Chapter 21
My legs draggedstreets away from where the restaurant had been until they hurt enough forto stop. It
didn’t help that | had heels on. In the end, | was too fatiqued to walk back to the restaurant and instead | gave
up and sat on the cold sideway beneath the clear, full moon.
If the moon had any thing to do with mood and temprement of man then this was a reasonable explanation as to
where Adams proposal had cfrom. Ugh, thinking about his face had brought a twinge of guilt biting at my
conscience.
Adam had been there forwhen | needed him the most, when | literally had no one else by my side, he was
my supper system in my darkest times. It isn’t like | didn’t care for him. I did. A lot but I just am not ready for
such a step
Even if | was, | would be doing him a great disservice considering my mind was still very torn between the way |
felt for Dante or what | felt for him after all this time. It would be naive ofto think that seeing him again
wasn’t going to bring about any old feelings. It didn’t help that Dante kept himself present in my life since |
returned. It all made for a very contradictory situation.
Why was my life always complicated? Just when I thought | had it under control and found ssense of
direction, the rug was pulled from beneath my feel throwingoff balance all over again.
| felt a trickle of tears over my cheeks and | wiped them away with the back of my hand, blinking away any
others that threatened to follow. A part offelt like | had jeopardized my entire relationship with Adam and |
didn’t know if he would understand my view point
A set of footsteps approachedbut | didn’t look up not wanting to deal with Adam right now. What was | going
to say to him? Would he even forget the humiliation he faced in that restaurant?
“Go away, Adam. I'm not in the mood to discuss what happened in there.” | sniffled, ignoring how strained and
shaky my voice had become.
The footsteps didn’t retreat but moved slowly closer tountil he settled on to the side wall next to me. Just
one whiff of that cologne and | knew that it was not Adam who had cto find me.
“Dante?” | said in surprise as | looked at him for a brief moment before looking back at the rough tarred road.
“That's better than Mr. Crawford. | think we're making progress. He said in a jovial tone that madechuckle
lightly.
“Please, | don’t want to laugh right now.” My shoulders slumped in defeat since | didn’t know what | wanted right
now.
“Then don’t but I'm not going to leave you alone in the middle of a dark, quiet road all by yourself.” He said
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtauthoratively causingto tilt my head and look at him.
Was he the sDante that | had know? The very sone that kickedout of his life for my step sister with
out so much as a care in the world yet here he was trying to be my protector and shoulder to cry on.
| scoffed, bringing my knees to my chest and resting my chin atop of it. “I can’t imagine Phoebe is
16:24 Tue, 5 Mar
Chapter 21
too pleased at being left alone in there.” | mentioned thinking about the foul look she always gavewhen she
sawand Dante in the sroom.
He snorted. “She'll survive.”
“She will but will you?” | asked trying to hide my amusement but he just sighed.
We were silent for a moment with the only sound being the crickets that chirped in the distance and the faint
sound of the hustle and bustle of the central city.
“Not ready to settle down just yet?” He asked carefully bringing the topic up and unable to hide his curiosity.
| groaned. “Can you blme? One horrible marriage would do that to a person.” My words tumbled out of my
mouth before | could help it and his face fell.
“It wasn’t a bad, you know. We had fun and we got along. That was true until he tossedaside like yesterdays
newspaper.
| swallowed the lump that had formed at the back of my throat and looked away from him.
“We did until you changed your mind.” | said in a pained whisper before giving my head a shake. “But anyways,
it isn’t because of that.” | clarified turning to face him again.
“Then why?” He pried and | considered if | should actually express the way | felt about Adams proposal to my ex-
husband.
I looked at him, so eager and attentive to hear what | was about to say and my resolve crumbled.
“I don’t think Adam and | are ready for that just yet. There is so much forto figure out still with all the
changes that happened recently but Adam has been there forthrough everything and | can’t help but feel
like I may have strained our relationship beyond repairs.” | covered my face with my hands in despair but not
before missing the way his jaw set firmly as | spoke about Adam.
It was a good think | didn’t spend tapplying any eye make up because it would have definitely gone to shit
with the turn of events the evening had taken.
“Believe it or not, | actually understand exactly what you mean.” He said in a sombre tone and | knew that he
was in a similar situation with Pheobe. It explained why the two of them had not yet been wed in all these years
passed.
Another longer moment of silence had passed between us only to be ended by a long sigh let out. by both Dante
and | at the stime. We chuckled like two children before Dante grunted and got of the sidewalk, standing to
his full length.
“Con. Let us get out of here. I'll drive you home.” He wasn’t asking but ordering and | was too meh to put up
any sort of a fight.
Besides, | didn’t have any other way to get myself hand Dante was my only shot at a ride. home. If Adam
had left the, restaurant or not, | wouldn't have known but I could not imagine him. staying there after the scene.
Dante held out his hand forto take and | looked at it before sliding my hand in his. His fingers
Tue, 5 Mar 2
Chapter 21
wrapped around my hand before his hold tightened to helpget up and off the side walk. His hold didn’t
loosen around my hand until | gently nudged my hand away and he reluctantly let it
1. go.
We traced our steps back to the restaurant in a comfortable silence with the occasional small talk here and
there. | noticed that Adams car was no longer there where he had parked it and that swave of guilt washed
over me. | would have to try and speak to him to clear all of this out but not tonight.
Dante and | hopped in to the car and once we were on the smooth road, my head rested against the seat lazily
as | felt the weight of the day crash over my b*dy like a sack of bricks,
| watched the night flash by through the window and the familiar scenery felt comforting until the scene was no
long what | knew. The city side road was now tall trees and | could spot the lakes edge over the cliff.
This isn’t the way to my house. Dante. | reminded him thinking that he did not know where my new lodgings are.
“I know. | thought we should take a scenic route to ease your mind a little bit.” He said gently and | relaxed once
again.
“It’s so beautiful.” | said in awe of the way the high water glistened beneath the moonlight. It was dark with
silver ripples from the reflection of the moon and simply breath taking.
“I didn’t know about this route hbefore but | wish | did. My face was pressed up against the window as the
car neared the roads edge.
Dante inhaled to respond tobut a set of blinding lights shined in to the car from behind us.
“What the-” Dante didn’t complete his sentence because the car behind hit in to us send us forward.
“We are being attacked.” He warned, panic filled his voice and the air grew tensed.
| gripped my seat belt just as the car rammed in to us again twice but this tDante could not control the car.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHis arm reached across to shieldright before the car went completely of the road. My stomach felt weird as
the car launched itself of the cliff and went falling through the air.
| screamed in fear but my b*dy hit the top of the car hard as it ccrashing with the large mass of water. A
strained gutteral sound escape Dante and | looked over to find his head hanging limp.
The car was filling up with water and | had to act fact. | quickly unbuckled my seat belt before working on
Dante's.
“Dante, wake up. We have to get out of the car. It's sinking.” | said in a frantic voice as his seat belt came
undone.
Before wasting any more time, | pushed open the door to Dante's side and it had taken a tremendous amount of
strength since the bottom of the door was seized with the waters pressure:
16:24 Tue, 5 Mar
Chapter 21
The second | got the door opened, water gushed in pushing the door wide open but the car also sank faster.
.6%[]
| hung on to the edge of the door for leverage as | yanked on Dante’s arm until his dead weight b*dy hit the
water throwing us both down under. | gasped a lung full of air then went down but just to secure my hold on
Dante’s shoulder from around his arm.
| held on to him as | kicked my legs with as much adrenaline | could until we both rose to the surface. It was not
as hard after that. Much of the Dante’s weight was carried by the water as he floated. | scanned the water for
where | could swim to and we could get out on to land. | saw a light pole in the distance and followed it
My b*dy had grown exhausted and tired but | could see the shore and kept going. Dante was completely passed
out and, whilst | didn’t feel anything yet, | knew that | was injured swhere but with the adrenaline pumping
through me, | didn’t know just how severe it was.
“Stay with me, Dante.” | begged and dragged his heavy weight out on to the water's edge enough that just his
feet touched the occasional ripple..
| checked his pulse and he was breathing. That was all | needed to know before | collapsed right next to him
feeling my entire b*dy finally give in to the crash and fatigue.
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