Book 2: Finding Valentina

One Wing

"This sucks." Nate said throwing a ball of dried paint onto Artura's bed.

"I mean, everyone thinks I'm dead Nate, we cant just pop out tonight in a nightclub and tell people what? That I was resurrected?" She asked.

" But we have to celebrate!" Nate dramatically yelled.

"Maggie and my dad are making a dinner for us all." Artura said and looked at Nate motioning for him to cut it out.

I mean I understood why we couldn't go out but Nate didn't get it, he was still caught up in all the "Artura's Alive" commotion and didn't realize how much trouble Artura and probably her whole family could get into serious trouble, she could get arrested.

" Ok, ok, whatever. Steak dinner yay." Nate said sarcastically waving his arms around.

"It's not like I wanted to go out anyways." Artura said shrugging.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pulled it out and saw Marco's m=name displayed across the screen, I would be an idiot to answer my phone sitting right in Artura's face while she goes on and on about wanting to stay inside. I know well enough that if Marco knows anyone's voice he'd know Artura's, so I declined the call.

Surely enough he called  again and again and again.

"Hotline Bling over there." Artura said causing Nate to look directly at my  phone then to me.

"Oh, it's just Marco." I said as my phone vibrated abruptly then my screen lit up with a text from him.

Where are you? The fitting  is in 15 minutes!

"Oh shit!" I said jumping up off the couch.

Both Nate and Artura cut their conversations and jumped right up beside me, I had forgotten about the engagement party when Camilla had literally told me before I left the house earlier.

"What's wrong Danny?" Artura asked.

I looked up and she'd had that old protective face that I had missed all these years, her eyebrows pulled together and her lips frowning. I knew that this wasn't the Artura from high school and that she was more than in love with Luca but, what if she asks to come and Marco's feelings haven't changed or he actually really hates her and tries ruining her life to the point where she cant go back to London, where she is happy?

But I wasn't going to lie.

"Marco's tuxedo fitting is in like 15 minutes and the place is like 30 minutes away." I replied.

Her face went from worried to like, "Oh, that's it", and sat back down, Nate did so too, rolling his eyes.

" I'm shocked he even made you apart of the groomsman." Nate said.

"Only because Camilla forced him to, I'm really only doing this for her. The way Marco's been treating me I don't even want to be a part of the congregation for his stupid wedding." I said sitting back down.

"OK, but you still have a fitting to get to and only 12 minutes to get to it." Artura replied looking at her watch.

I groaned but pulled myself up and grabbed my keys from the floor.

"You coming?" I asked Nate.

"Of course not, I want steak." He said.

"We'll be back before the food is even ready, just come keep me company, the only other person that's going to be there that I know besides Marco that's going to be there is that blonde idiot I have for a cousin." I stated giving him puppy dog eyes.

"Nate just go, I'm going to leave in a while anyways because Luca's schedule changed so he's flying in, in about an hour." Artura said slipping into her house slippers and walking towards the door.