Page 1 of Waiting Game

Chapter 1

Back Then…

Valerie

Ionly dared to open one eye so I could sneak a peek as my door cracked open.

“Come on,” Antoni whispered.

I threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, already fully clothed.

For hours, I had been dressed and ready to go. I had been lying in bed awake and staring at the ceiling, waiting for the signal from Antoni that our parents were finally asleep. I shoved my feet into my sneakers and fumbled in my rush, causing my second shoe to fall to the floor with a thump.

“Quietly,” Antoni hissed.

We both froze. Standing completely still and listening.

There was no indication that our parents had heard, so I slipped into my second shoe and followed Antoni out into the dark hall.

We tiptoed out of the back door by the kitchen, and Toni closed it behind us gently. We both ran through the large garden, springing through the flowers and ferns that had submitted to us over time, causing a path to form in between the scrub from our frequent escapes.

We only hoped that the gardener wouldn’t mention it to Mum.

Our house was quite a far way back from the road, but I could already spot the noisy white truck idling on the other side of the street, and I smiled.

We ran towards it, with Antoni falling back and checking over his shoulder constantly - never wanting to let down old Mummy.

I didn’t care quite so much. I could hardly be in any more trouble than I was already.

Just being me seemed to be enough to piss off the parents.

Antoni, The Golden Boy - not so much.

I got to the car first and reached out for the handle to open the passenger side door before Antoni grabbed me by the wrist.

“In the back,” he scolded in a hushed tone.

“Why can’t I ride in the front with Ren?” I complained.

“It’s inappropriate, Val. It’s bad enough that I’m sneaking you out, if Dad knew that there were other boys involved we’d both be dead. Get in the back,” he snapped again.

I rolled my eyes but obeyed.

Antoni was overly protective, and just like our parents, wouldn’t want me to do anything to embarrass the Santino name.

I went around to the other side of the car, and hopped into the backseat behind Ren.

“Hi,” I whispered. He smiled at me through the rear view mirror as Antoni slid into the front seat. Larissa was already in the back seat too with an irritated expression that perked up immediately when she saw Antoni.

“Hi, Toni,” she smiled, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck from behind the front seat as he put his seat belt on. I rolled my eyes.

Larissa and I were not friends, as much as it was forced on us throughout our childhoods.

She was Ren’s little sister, and when she found out that we had been sneaking out, she demanded to be invited or she would rat us out to our parents.

Larissa had always been like a little puppy dog when it came to Antoni, and was madly infatuated with him. He didn’t entertain it, and tried his best to avoid her altogether.

We drove as Larissa chatted, babbling to Antoni about the two boys at school who were fighting over her. We exited the bright lights of the city and the inside of the car grew dark. Almost on cue, a hand stretched back, sliding between the driver’s seat and the door. I smiled, angling myself so I could lean forward and grab it.

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