only got one-word answers in response. Fine. Yes. No. Okay. Pretty sure she wanted to add fuck you to the end of each of them, but managed to restrain herself. I don’t get it. She does something wrong, and then she acts pissed off at me, like I’m to blame.”
“She’s deflecting. If she’s pissed off at you, she doesn’t have to look inward. But Bella’s a smart girl. She knows she was wrong.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sure you were no angel in college.”
“That’s the problem. I remember what I was doing at her age.”
Valentina smiled. “I skipped over the years of partying. I pretty much went from playing with dolls to having a real live one.”
After dinner, Val excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. While she was gone, I went over to the piano player and made a request. I guess he hadn’t had many because by the time she came back, he’d started to play my song: “Lady in Red.”
I stood. “Dance with me?”
“I’d love to. But I have two left feet, so I’m not responsible for any injuries.”
Even though it felt completely foreign to take a woman out on a date and ask her to slow dance, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hold Valentina close. We walked out to the dance floor, and I wrapped her tightly in my arms. She had one hand on my shoulder and the other clasped with mine.
“Did I mention how gorgeous you look tonight?”
“You did. I believe it was while you were looking down my dress.”
“I can’t help myself. I’m just so unbelievably attracted to you.”
She blushed. “Thank you. The feeling is mutual.”
I felt light—not just on my feet, but in my chest and in my mind. If someone had asked me a few months ago if I’d felt like I was in a dark place, I would have thought they were crazy. But we can adjust to almost anything—we start to be able to see in the darkness after a while, find comfort in it, even.
Val tucked her head into my chest, and we glided around the dance floor. It might’ve been the first time I was grateful my mother had forced me to learn how to dance. I felt content, swaying with this woman in my arms.
I knew Val needed to go slow, and even though I hadn’t had sex in a while, that was perfectly fine for me—this feeling was all I needed from her right now.
***
Bella’s car was parked in the driveway when we pulled up. She must’ve gotten off work early. “Do you mind if we check on Bella?”
“No, of course not. But…I’m dressed up. Maybe I should go change first?”
I shrugged. “It’ll just take a minute. She might not even be up.”
Val hesitated but eventually nodded. My sister was on the couch when we walked in, staring at the television. She looked back and forth between us and scowled at me.
“Hi, Val.”
“Hi.”
I shook my head. “You’re going to give me an attitude? Yeah, that makes sense. I was definitely in the wrong for driving to the Hamptons and bailing your ass out of jail. And I should never have stopped a half-a-dozen times so you could puke your brains out. Not to mention, checking in on you all night to make sure you didn’t choke on your own vomit. But sure, be pissed at me.”
Bella rolled her eyes. “Get over yourself. It was one time, and you were far worse at my age. You’re not Dad, and I’m over eighteen now, so you’re not even my legal guardian anymore. I can do what I want.” She whipped the blanket off and stomped to the bathroom. The door slam echoed through the room.
My blood was boiling. “She can’t be fucking serious. If she’s going to act like a ten-year-old and can’t even own up to her mistakes, I’m not so sure she belongs living by herself at college. I still control her finances, and I’ll drag her spoiled ass home.”
Valentina rubbed my arm. “She’s just embarrassed and lashing out.”
“She should be embarrassed.” I walked to the kitchen. “I need a beer. You want a glass of wine?”
“Sure.”
I poured her wine and motioned toward the back door. “Deck?”
She nodded, and I held the door open for her.
I drank my beer while leaning over the deck in silence, thinking.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Val eventually said.
I turned. The moonlight illuminated her face, and it hit me what an idiot I was. I’d killed the mood.
“I shouldn’t