A Touch of Sin |18+|

32

ALANI

The end of my shift didn't take long to arrive. I wish I could say that it went smoothly, but the opposite was to be expected in a bar filled with an intoxicated crowd.

The guards had to escort a few of them out, and I was left to deal with their friends who blamed me for their removal. Bullshit, honestly.

I was exhausted, and the nipping wind against my skin furthered my already sombre mood. However, as soon as Valerio pulled up to the parking lot, I forgot all about the incredibly shit day I had.

I grinned, so fucking happy to see him as I hoisted my handbag over my shoulder.

My smile dropped into a frown when I saw that Valerio wasn't in any better mood than me.

My immediate thought was that something happened between him and Alonzo.

I walked over to his car, opening the door and I sat in the passenger seat.

"Hey," I greeted, leaning over to give him a kiss. Valerio turned his head, pecking my lips once and I scowled at the hastiness of it.

I slumped down in the seat, not knowing if I should ask him what happened. He was clearly affected by it, but I chose the safer question instead.

"You okay?" I asked, watching him start the car.

"Yeah," he murmured, reversing out of the parking space. I had seen Valerio angry before, but in that moment he just seemed upset.

I gazed over his body to make sure that he wasn't lying to me, at least physically. Valerio wasn't tense, or gripping the steering. In fact, he was more relaxed than me but the solemn expression on his face was enough to arouse concern. He looked...defeated.

I opened my mouth to speak but Valerio interrupted me, and it wasn't hard to notice that he purposely changed the subject.

"How was work?" he asked, giving me a quick glance before returning his stare to the road ahead. It was dark out and we were heading in the direction of my home.

"The usual," I muttered, not wanting to go into detail about my terrible day. "Long. Exhausting. I'm just happy it's over."

Valerio nodded, and I bit my lip to stop myself from asking another question. I was curious, and worried about him. My main concern was Valerio being hurt by his brother when he mentioned visiting him, and the entire day I was hoping that I was wrong.

As I stared at the side of his face, I was afraid that I was right to be worried.

"Nobody fucked with you?" he asked, letting his hand rest on my thigh just for a second. The action was small, but I was so unbelievably grateful for it.

Valerio was going through his own shit, but still wanted me to know that he cared.

"The bouncers sorted it out," I answered, immediately missing the warmth of his hand. "Thankfully."

Valerio eyebrows scrunched into a frown, but I interjected before he could say anything.

"Nothing too major."

"Okay," he said quietly, nodding his head. "Good."

The atmosphere in the car changed to a contented silence, aside from the soft revving and the background music. Which I didn't mind. The peace was welcomed after being in a rowdy bar.

It took us a few minutes to reach my house, and Valerio came to a halt in front of the driveway. He made no other move, and I kept my fingers on the handle as I turned to him.