Chapter 58 Secret
In the warmth of Valeria's bedroom, we continue where we left off yesterday: watching the series we haven't finished. With a mug of hot chocolate in our hands, we put our attention on the TV screen. There, it's finally revealed that the girlfriend, Liliana, has been cheating on her boyfriend of five years, Isaac, with her neighbour, Daniel. She's currently on a date with Daniel and doesn't know that Isaac is in town, watching Liliana with Daniel from afar. He confronts them both and then breaks up with her right on the spot.
"I can't believe she really cheated on him after all he did for her," Valeria says.
"I knew it! Daniel acted strangely when he met with Isaac at the supermarket and the cafe. And Liliana always looked like she was hiding something when she was with Isaac. Ugh, she sucks for cheating on him," I say and then take a sip of my hot chocolate, tasting the perfect sweetness and warmth of the beverage.
"How about you? Will you cheat on my brother?" Valeria asks.
Gosh, Valeria. You're a straightforward one, aren't you? How do I even answer it? I like Antonio, but knowing the uncertainties with his family's relationship with the Romanos, I don't want to let myself like him that much. Why am I even thinking about this? Why am I even considering Antonio as my real boyfriend? Our relationship is nothing but fake. Besides, I like Dante more, so Antonio is nothing but a crush now. Yes! That's it! It's just a crush. My feelings for him won't last very long. Yes. Once we figure out the Ricci's hidden intentions, I won't even give Antonio a single glance.
"Of course not. He doesn't deserve it. This is the worst-case scenario, but if I end up not liking him anymore, I'd tell him right away and break up with him before getting into a new relationship," I say.
"Good. If you cheat on him, you're gonna have to deal with me," Valeria says with a scowl. I know she's only joking, but I feel like it could be a threat, too. For now, what's important is to act carefully when I'm around the Ricci. I can't let them know I don't actually want to be with Antonio after all that has happened between us. I need them to believe that I've fallen into their trap.
"I won't. I promise," I say.
"Okay. I'll take your words for now," Valeria says, nodding in satisfaction. She takes a sip of her hot chocolate and then puts down her mug as her eyes widen in remembrance of something. I wonder what that's about.
"I have something to tell you," Valeria says.
"What is it?" I ask. Is it going to be yet another lie to pull me deeper into their trap? Or am I just being too paranoid and thinking of everyone as my enemies? Well, I mean, we do have proof that the Ricci might be rooting for my family's downfall with the Romanos. It's better to be cautious than to trust them right now, no matter how kind they're trying to look in front of me.
"So, Antonio's birthday is next week if you haven't known it yet," Valeria says.
"I actually didn't know. Thanks for letting me know. Are you going to celebrate his birthday? Give him a surprise party, maybe?" I ask.
"We're planning on surprising him. He hates big parties, so it'll be just us and our family," Valeria says.
So, we're going to surprise Antonio next week. I can't believe I didn't know about his birthday until now. I should've asked him or someone about it. I don't know why, but things are starting to get suspicious. I mean, how could Antonio and I have the same mindset and personality? Why does he hate big parties just like me? There's no way it's just a coincidence. Everything he said to me so far just feels way too relatable. There's no way our relationship is not a trap for my family.
As for his birthday, I definitely should come to his birthday. I was thinking of getting some rest, but there's no rest for the wicked, I guess. If I don't, everyone will get suspicious. Considering I'm Antonio's girlfriend now, it will be weird if I'm not there to celebrate one of his special days, won't it? So, whether I like it or not, I should still come to his birthday party. Just for the sake of convincing the Ricci of Antonio's and mine growing relationship.
If we're going to throw a birthday party for Antonio, I wonder if I should get myself involved in planning the surprise. I'd rather let the Ricci handle it, but if they need my help, I have no choice but to oblige. Being involved in the plan gives me a good look at the Ricci. As for Antonio himself, what should I give him? Oh no. All I can think about now is giving him books or video games, but that would be too basic. I need to give him something special. Something that'll surprise him, like how he did with the gun he gave me. Maybe Valeria will give me an idea of what to give him.
"Oh no. What should I give him? I'm not sure about what he likes other than books and video games," I say.
"I'm sure he'll like anything you'll give him, but if you want something that'll leave a lasting impression, give him something handmade. He's a sucker for handmade stuff, no matter how ugly or simple it is. If you haven't noticed it, there's an ornament on his desk in his bedroom that I made years ago with clay. It's kind of like a tiny vase, but totally crooked, and he still cherished that gift," Valeria says.
"Really? I need to see that later. You know, for reference," I say, grinning at her. Valeria's face turns red, and then she grips onto my arms with her threatening gaze.
"Don't. It's ugly. Just give him anything. He'll accept anything that comes from you and treasure it for the rest of his life," Valeria says.
Something handmade, huh? I need to figure it out later. I need to put in an effort so everyone will believe that I'm actually into Antonio and serious about our relationship. I need to convince everyone that Antonio's and my relationship will last a long time. We'll probably break up in a month once we've gotten more information about the Ricci and the Romanos' relationship, so yeah. It absolutely won't last that long.
"For now, just keep this a secret. He probably already knows we're planning something for him, but we still need to try to surprise him anyway, don't we?" Valeria says.
"Okay, I will. When's his birthday? I need to know the specific day so I can prepare a gift for him days before," I say.
"It's on Friday. I'll give you more details about the surprise in a few days," Valeria says.
Alright. I have to be prepared for Friday. I'll just act like I usually do with Antonio, being kinda lovey-dovey with him. Ugh. Just thinking about acting like I'm in love with Antonio gives me the ick and worry. I don't want Dante to think of it the wrong way. After I confessed to him that I kinda like Antonio, he probably thinks I'm not really acting when I'm around Antonio. And now that I think about it, sometimes it does feel like I'm not acting. It's stupid of me to let my feelings get ahead of me. What should I do to keep myself away from falling harder for Antonio?
"Is there anything I can do to help with the preparation?" I ask.
"Don't worry about it. We'll manage, but if you do want to help out a bit, I'll let you know about what you can do," Valeria says.
"Alright," I say.
Birthday party. I can't lie but I didn't expect I'll get to spend more time with the Ricci so soon. Next week, I won't really think about how to get information out of the family. I'm tired and need some rest, so I'm just going to try to enjoy the party with the enemies. No thoughts about work for next week. I'm just going to let myself celebrate Antonio's birthday. It's not like we can dig out information while we're celebrating his birthday anyway. Everyone will definitely be busy celebrating to think about work, unless they're too much of a workaholic. I'll expect that from Fabio and Mariano, but the others? I don't think so. So, let's just do nothing a party for a bit. I'll try to not worry about Fabio and Mariano too much.