVI can't breathe.There is a huge lump stuck in my throat, stopping me from breathing properly. I try to open my mouth and take in as much breath as I can and it works.Finally, I exhale, my nose stiff and cold.My breathing isn't steady. It is beating wildly and heavily within my rib cage in rage. My head is pounding so hard and my eyes brim with tears.I am not thinking about Rocco now. I am thinking about Fred. I am thinking about how Fred and I got separated and how I ended up being a wife to Rocco who is now obviously cheating on me with his first love.Fred and I got separated because he cheated on me with my best friend and the same thing is happening again but this time with a man I vowed to love months ago even though I didn't mean to keep to the vow.I shouldn't have fallen head over heels for him but how can I not when he always acts so sweet and tells me how much he loves me?This isn't part of