Page 189 of Valentino

I jump awake with a start.

My heart hammers, and I gasp for breath as my eyes fly around, the room is silent. Untouched and normal.

Fuck.

I drag myself out of bed, stagger out into the kitchen and stand at the kitchen sink. My chest heaves as I stare out the window at the twinkling lights of Milan way down below.

I close my eyes to try and block it out.

Darkness….

I can feel it swirling up from the depths of hell as it slowly takes me over.

Every hour, I lose a little more of my light.

Of her….

“Just hurry up and take me,” I murmur. “I’m fucking done.”

ANNA

The elevator rises slowly; I watch the dial while reconsidering my life choices.

What are you doing here, Anna?

I don’t even know, only that I had to come.

The reasons are many, and I could tell myself a million lies as to why.

I know this will be the last time that I’ll get to release the poison that’s burning a hole through my chest.

The elevator doors open and I step out into the large foyer area, I walk up to the nurses’ station. “Hello, can I help you?” a woman asks.

“I’m here to visit someone,” I tell her. “Is there a directory of the patients’ rooms?”

“I can help you with that,” she replies. “What was the name?”

“Carlo.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Carlo Bernetti.”

She looks down over her list. “Oh, I’m sorry. Carlo has been transferred to the intensive care unit.”

“Where is that located, I’ll visit him there?”

“He’s….” She shakes her head. “He’s too unwell for visitors, his health has taken a turn for the worse.”

I blink.

“He’s now in a critical condition,” she tells me. “And under police guard. He isn’t permitted any visitors.”

“Oh.” I frown. “What….” My mind goes blank again.

No, this is not how it was supposed to go.

He can’t die, not before I tell him how much he’s ruined my life. How much I hate him for it.

“Is there anything else?” She interrupts my thoughts. “Miss?”

I glance up, realizing that I’ve been standing here completely zoned out.