(okay i split this chapter in half after noticing a continuity error, fixing that and will post again tonight after work! thank you for your patience, as always--leave your comments!!!)
Val woke up on the floor next to the bed, utterly confused would be the understatement of the whole year. But at least she remembered most of what happened the previous night, which explained the blush on her face.
Though nothing came to mind when she attempted to remember why she had slept on the floor. Val sat up, her eyes wandered over the edge of the bed to her left. It was empty, and looked made––Rio must be in the bathroom then.
While she had a few moments to herself, her mind rewound to last night, their night. Considering how long that tension had built up, one week in a cramped hotel room was a long time to stay away from each other. She was shocked nothing had happened when they were in the apartment.
A memory drifted into her mind as she remembered his long fingers grazing the back of her throat after being inside of her. Her face blushed a deeper red and she pressed the back of her hands to her cheeks to cool them.
Before the memories of their hookup could get the best of her, she stood up from the ground, moving her thin blanket back to the bed.
Her head pounded and she suddenly remembered that she drank a whole bottle of merlot after eating a small dinner. She rolled her eyes at the dumb action, and winced when that caused a twang of pain.
As she scoured through her bag in the far corner for any medication, her thoughts made way for the worry and anxiety. Would things be different between them now? Would they go back to how it was before, skirting around the feelings and secrets that kept them at bay?
When she found the pill bottle and slipped her fingers in to grab at two, a memory nudged it's way to the front of her mind.
*************
She shook two pills out of the bottle, her hands unsteady causing the pills to fall to the ground. While tears gathered and blurred everything, she knelt down to pick up the mess.
Breathe in, breathe out.
"Stai bene?" [You okay?] His voice was soft as he knelt beside her to push them in a pile with her.
Val turned her head to meet Luca's eyes, he always came to check on her after a punishment. He regularly received just as many beatings from their employer as she had, if not more.
This time she had defied orders, direct orders to hit a small store on the edge of his turf. It was a family owned bakery, and they were short on their payment.
Her job was the same as usual, a quick and messy entry to shake the owners up. She would have her usual muscle men flanking her side, a snap of her fingers and they would break bones in front of her very eyes.
Val was tired of breaking people's spirits, literally, just for the greed of it all. So she said no, not as firm as she would have liked, but it was firm enough to warrant fire in his eyes.
"No?" He may have the smallest of smiles on his face, but Val knew better. He was enraged.
"Non posso farlo," [I cannot do that.] She held her head up high, her eyes not wavering from his.
"Non puoi o non lo farai?" [Cannot or will not?] The amusement slipped from his tone, she swallowed uneasily.
Val took a breath in, unsure of what her next words were knowing what his response would be. She slowly breathed out, if not now then when?
YOU ARE READING
COHABITATION
Fanfiction"Mami, you better know what you doin'," His raspy voice rang out against her lips. Val agreed to pay the boss of a gang back with a favor, what she didn't expect was for him to be her new roommate.
