Bella Fortuna Read Online Free PDF

have heard me. No! Not my Michael. It was dark. I must not be seeing right. I stood up higher to get a better look. It was definitely Michael. He removed his mouth from Tracy’s and began kissing her neck. At this point, I was standing to my full height, forgetting that I wasn’t concealed anymore. I just kept staring at Michael. Aldo was right! He was acting just like every other guy would. I felt so stupid. Tears stung my eyes as they spilled down onto my face. I finally glanced over at Tracy, and my heart stopped. Her eyes met mine dead-on. Her lips turned up into the most wicked smile. She then lowered her head and kissed Michael. Her eyes shot open again while she was kissing him, staring right at me. I turned my head away and ran down the steps, not caring if Michael heard me. If he did, he didn’t care, since I didn’t hear my name and no one was chasing me.
    How could she? She knew how I felt about Michael. Besides Aldo, she was the only other person I’d confided in about my crush on Michael. She’d listened to me tell her how I hoped, some day in the future, we’d end up together. She had sympathized with me and even told me, “Don’t worry, Vee. He’ll be yours someday. He just needs to sow his wild oats before he comes to you.”
    Apparently, she was helping him sow those oats.
    I ran as fast as I could down the block to my house. All I could think of was Tracy’s twisted little smile as she stared at me. She looked happy that I’d caught them. She didn’t care that she’d just stuck a knife right into my heart. I could feel the pain pressing against my chest. I couldn’t stop crying. Why would my best friend do this to me? How could she?
    I got to my house. My mother was probably waiting up for me. I searched frantically in my purse for a tissue. Not finding one, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. I unlocked the door. There was a box of tissues on the foyer table. Pulling a few out, I patted my eyes. My reflection stared back at me in the hallway mirror. Pools of mascara swirled around my red eyes.
    â€œValentina! Tu sei? ”
    â€œ Si, Ma.”
    I ran into the bathroom down the hall, just as my mother entered the hallway.
    â€œSta bene?”
    Behind the bathroom door, the tears started racing down my face again. I knew if I answered right away, she’d hear the sobs.
    â€œValentina? You okay?”
    I flushed the toilet, trying to buy some more time. I quickly swallowed and turned on the sink.
    â€œYeah, Ma. I’m okay. Just had to use the bathroom really bad.”
    â€œYou have a good time?”
    Ugghhhh!!! No matter how many times I told my mother I couldn’t hear her well while I was in the bathroom with the water running, she always continued to have a conversation with me.
    â€œYeah, it was nice. I’ll tell you about it in the morning. I’m going to get ready for bed. I’m really tired. Did Baba go to sleep already ?”
    â€œ Si, si . He knew you were in good hands with Aldo. I did, too, but you know me. I still worry when one of you girls is out late. Ahhh! Va bene . Buona notte , fighita! ”
    Fighita had been my mother’s endearment for me since I was a kid. It meant “dear one” or “sweet one.” I started crying even more.
    I washed my face with cold water. Making sure my mother really had gone up to bed, I listened behind the bathroom door. Deathly still. I cracked the door open an inch. Only the nightlight was on near the stairs leading to our bedrooms. I took the stairs two at a time, which was hard to do in my snug dress, though not as snug as that tramp’s who was kissing the love of my life. As I passed my parents’ bedroom, light streamed from underneath their door. I could hear Ma’s low whispers as she prayed. Pausing for a moment behind her door, I tried to hear what she was praying about but was unable to. I began to raise my hand to knock