Page 42 of Anastasia

I was grateful for Valentino. However, I was perplexed. Everything I felt for him was creating an unknown feeling in my heart. There were no longer any need to deny it. I could tell he cared for me as well, but he was stubborner than I was.

He turned abruptly, only to catch me staring. I quickly shifted to look outside the window. His hand came down to my thigh, where he lightly soothed my skin by rubbing up and down. It wasn’t sexual, it just felt endearing.

After a moment of thinking long and hard if I should do this, I decided to just go for it. I reached down and laced my fingers with his. My head was turned toward the window looking out, so I wouldn’t have to catch Valentino’s expression. I knew he probably was disgusted, but I was glad he didn’t pull away.

I didn’t need words to know he wanted to stand by me because his actions proved everything I needed to know. Valentino allowing me to hold his hand was proof there were feelings. He wasn’t the type of man to allow a woman to hold his hand. He seemed to hate romance as much as he hated when I challenged him.

Finally, I gained enough courage to look at him. His eyes met mine, a beautiful, dazzling smile danced on his lips. I could feel my heartbeat slow down.

Holding his hand meant so much more to me, and I just hoped he realized it. I broke eye contact as I decided to just look out the window for the rest of the ride. The scenery slid by as Valentino drove. I found myself loving the trees and all the nature that was showcasing its beauty.

There were no more words exchanged, but he never pulled away, either.

When we finally pulled up into the rehabilitation facility, I quickly got out. Valentino was behind me as I made my way to the front office. The receptionist already knew who I was as her face instantaneously melted from a smile into a frown.

“Miss Smith,” she greeted.

I watched as she quickly logged my name onto the sign-in sheet, turning the clipboard over to me so I could sign my signature once she had done her part.

“How is Mum?” I asked as I signed my name. I was awaiting her reply, but when I didn’t hear one, I looked up at her in confusion. Her eyes were on Valentino, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

“Hello?” I demanded.

She shook herself out of her daze before bringing her attention back to me. The woman better have been glad I wasn’t the jealous type, or I would’ve been a lot ruder.

“I am so sorry, that was incredibly unprofessional of me. She’s doing okay, and she has been asking about you for a while. The doctors have her under suicide watch, so she’s under intense monitoring,” she explained.

Her eyes moved over to Valentino briefly before quickly coming back to mine. I looked over at Valentino, who seemed busy as he talked on the phone in Italian. He sounded angry.

“Okay, thank you. Where is she?” I asked.

She ducked down to her computer screen where she began to type something into it.

With a small expression of accomplishment on her face, she glanced over at me. “Room forty-five. It’s just down the hall.”

“Thank you,” I said, and then turned to look at Valentino once more.

The moment his eyes met mine, he hung up his phone and made his way toward me. Biting down on my lip, he placed his hand on my waist, causing that same butterfly-feeling to spread within me.

“My mum is down the hall,” I told him, taking a deep breath.

He nodded his head slowly before looking over at the receptionist, who was still staring at him.

“Can I help you?” he asked her.

I turned to look at her as well, only for her to quickly look down at the computer as if she hadn’t been caught gawking.

“Come on,” Valentino said.

I walked with him down the hall, looking at the room numbers as we wandered. The closer we got to the number forty-five, the more nervousness seemed to seep into my mind. I didn’t know what to expect. I feeling so many things, but I knew I couldn’t express any of it.

Once again, my instinct that seemed mother-like, was bombarding my heart. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t the parent—I was the daughter.

Finally, we reached her door. “I’ll be right here,” he stated. I nodded my head, pressing my lips against his cheek, and then pulling away to open the door.

The sight of my mother wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. Her arms were covered up with bandages, making me draw the conclusion she had tried to cut her wrists. I tried my best not to tear up as I walked in. Her eyes were quick to meet mine, quickly becoming glassy with tears.

“Nana!” she cried. I walked up to her and wrapped my arms around her thin frame as she cried into my shoulder. My hand rubbed up and down her back pleasingly, allowing her to let out all of her tears.

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