Page 155 of Valentino

Hi Anna,

It’s me.

My eyes widen, oh my God.

Carlo.

He must have had it put into my jacket in the club, my hands fly over my mouth.

But how….

My heart races as I stare at it in my hands, do I reply, the consequences of him doing this are insurmountable…. If he can get a phone to me…he could take me, or something much worse.

What do I do?

Bang, bang, bang sounds at the door, the loud and angry knock scares the hell out of me and I fumble the phone, it drops onto the floor.

“Anna,” Valentino calls from the other side.

Panicked, and unsure what to do, I scramble to pick it up and slip it back into my pocket. “What do you want?”

We’re already fighting, I don’t want to fight about this too. If he knows Carlo is still trying to contact me he’s going to go fucking postal.

“Why is the door locked?” he calls. “Open up. I want to talk to you.”

Fuck.

My heart thumps hard in my chest, I need to think about this before I react.

“I’m going to bed,” I call.

“Do you want a cup of tea?”

I close my eyes, willing myself to act calm. “No thanks, I’m going to turn in, I’m tired and emotional and I don’t want to fight with you tonight.”

Silence….

I can feel him still waiting on the other side of the door and my heart is in my throat as perspiration dusts my skin.

“Good night,” I call. “Just come to bed when you’ve calmed down. We can talk in the morning.”

“Fine,” he eventually sighs, I hear him walk back down the hall and I walk into the bathroom, lock the door and stare at the phone in my hands, what the hell do I do now?

I shower and get into bed, Valentino is out in the living room, and I don’t know what’s going on but he’s been on the phone and pacing the length of his balcony for over an hour, he’s going off his brain at someone.

Who, I just don’t know.

Something has happened, something that has really knocked him.

But you know what, that isn’t my fault. He had no right to treat me the way he did tonight.

I don’t want Carlo to come between us ever again.

Eventually he comes into the room, without saying anything he disappears into the bathroom, and I hear the shower turn on. Does he think I’m asleep or was he just ignoring me?

I lie in the darkness with my mind in overdrive, I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but I want to make him feel better. I don’t want us to fight over stupid things that don’t matter.

I sit up and flick the bedside lamp on; I’m determined to turn this night around.