Page 74 of Kissing Games
Her brother looked back at her, his dark eyes crinkled with concern. ‘Tina, you know how much we love you, right?’
The unease turned into panic. Where was this going? She nodded.
Her brother sighed. ‘Chica, this dream of yours. You’ve been talking about it since you were a little kid. I know it comes from a good place, I do. But we thought you’d have let it go by now.’
Shards of ice pierced her heart. ‘W-what do you mean?’ she stammered. ‘What are you saying?’
Her brother passed his hand over his face. He looked tired, as if carrying the world on his shoulders. ‘Tina, this is your dream, not ours. I’m so sorry, chica, but we don’t want to move to America.’
Valentina felt like she was falling. ‘What? Who? You and Maria?’
Her brother shook his head. ‘All of us. None of us want to come.’
* * *
Charlie heardthe bang and scream from his room. He ran down the corridor and pushed open Valentina’s door. She was kneeling on the floor, howling, her tablet smashed in the empty fireplace.
He’d never heard anyone make sounds like she was, like it was the end of everything. What the fuck had happened? He knelt behind her, checking to see if she’d cut herself.
Shauna rushed into the room. ‘What happened? Is she okay?’
‘I’ll handle it,’ he replied. ‘Could you please stand outside the door for ten minutes and tell anyone else who comes along to fuck off?’
Shauna hesitated, her eyes moving to her watch, then nodded and shut the door behind her.
Charlie cradled Valentina, moving her onto his lap, rocking her back and forth. She was gasping, saying his name.
He shushed her. ‘It’s okay, Valentina. I’m here.’
Her howls turned into sobs. He could hear footsteps outside the room and Shauna’s voice as she sent people away. Eventually Valentina went quiet and still. The only sign of life was the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. Charlie held her, stroking her back as she huddled in his arms.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered.
He kissed the back of her head. ‘There’s nothing to be sorry about.’
‘Yes, there is. I was horrible to you.’
‘No, Valentina, I was a dickhead. I’ve no right to say anything about your life. I should have kept my big mouth shut.’ She started crying again. The sound broke his heart. ‘Hey, hey, don’t cry, love.’
She crawled out of his arms and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He could hear her blowing her nose, then running the taps. He checked the floor for any splinters of glass.
When she returned, he held up the smashed tablet. ‘Let me guess, Vlad got your number and rang you from the toilet?’
She tried to smile, but then compressed her lips together as if trying not to cry again. She sat on the floor, wringing her hands in her lap, too far away for him to put his arm around her.
‘My brother, Manny, rang me this morning. He told me…’ She broke off, breathing heavily, her eyes raised to the ceiling.
Charlie waited, his stomach filled with lead.
Her gaze moved to the floor. ‘He told me none of them want to move to America.’
Charlie shuffled forward and put his hand on her knee. She’d spent her life working for this dream. It was so real to her she couldn’t allow herself to question it. He felt for her family too. How awful it must have been to finally burst her bubble.
‘He said they were all happy where they were. He told me they couldn’t talk to me about it. That I wouldn’t listen.’ She looked at him, lost and desolate. ‘What have I done with my life, Charlie? What do I do now? My family doesn’t want to be with me.’ Her voice broke.
‘That’s not true. They love you. Why don’t you speak to Isabella, your mum, your abuelas?’
She shook her head. ‘I’m too angry. I’ll just say all the wrong things and make it worse. And anyway…’ She indicated the smashed tablet.
