When I turn around again, it’s clear the mood of the evening has died. Guests are whispering to themselves as Antonio and Adriano help Gus to his feet, and towards the house.
“I’ll be right back,” Antonio says apologetically as he heads in, their mother following behind them.
“Valerie, dear, I'm so sorry about tonight.” She looks embarrassed, and I don't even know how to string words together to possibly reassure her that what happened here was okay, because, in reality, it isn’t. Nothing that happened here was normal or okay.
I say my goodbyes and head towards the foyer of the villa. Giggles and mumbles from nearby have my head snapping in the direction of the sound.
I peek my head around a wall to look down an empty corridor, except it isn’t empty.
Ambrose has a blonde pressed up against a table in the centre of it. They’re making out as if their lives depended on it. It seems quite intense from the way her fingers are gripping onto his hair and the way his hands are firmly holding her ass in place as he grinds into her.
I feel guilty for watching such an intimate moment, but for some reason, I can’t turn away. As if he can feel eyes on him, he looks up, and his deep green eyes lock with mine. They flash from worry to intrigue so quickly, that the first emotion might not have been there at all.
He raises an eyebrow.
Are you enjoying this?
It’s an unspoken question, but from the way his lip curves up into a smirk, I know he knows my answer before I even do.
His lips trail along her neck, and I swear for a split second, it feels like his lips are on my skin.
“Valerie?” My head snaps to see Antonio walking towards me. I take one final look at Ambrose, who simply winks at me before returning to his attempts of trying to suck the blonde's face off.
“Hey, I'm sorry. You don't have to leave if you don't want to,” he says, resting both hands on my shoulders.
“It's okay, my papá's surgery is tomorrow. I should get home to make sure he’s getting ready,” I say.
That, and I'm imagining the way your brother's lips might feel on my neck and I need to leave before I do something stupid like try and find out.
“Of course, let me give you a ride home,” he says, taking my hand in his. “What surgery is he having?” he asks as he opens my door, then jogs around to his own.
“A double hip replacement, with a few weeks between them,” I say and check my phone absentmindedly.
“Shit, that's a huge surgery, Val. Are you sure you're going to be okay with dealing with all that?” he asks, eyes shifting between me and the road.
“Yeah, it’s all good. His work has a medical compensation that covers the cost of most of the medical procedure and between the nurse and myself, we should be good to get him moving around.” I shrug it off as if it's nothing when in reality, I'm incredibly worried about how things are going to go.
All I know is I need to start looking at art curator jobs over the next few days to help cover rent and utilities while my father is unable to work.
We pull up into my driveway and Antonio sighs. “I want to apologise again for today. Things like that never happen, but I think with all the emotions of today, and some brewing tension, everyone exploded,” he says.
I offer him a small smile, “You shouldn't be apologising for something you didn't do. All families have their shit, yours just happened to result in a very public, very physical, fight.” I shrug and he nods.
“I guess you're right. Thank you for coming, though. It meant a lot to have you there today.”
“My pleasure, I may have been gone for quite a while, but if you ever need anything, I'm still your best friend and I'm still here for you.”
“Likewise, Val. Send your papá my regards.”
“Will do, get home safe,” I say as I close the door to his car and head inside.
The car drive did absolutely nothing to ice my skin which feels as if it's been set on fire since Ambrose looked at me. And the more Antonio apologised for his brother's doings, the more the image of him kissing that woman's neck plagued my mind.
Something is seriously wrong with my mind. I do not find Ambrose Vitale attractive. More importantly, I do not find my best friend's brother attractive.
Chapter six
Valerie