(Lisa's POV)
My memories of being with Valin paled in comparison to the real thing. I had begun to underestimate how insatiable he could be.
He did not seem satisfied until the evening of the following day.
That damned Afarion stamina.
He held me in his lap, his face nuzzling into my neck, leaving light kisses.
I began worrying... because I wasn't sure if I could handle another round.
"It should be in the news soon," he began.
I was still brain-dead from exhaustion, so I breathlessly asked,
"What?"
He lifted his head to meet my eyes, and I felt my heart melt instantly when he blessed me with his smile. I missed him so much, even more than I realized...
"The peace treaty announcement between Infaniya and Afaria. This war of ours has been going on for over one thousand years, and Earth has always been caught in the middle."
Before he had finished speaking, I started to cry. He noticed right away and wiped my cheeks to clear away the tears.
"Are you that happy?" he asked.
I nodded rapidly, causing Valin to chuckle, and then he laid his lips on mine.
"I was so worried... because of the kill-on-sight law for Afarions... I didn't like you being an outlaw just for being born."
Valin snorted, stifling a laugh.
"There was never a need to worry about me. I wouldn't say I like fighting... but I am very capable of protecting myself."
His voice sent shivers through my body, and once he was finished speaking, he returned to sucking on my neck.
I moaned and squeezed my eyes shut.
I should stop him...
While I was still thinking of what to say, his hand began massaging my inner thigh.
"I... believe you... I wouldn't be surprised if you turned out to be a super amazing person on Afaria," I muttered.
Valin licked me, then rubbed his fingers against my most sensitive spot.
"W-wait! I don't think I'll last another round... I need to eat and sleep first!" I pleaded. Valin removed his hand and chuckled heartily.
"Heard!" he shouted while lying on his back with a wide smile.
Why was that so hard for me to say?
"Also... I met Dite yesterday, outside of work. She invited me to a party."
The amusement left his face, but I continued speaking, "She... said she just wants to talk to you."
"And you're okay with that? Why should I talk to her?"
He sounds agitated.
That's a tone I hear only on rare occasions, and never directed at me.
"I... trust you, and despite her delusions, you don't want to be with her. She seems a bit unhinged; closure might help," I reasoned.
Valin sneered.
"I knew she'd try approaching you. That annoying ass b*tch."
I should probably leave out the fact that she tried to make it seem like Valin was cheating on me and the blackmail...
"It seems like you were an important person to her," I remarked.
His eyebrows furrowed.
"Yeah. I'm sure I was."
So he is aware of that...
He just doesn't care.
"There's no need to talk to her if you don't want to," I clarified, which made Valin sigh, and then he gently pushed me back on the bed.
Afterward, he got on top of me and gave me multiple deep, passionate kisses.
"I will talk to her... knowing that girl, she'll try to make your life difficult otherwise..."
I guess he caught on to the coercion without me saying anything.
"Are you sure you're too tired?" he murmured.
"Yes! Even if you've healed me, I still need food."
He grumbled something before rolling off me to recover his cell phone and order us dinner. I should make him something.
Maybe bake him a cake to celebrate his birthday, his return, and the peace treaty.
Our food arrived, and we sat on the living room couch, shoulder to shoulder, eating together and watching a movie.
As we did before he left.
After we finished eating, Valin said,
"I'm going to invite her to a video call... You sit in the corner of the room out of sight. Having you there will help keep me calm. I don't see a need to meet her in person; she will have to be satisfied with this."
I nodded and sat down in the armchair near his bookshelf. From this angle, I could see the phone's screen pretty well.
He texted the number I'd given him:
Hey, it's Valin. Video call me when you want to talk.
She's a celebrity, so I half expected her to wait hours, or days before getting in touch. Instead, it took her five minutes.
When Valin answered, she exclaimed, "Thank you so much for calling me! Is this your new number?"
He sighed.
"It's not. This is a temporary phone. What did you want?"
Dite frowned, and she hesitated before speaking.
"I want to make up for the way we separated," she began, "I was immature and jealous... I'd never felt that way about anyone before, and I didn't handle it well..."
Valin chuckled.
"Yeah," he agreed.
Dite looked hurt as he continued.
"Did you practice that? You sound like you're reading a script or something."
She inhaled sharply.
"This is how I really feel!" she retorted. "I'm in love with you! I have been in love with you since the first time we kissed... I haven't stopped thinking about you even once since then!" Dite declared.
It hurts just listening to this... I knew they had a relationship, but I didn't want any details.
"I don't think about you... I haven't thought about you at all until I heard you approached my girlfriend... and that you basically blackmailed her just to have this pointless conversation."
Dite muttered something; I couldn't make out the words. Then she suddenly screamed,
"Why?! Why her?! When you could have me? Do you know how many men would pay to lick the bottom of my boots? You ghosted me for years, and you still have the nerve to act so cold?! I'm supposed to believe..." Her hands went up to her eyes. She was crying, but Valin didn't even flinch. "You expect me to believe you're over me... so easily?"
He blinked slowly and yawned. A dramatic yawn that expressed just how uninterested he was.
"... I told you I didn't like lies... You lied a lot. I told you I don't like violence, and you got violent. Why would I waste my time thinking about someone like you?"
I could hear her sniffling through the phone. Valin watched her wipe away tears, expressionless.
About a minute later, she ended the call without even a goodbye.
He turned off the phone and put it in a drawer before coming over to me and plopping his head down on my lap.
"She's so irritating to talk to," he grumbled.
"... Yet you dated her," I noted. Valin glanced up at my face, and I avoided his eyes. I don't know why I said that; maybe I'm still feeling a little annoyed from overhearing the things she said.
"Don't remind me," he whispered. Valin didn't seem super offended.
I ran my fingers through his hair and sighed.
"How did that happen anyway?"
Valin hugged my waist and pressed his face into my stomach.
"You're the last person I'd want to go over that with," he replied.
After Valin finished cuddling me, we went downstairs to greet Aluma and Innoccence.
"You're back!" Aluma exclaimed. She smiled brightly at first while not-so-subtly looking around the room.
"RJ isn't back yet," Valin remarked flatly. Aluma huffed and folded her arms.
"... That's disappointing. When will Jey and the others return?" Innoccence inquired.
Valin gestured them all toward the couch and waited for everyone to be seated.
"We led an uprising. I wish dethroning the king was enough, but the whole planet is in chaos right now. RJ and Zai have their hands full selecting government officials to rule over the regions of Afaria," Valin took a breath, "I know you didn't ask about them, but Cera and Markis," I saw Innoccence flinch at Markis's name. "are helping to compensate members of the military, while weeding out whoever is still devoted to the former king."
"What about Snowe?" Aluma asked.
Valin stretched and let out a slow breath.
"She doesn't want to come back without Zai... and as I said, he's very busy right now."
If there's one thing this conversation has made abundantly clear, Valin does not talk to other people the way he talks to me.
"I'm going to miss her," I mumbled.
Valin turned to me with a soft smile and stroked my back.
"It'll only be a few more months... actually, she asked me to deliver a message to you. I almost forgot," Valin muttered.
"Oh? What did she say?"
"While she's gone, she asks that you help make wedding decisions on her behalf. Such as coordinating with the planner, tasting the cake, and picking up her dress once it's complete."
I gasped loudly.
Valin forgot to tell me something so important earlier?!
... No, that's not fair. He does have a lot on his plate right now, but it's still super careless.