𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗

VI

ALESSANDRO moved into my place a week after talking about it. Though, right when he moved in Jeremy hadn't called me anymore. He had called me every day up until the move-in, from different numbers and my house phone too.

I didn't change much of my schedule even knowing Jeremy was around. I was careful, yes, but Alessandro hadn't left me alone for a second and I didn't feel much of a reason to be scared.

Plus, if Jeremy killed me he'd need to be up close and personal to do it. He's too much of a sadistic psychopath to have someone else do it or do it from afar.

"Valentina," I felt a rush of air in my lungs when my eyes opened abruptly from the dream I was having. Alessandro was standing on the other side of the door, knocking loud enough for me to hear. "Valentina? I'm coming in."

He opened the door with a cup of ice water. I looked over at the time - 3:25 am - before putting my hands over my eyes and groaning softly.

"Same nightmare?" I shook my head after he put the glass of water on the nightstand. Only the second night of him sleeping here and it's already like we've established a routine; I wake up in the middle of the night fearful, Alessandro asks what's wrong, gets me water and usually goes back to his room when it seems like I don't wanna talk.

But now it feels like my brain is too clouded not to talk about this.

"No, this one had our baby and I was trying to get to them in the house before Jeremy could and I.." I exhaled deeply just to catch my breath. "I didn't make it. I don't want to have these every night."

Alessandro sucked his tongue when I took the water and gulped down half of the glass. He sat on the bed, his pajama pants folded at his weight while the sliver of moonlight shunned his tattooed chest.

"Have you thought about what you wanted to do?" I leaned against the headboard after putting the glass back on the nightstand. "I know this whole thing is making you stressed and if the baby is making you more stressed, you don't have to go through with it."

I rubbed my eyes before shaking my head. "I wanna keep it, I know it's a lot but if anything I think we could make a nice life for him or her. Maybe I'm just talking nonsense because of the dream."

Alessandro removed his slippers and moved up on my bed. My hands moved to rest in my lap when he lay on his side next to me.

"We can always come back to it in the morning but are you sure you want to keep it? I told you I'm 100% in whatever you choose," his eyes lingered on my face until I looked away. Admittedly I couldn't look at him because the light, or lack of it, was doing him real justice right now.

"Yes, I'm sure. Honestly, I've been researching a lot and the pros outweigh the cons for me," my phone began to vibrate against the desk while my ringtone loudly rang. I reached over, grabbing it to see an unknown number lighting up the screen. I declined the call and shut off my phone immediately after.