against all odds

chapter 10: underlying feelings

The model's blue eyes slowly opened as she thought for a moment. She could feel the heavy weight of exhaustion seeping into her bones from the long day. Getting to sleep in her own bed sounded really nice at the moment...

But so did being there for Juliana the moment she woke up.

Valentina quickly shook her head. "No, no. I want to be here when she wakes up...I don't think I'd be able to sleep anyways—I'd worry about her too much"

Lucia side glanced at Valentina with a sly smirk. "You really care about this girl don't you?"

The taller girl immediately felt heat rise to her cheeks, her eyes opening wide in surprise at Lucia's sudden question. She turned her face slightly away so her step-mother couldn't see.

What was she implying?

"Well—I just—she's really—I don't know what you're—UGH"

She stuttered out, feeling the blushing in her cheeks intensify with fluster. Her hands rubbed over her face and then through her hair as she heard Lucia slightly giggle beside her, though she refused to look at her.

Lucia placed her arm back over the young girl's shoulders.

"Valentina, it's okay. Juliana is a marvelous woman. It's okay if you have strong emotions for her—"

Valentina whipped around at the accusation, a red tinge still layered across her cheeks. "What? I never said that—"

Lucia put her hand up to shush the girl. "Valentina. I'm not blind and neither are you. It's been obvious since the day you saw her magazine cover in my office that you find this girl attractive-"

Valentina groaned from embarrassment beside her, her hands covering her face.

"Aaaand, that's perfectly okay." Lucia continued. She leaned in a little closer before saying, "between you and me, I think Juliana feels the same way"

Valentina's entire face went beat red. She felt like she could die from embarrassment as a groan escaped her mouth. She was silent as a million different thoughts raced through her mind.

Could she be right?

No. I don't like Juliana like that, she's just—I just—she protected me and that's all. I admire her work and, yes, I must admit that she's beautiful but that's all. Besides, I've never had feelings towards a woman like that before...

but the way Juliana makes me feel when I'm around her...the butterflies...her touch...

No.

Valentina immediately shook the thoughts from her mind. She turned back to Lucia with a meaningful look, her past annoyance and embarrassment gone.

"Lucia, honestly I don't have feelings for Juliana. She's just a good friend and I admire her work, that's all."

But a part of Valentina knew that was a lie as soon as the words came out, along with Lucia.

Lucia rolled her eyes with pursed lips before letting out a long sigh, not believing a single thing her daughter just said but deciding to leave it alone for now.

"Well I'm going to go to the cafeteria and see if they have anything good to eat, would you like me to grab you anything?" Lucia asked before standing.

Valentina's stomach grumbled at the thought of food. She nodded with a small smile, "Sí por favor, if they have gri—"

"Grilled cheese, yes I'll grab you one" Lucia continued for her, laughing at the childish needs of her grown daughter before turning and walking away.

Valentina sat in silence for a while as she waited for Lucia. After flipping through several magazines and playing with her phone (for what felt like several hours, though it was only a mere couple minutes), Valentina grew restless. Her mind couldn't help itself in replaying the events over the last two days.

Her lips formed into a small smile while thinking of all the sweet moments she had shared with Juliana. The way Juliana had grabbed her hand, instilling a comforting confidence in Val before talking to Lucho. How the small, darker brunette had fearlessly shoved Valentina out of harms way and protected her from potential abuse.

She recalled the way Juliana's small but sturdy frame felt against her own when she had helped her up in the bathroom.

She could feel the butterflies building in the pit of her stomach.

Their faces had been so close before that moment.

She touched a finger to her lips, remembering how it felt to have Juliana's light breath against them.

All of sudden her breath hitched in her throat with a gasp, her eyes going wide.

I kissed her on the cheek.

WHY did I kiss her on the cheek.

Without even thinking, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Juliana's other cheek; her lips lingering for a moment before slowly pulling away.

Her eyes instantly met dark brown. Juliana's eyebrows slightly furrowed and wary.

"W-what'd you do that for?" She asked.

Valentina blushed red. She looked down at her hands in her lap quickly before looking back up.

"Because I wanted to"

OH MY GOD. "Because I wanted to" What was that?! Why did I say that?! Why did I DO that?! Ughhh.

Valentina groaned to herself while rubbing her hands over her face.

I'm such an idiot. Maybe Juliana didn't think much of it. It was just a friendly kiss on the cheek...right? There wasn't anything mor-

"Here she is Ms. Valdés. Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be sure to inform you of anything new happening with your daughter"

"Gracias"

Ms. Valdés?

Valentina quickly looked up from her hands.

"You must be Miss Carvajal. Hi, I'm Juliana's mom"