A Shadow of Guilt - By Abby Green Page 0,66

cut it. The lines of his face were unbearably stark and she recalled his bleakness when Misfit had been dying. She recalled the flare of hope dying in his eyes.

She stopped a few feet away from the railing and as if sensing her presence he looked right at her and the air flew out of Valentina’s lungs. It was like a punch to the gut and the thought reverberated in her head: How on earth did I think I could live without this?

Gio’s eyes widened and his mouth opened. And then everything seemed to happen in slow motion…. As he mouthed her name—Valentina—she heard the intense yapping of a dog and saw a flurry of movement to her right as someone burst into the enclosure, clearly chasing the small terrier dog who had no business being in this area.

People started shouting as the dog ran between the horse’s feet, barking energetically. Gio’s eyes were still on her though, with a kind of sick fascination, as the horse reared high and his front hoofs caught Gio on the chest, knocking him backwards. There was a sickening crunch as Gio’s head hit off the railing behind him and then he was inert on the ground.

Valentina was unaware of moving; she was only aware of kneeling beside Gio’s supine form and holding his head in her lap, his face deathly pale. She took one hand away from the back of his head and it was covered in blood.

She wondered who was screaming hysterically for an ambulance and only realised it was her when someone put a hand on her shoulder and said, ‘It’s here.’

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘HE’S AS STABLE as can be. He was lucky that his skull wasn’t fractured and that his ribs are just badly bruised. He’ll be in a lot of pain for a couple of weeks.’

‘OK, thank you.’

The doctor looked kindly at Valentina. ‘You should go home and get cleaned up. The sedative will have knocked him out for a while.’

Valentina smiled but it felt brittle. ‘I’m fine, I’d like to stay.’ The doctor eventually shrugged and left the private Palermo hospital room. Valentina had asked them to call Gio’s mother but they’d been told that she was away on a short trip. Yet another stark reminder of Gio’s isolation which had made her heart bleed.

Valentina turned back to the man lying on the bed. He was covered by a sheet from the waist down, but he was naked from the waist up, with strapping around his chest where his ribs had been injured.

A white bandage was around his head and his face was still almost as white as the bandage. Valentina felt tears burn her eyes again and she went back to the chair beside the bed.

He looked so young and defenceless like this. Sniffling and wiping at the tears that just wouldn’t stop, Valentina took Gio’s nearest hand in hers. It was completely lifeless. She bit back the surge of panic and reassured herself that the doctor had said he’d be fine.

A lock of hair had fallen down over the bandage on his forehead and Valentina reached up to push it back. The feel of the silky strands under her fingers made them tremble and she quickly clasped his hand again in both of hers.

Somehow with Gio here like this, not looking at her with that distant expression, it was easier to start talking….

‘Gio,’ she whispered, ‘I know you can’t hear me but I need to tell you something—a few things actually. And I know I’m being a coward when you can’t hear me….

‘The thing is, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to tell you when you can look at me and see me for what I really am … and then watch you turn your back on me. I don’t think … I could survive that.’

Valentina took in a deep shuddering breath and focused on his mouth. ‘The thing is that I love you too. I’ve loved you for so long, Gio—far longer than I ever admitted it to myself.’ Her voice dropped even lower. ‘I remember being seventeen and wanting you so much, craving your attention and yet being scared witless of how you made me feel.’

Valentina smiled a watery smile. ‘You and Mario together … you were so dynamic, full of life. He never could quite keep up with you but yet he never resented you for it. I think he felt accomplished enough in his own way, separate to you.

‘There’s something though that I