Summer With Enzo

more than words

TRIGGER WARNING: There will be incidents spoken about in this chapter that may make some readers uncomfortable (i.e. non-consensual sex, sexual abuse, etc.) If you do not wish to read, then please do not read this chapter. You have been warned. 

Lorenzo Berkshire

"So where did you two end up going after the cantina last night?" Colette asks Valentina and me after we all sit down to have breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

"Yeah, we ran into Mateo on our way out, but he said that he hadn't seen us all night... Lorenzo, didn't you beat his ass?" Apollo crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. My eyes meet Valentina's worried gaze, but I give her a reassuring smile.

"Of course I beat his arse mate," I scoff, "he was probably so out of it he didn't even remember" I shrug nonchalantly.

"That's what I said!" Colette exclaims, but Apollo keeps his gaze on me for a couple more seconds before shaking his head and taking a sip of his coffee.

"After that, Lorenzo and I just decided to call it a night. Sorry we didn't go back to tell you two," Valentina says and then takes a bite of her chocolate croissant.

"At least that poor excuse of a guy got what he deserved," Colette's face grimaces in disgust.

"Can we just drop the topic?" Valentina says in a frustrated voice and we grow silent. Nobody spoke of the topic again, but I noticed that Valentina's mood changed when Mateo was brought up.

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"So you want us to try and paint each other on the spot?" I ask Valentina as we sit across from one another on a picnic blanket. There are watercolours scattered around us and we each have a small canvas in front of us, a paintbrush ready in our hand.

"Yes!" she smiles at me, "this will be cute and funny! I don't know about you, but I'm a master painter," she winks at me.

"Well, I happen to be quite the master-" I try to say my joke, but Valentina covers my mouth with her hand.

"Don't" she laughs and I lick her hand. She pulls her hand back with a squeal and blows a raspberry at me.

We start our paintings and I already know mine is horrendous. I've somehow managed to paint what looks like a cross between a house elf and a girl with long hair. Oh Merlin, I can't show her this.

"Okay! Are you ready?" Valentina's excited voice questions me.

"You have to promise you won't hate me after this," I warn her.

"I could never hate you," she smiles warmly at me. I sigh deeply and tell her I'm ready.

"Okay, on the count of three. One... Two... Three!" Valentina says, and we both turn our paintings around.

Immediately we both let out laughs that are louder than any mandrake I've ever heard. I look at the painting Valentina did and it looks like someone gave a child paint.

"I love it!" she exclaims as she reaches over to grab the canvas from my hand.

"You're joking right?" I ask her in disbelief.

"I'm not! It's so bad that it's so good, does that make sense?" her gaze lifts to meet mine and then back down to the painting, "plus, I think the resemblance is uncanny" she brings the painting next to her face and wiggles her brows.

"Well, I love yours too," I laugh as I grab her painting, "but I must say, I thought you said you were a master painter?" I raise a brow at her.

"Art is subjective," Valentina says and shrugs her shoulders. We both let out another laugh and put the paintings aside to fully dry. We lay beside one another, looking up at the clouds and calling out figures that we see.