• Toulouse, France •
"Welcome to the fam!" Dan fist-bumped their new guitarist and gave Yanniz a grin, then shook hands with the new guy.
Veronica put on a big smile for the newest member of their band and remotely fist-bumped with Yanniz through the camera. The video feed was lagging a bit but the audio was mostly clean.
Dan's phone camera was high-definition enough that she almost felt like she was still in New York with them. After a few meetings, they all settled with Yanniz, Dan's first bet and also their manager's choice.
It wasn't a permanent gig for the guy but at least they wouldn't have to keep looking for someone to assume Kyle's role during live shows in the next coming months.
"Thanks, guys. Real excited." Yanniz bowed a little and put his hands together, his shy smile partly showing his nice teeth. "Haven't been to Asia."
"G
•Avoiding him?All she'd been doing the past two hours was stay right next to him as if they were glued together, as if it was all she wanted to do all evening. She kept up the act to not cause any drama or direct any attention towards them. She didn't want to somehow steal the spotlight from the bride and groom-to-be."Could you just..." Veronica backed away from him and pinched the bridge of her nose, just so she wouldn't have to look at the judgement in his overly attentive blue eyes. Was it too much to try to have some alone time this evening?"If you don't wanna talk to me after this, just say so."Did he even listen to himself? He was such a walking contradiction she could hardly stand to look at his face. She held back a grunt and kept her head away from his. When Théo stepped closer to her, she felt
• Room 1209 •10:42PMThis would be another long night. No doubt.She wanted to call him and tell him to come back, but she knew he'd rather leave Toulouse and go home than spend another night with her. The growing guilt just left a bad, lingering taste in her mouth and an awful wringing sensation in her gut.She didn't want to hurt him or shove him out the door like that. But it was all she could do to keep herself from breaking down in front of him. So she pushed him away. She didn't want to end up looking like a pathetic drama queen weeping in front of him.Her pride was forcing her to shut off the urge, but a few tears still managed to escape. Veronica wiped them off in haste, ignoring the impulse to check her phone again. She even put in on silent mode before she went back to bed.It was
•An informant? Did he mean a paid spy? For that scary, seemingly dangerous guy named Leandro? "What do you mean?" Veronica leaned closer to Théo and looked him in the eye. She sat still on the bed, eager for more explanations. Her mind was back in overdrive, and now that he decided to open up to her, she felt like a heavy cloud of ignorance was lifted off of her. At last.Finally he was coming clean. He was giving her the answers she'd been waiting for. He was starting to trust her again. "Been working for the DEA for a while now. But just a side job." Théo looked away and clenched his fist on his thigh. She gawked at him. Good grief. Did he seriously mean he was a DEA informant? What the fuck? So he'd been spying on drug dealers and drug lords these past couple of years? Why didn't he mention a thing?"It's not something I could talk to you about." Théo paused after glancing at her reaction. "And I didn't want you to know. To keep you safe." He scoffed and faintly shook his head, a
•PDA was never her thing.But there was something in the way he held her hand, the way he talked to her, and the way he looked at her that surpassed her tendency to put up a brick wall every time someone showed more than friendly affection towards her.Then again, Théo wasn't just someone. He was "the one" she'd hoped to meet even before the word 'relationship' became a constant thought.As they waited in front of her mother's house, Veronica gave him a quick smile and let go of his hand, just so he wouldn't worry about her cold, sweaty palm or her ballooning apprehension.It felt close to a panic attack, like the last time. In fact it took her more than five minutes and two attempts to calm her thoughts during the entire drive. If Mick wasn't the designated driver and if he hadn't insisted that she and Théo should come along, she wouldn't even be here.&nbs
•"Oh! Oh. I get it now."Veronica turned off the stove and stacked the pancakes on the serving plate, minding the excitement in her brother's husky voice.He'd been drinking a lot last night, like her dad. Behind her, Mick chuckled and sat on the chair across from Théo. Mick's early morning puffy face matched his bedhead. His spiky short blond hair wasn't all over the place, though.Unlike her, her brother had always had straight and naturally blond hair. Sometimes it looked light brown, but now it looked dark blond, like Théo's. Veronica served the freshly cooked pancakes on the dining table and made a face at her brother's smirk. "What now?""You guys are the French-American version of Scott and Kourt," Mick replied loudly, his grin more teasing, ignoring her confused look.
•Théo smothered a yawn and took out a cigarette from the half-empty box on his nightstand, bored and feeling purposeless. Before he could resume watching the adult film he planned to waste his time with this morning, the door flew open and in came his best friend, freshly showered and clean-shaven with some of his damp hair on his pale cheeks."I'm in the midst of pleasuring myself and no—I didn't use the coffee pot. Get out," Théo shouted sooner than Tomek could open his mouth. Tomek barging in instantly distracted him from his idea of a momentary diversion."Believe it or not, the kitchen's fine." Tomek grinned for a second. "For now at least."Théo pulled a face. He'd even had better days back in Rome, that week when he almost got himself killed in a shootout, and now he could feel himself getting more stuck in a stretch of tedium. "What can I do you for?" he mumbled to his meddling best fr
•"Just call her," Tomek muttered to him, talking about Veronica, still.
•Tuscany, Italy •"You like it?"Théo smiled at the pretty brunette and gave a faint nod. He glanced around the new house, taking note of the young woman's sheer enthusiasm to survey every inch of the place.As they stood near the doorway, Anastasia's hand clasped his forearm in anticipation. Then she tugged him towards the pristine front room, all the while he tried to suss out the interior décor of the two-storey house.The plush L-shaped loveseats, the shiny coffee table, and the jet-black consoles all over the place looked like they were fresh from the furniture store.His eyes liked the monochromatic colors in the living room and the immaculately staged dining set. He liked the spaciousness and the cleanliness of the place, but the furnishings were too modernistic for his taste. "It's nice
° ° ° ° °She was an impostor.Out of all the things he’d imagined she was capable of…Faking someone else’s identity just wasn't on his Top 10. It just sounded so absurd. And pointless.Although, now that he had given it some time to stew ― give or take five hours ― the haze just cleared up in his head.Now he knew why she’d always seemed guarded, mostly reticent whenever he would ask about her family. She’d only given him bits and pieces over the six months they’d dated, and he thought it was rather suspicious, but it hadn’t occurred to him she was actually capable of a crime. She just didn’t strike him as the type.She had told him of her being a programmer and having worked for a telecoms company. He thought it was obvious and true, since she knew a lot about computers and technical stuff. Now that he’d come to think of it, he should’ve questioned her why sh
•••••••••Author's Note:Hi, friends and dear readers! ❤️☺️First off, thank you for checking out my books and for supporting the hardworking authors on this platform. Without you guys, we wouldn't be able to keep doing what we love doing.I hope you enjoyed reading about T and V's complicated lives, their personal struggles, family drama, their growth, and their rocky journey through adulthood together...Hopefully this story (it started out as a little fanfic btw) also made you believe in their undying 😂 love for each other through the years.(Sup, fiction lovers! SAY NO to insta-love! 😆🤭)Anyhoo! Hope you are all well and doing your best to stay healthy, happy, and keep living your best life! 😏👍Much love,M°[ Below is a snippet of the sequel I'm planning to write in the near future. Enjo
•"Sorry." Théo held her hand on his thigh. A comfortable silence lingered in the room. His calmer demeanor now seemed genuine and he kept staring into her eyes.Perhaps he was done trying to provoke another argument just for the sake of it. The mumbled apology was giving her the distinct impression that he really wanted to work over their issues now.The thought, although comforting enough, still didn't get rid of her doubts. Veronica kept still on the bed. "For?"Théo averted his eyes. He let go of her hand and gave her the flimsiest of shrugs. "I was being a dick.""And?" She hid a grin using her bangs."I just...rushed to judgment.""Okay.""How's your mom?"A little surprised by the question, she leaned closer to his lap and smiled at him, content with his short but earnest apology. &n
• Despite some misgivings, Veronica didn't push him aside or leave his bedroom. She didn't want to leave him yet. She came back here to do radio interviews and promo shoots, but Théo was the main reason she decided to hop on a flight to Paris. She hadn't seen him in months. More importantly, they had a lot to hash out: 1) Anastasia Valtieri 2) Everything that happened in Rome 3) The real reasons he went to Tuscany The list went on and on... But she didn't plan to stay the night here in the loft. They didn't have much privacy; Théo was still living with his best friends. The rest of the two-storey house seemed quiet, though. Where did Tomek and the guys go? "Why didn't you tell me you're gonna be here?" Théo leaned against the closed door with his arms crossed, eyeing her with a curious squin
• Paris, France • "How many times a month d'you gotta see your shrink?" "What?" "Like every week?" "As often as necessary." Théo glanced up from his phone after his best friend's question sank in, distracting him from composing a new message for his ex. Veronica just texted him an hour ago. After weeks of radio silence. It wasn't unexpected behavior from her, considering the circumstances the last time they saw each other in person. Why did she decide to reach out to him again? Just because his grandmother died? Or because it was almost his birthday? Perhaps both convinced Veronica that it was time to rekindle their friendship again. "You're paying for everything? Every session?" Tomek sat beside him and pouted, his pale hand clutching a can of root beer. "Or your insurance covers half at least?" Théo scoffed and almost laughed. "I wish." The a
• Disobeying a direct order. Obstruction of an investigation. Impeding the course of justice. Whichever was most applicable to his case, he had no choice but to face the music. His luck just kept running out lately. Saying he "meant well" wouldn't be enough for any of the big bosses, but at least his mother had his back this time. Well, somewhat. A judge might be more sympathetic, actually. Théo shifted on the hospital bed as he watched his mother wrap up another phone call. Perhaps her 20th for the day. Just part of her job. Like cleaning up after his mess. "Not like it's the first time," she would say. He most probably embarrassed her after what happened, but at least she showed up today. It must be just another debriefing. Or she only came over to reprimand him for disobedience and his defiant actions that almost ended in a vendetta.
•Nobody died. Two men from Leandro's group got shot in the arm and shoulder after some guy hiding in the old building pulled the trigger, but no one got killed.No horrendously violent shootout to report on the news. No casualties to count, investigate, autopsy, or bury. Hopefully no media coverage to worry about on the Internet, either.Théo's mother would take care of that issue. Most likely. Claudia seemed like she only needed to make a few phone calls to pull some necessary strings. Trying to find comfort in the thought, Veronica sat still behind the speechless driver. Her self-soothing attempts since they left the scene of the crime eventually got trumped by the sound of Alodia mewling in Raffaele's arms.Alodia sat in the backseat with him, sobbing uncontrollably for the past few minutes. The heart-wrenching noise filled the vehicle as they drove back towards
• "Aya! Don't even... Argh! Cazzo!" "No, Aya!" Veronica could only stand and watch as Raffaele ran after his pregnant girlfriend. He rushed out of the SUV the second Alodia started running for the tall gates. They were wide open, almost too tempting to ignore, which eventually convinced Alodia to step into the property amid the ongoing standoff. "Please don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Alodia kept screaming as her tears ran down her pale cheeks. "He's... He's not himself! Please! I'm begging you. Don't shoot him!" She was all eyes on Leandro while begging for the authorities to spare the guy's life. Before she could even reach the parking lot surrounded by Italian cops and their heavily armed tactical team, two taller guys clasped her arms, effortlessly holding her back, keeping her stuck and sobbing beside a police car. Raffaele didn't get that far. Three cops blocked his way before h
•About half an hour of begging and tears eventually granted her wish. Raffaele obviously hated to say yes to her request, but he gave in when she didn't stop pleading for him to take her to Castiglione.Such an impulsive decision on her part—a choice that might put her life in serious danger, but she just couldn't stay behind. Wait. Do nothing. No thanks. She had to be there. See Théo with her own eyes.This would be the last time she would be risking her own safety for him. Seriously. The last time. Her mother didn't even know she was back here in Italy, begging for help from strangers just to find her ex. Raffaele didn't treat her like a stranger, though. For the past 24 hours, he had been indulging her, consoling her, helping her to the best of his ability as though they were old friends.Did it mean he already forgave Théo? F