Inferno by Laura Marie

Author:Laura Marie [Marie, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-04T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

I couldn’t avoid Valentina forever. I still saw her every day at school. We didn’t talk or anything, but she was there. And I did miss hanging out with her. We weren’t close friends the way I was with Chloe, but we were friends who had something in common. And since we were both witches and I was still trying to find my feet, I didn’t want to stop being friends with her.

After a while of not spending time together, I couldn’t quite remember why I had thought it would be better if we didn’t spend time together, anyway. Shit had gone wrong, sure. But it wasn’t like it was her fault if I couldn’t control myself.

I knocked on her door on Saturday morning, and a woman answered. She had dark hair, hazel eyes and a smile that was soft and gentle. I had never met any of Valentina’s family before.

“Hi. I’m Emily. Uhm…is Valentina home?”

The woman nodded and turned into the house.

“Valentina!” she called.

When Valentina appeared, she smiled.

“Thanks, Chrissy,” she said to the woman, who disappeared. She grinned at me. “I was wondering when you were coming to hang out again.”

Just like that. As if nothing had happened. As if everything was okay.

And I guess it was.

“Was that your mom?” I asked. She hadn’t called her Mom.

Valentina shook her head. “It’s my guardian. Don’t ask.”

I desperately wanted to ask. I wanted to know why Valentina had a guardian and not a mother who lived here. I wanted to know why her home situation was so weird, why she was always alone at home and at school. But she said not to ask, so I didn’t.

“So, what are we doing today?” Valentina asked. “The Beach?”

I shook my head. I would have liked to go there, but Chloe had been pissed about it, and I kind of understood that.

“We can hang out at my place if you want,” I said.

Valentina crinkled her nose. What was wrong with my place?

“Let’s go to the mall,” she said.

“It’s tourist season.”

“So? I love it when it gets so busy. I can watch people all day long.”

It was the exact opposite of what had happened when I was with Chloe. And if Valentina were this happy about crowds, she wouldn't freak out. So, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. I hadn’t been to the mall since I’d been there with Chloe, and I did love shopping.

“Okay,” I said.

I took out my phone and texted my mom, telling her where I was going to be, while Valentina ran inside to get her bag.

“Ready,” she said when she returned, and we left the house.

The mall was even more packed than before, if that was possible. There were people everywhere, bodies pressed against each other, the general pace slow because the crowd dictated it. Valentina and I walked to the side where we could see the shop windows and turn out of the stream if we wanted to.

And I enjoyed it, I had to admit. With Chloe, I had been stressed about her all the time and unable to enjoy myself.

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