A few hours have passed since we left Daniel behind to deal with another problem I created. The decision is not sitting well with me. He is there because of me. The already threadbare carpet in the living room is being worn further from my non-stop pacing. There has been no word or message from him, not that I think he would have gotten me one anyway. My anxiety level has hit an all-time high despite the chamomile tea Dante brewed. Nothing will work until I see him and know he is not hurt.
“What’s taking so long, Dante?” I ask nervously.
“Daph, it has only been a little while.”
The sympathy on his face changes to concern when he watches me bite my lower lip drawing blood. He returns from the kitchen handing me ice wrapped in a paper towel.
“Sit.”
I sit on the couch in a huff taking the ice and sucking on it through the paper towel. Dante sits next to me, taking my feet in his lap. He removes my shoes and starts rubbing my feet. Any other time, I would have loved this but I’m too wound up to enjoy anything right now.
“Knowing Tony, it will be hard for Daniel to leave. Tony will try his damnedest to rope Daniel in.”
“You aren’t helping take my mind off him. How much did you win before this happened?” I ask truly not caring about the money, taking my feet back.
“Enough to either pay the private investigator fully or to be comfortable for a few months. It’s your choice.”
The goal for him fighting tonight was to make enough for both. Now we have to choose. If only I stayed where I was this would not have happened but then, I wonder, would I have ever known Daniel was there? He is always where I need him, when I need him. How is that?
“What do you think he was doing there? It can’t be a coincidence, can it?” I resume my pacing. “I mean he is always there when I need him. It’s like he has a homing beacon where I’m concerned.”
“I think there is more to him then we know.” He grabs me by the shoulders to look him in the eyes. “How much do you really know about him?”
“I’ve told you everything he’s told me. I don’t keep secrets from you.”
Then I remembered I never told him exactly what Daniel said about the King. Dante is right there has to be something we’re missing.
“Okay, what do we know? He is a Duke in some sovereign country we never heard of, whose parents were murdered? He is technically the next in line for the throne. Right?” He ticks them off on his fingers.
“As far as I know.” I reply remembering all the conversations with Daniel.
“Well, if he is the next in line to the throne, then where are his guards or whatever royalty has?” Dante inquires.
“I don’t know. I never thought of that.” I reply. “But did you notice the two scary guys that approached Daniel when Tony arrived? Could they have been with him? Maybe I never noticed them before?
“No, I didn’t. But then again I was more concerned about you to notice anything else.” He says thoughtfully. “Going back to your original statement about being there when you need him, why the interest in you?”
“Gee, thanks.” I reply sarcastically.
“His country has to have to some sort of CIA or FBI that he would be able to locate you.”
“You’re making me feel even better. Now I’m thinking about people following me.”
He looks at me sheepishly. “No offense, but the way he acts it’s as if you two have been dating for months instead of having one date that ended badly.”
I shrug my shoulders.
“Why? What happened?”
“I don’t know. He said I reminded him of someone. That’s the only explanation I have.”
“Let me think on it while I take a shower. I need to get this blood and stink off of me.” He lifts his sweaty shirt away from his body.
“I’m going to change and try to watch some television.” I follow him down the short hallway to my room.
“Try not to worry.” He says before kissing my forehead and disappearing in the bathroom.
The piles of clean and dirty clothes blending together have overtaken my bedroom. I lose myself for a few minutes sorting the dirty pile into colors, darks, whites and folding the clean pile instead of watching television. Once my room is cleaned of clothing, I straighten and clean everything including dusting, which I hate. Another hour has passed and I feel less anxious, but a dirty, sweaty mess. I step out of my room, peek into Dante’s room to see him lying down in bed reading a magazine.
“I’m going to take a shower. Keep an ear out.”
“Of course. Take a long, hot one. It will help with the tension in your shoulders.” I open his door wider to make sure he can hear the door.
The hot water feels heavenly on my skin. The warmth cascades down my skin removing some of the chill. I quickly attend to my legs, underarms and other bits. The knock, though I half expected it, startles me.
“Yeah?” I yell, turning off the water.
“You have a visitor.” I quickly move the shower curtain aside so I can see Dante’ face. “He just got here.”
I quickly squeeze my hair out and turn to see a towel being thrust through the curtain. The bathroom door closes as Dante steps in. I step out, wrapped tight in the towel.
Dante continues. “He looks tired, Daph. And a little worse for wear.”
“Thanks. Tell him I’ll be right out.”
He leaves quickly as I rub my skin raw by drying it too rapidly and harshly. Less than five minutes later I am ready, but I need to take a deep calming breath before I face mister tall, dark, and mysterious.
The hallway leading to the living room is short, but before you enter the living space you pass the kitchen. Dante is at the refrigerator as I turn the corner and I catch my first glimpse of Daniel sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. Seeing him so unguarded touches something deep in me. I drink him in.
I say a quick pray, thanking God for bringing him back to me safe and in one piece. Daniel looks up as if he hears my prayers or feels me watching him. In those few precious moments where time seems to stand still, words cannot explain what is wordlessly exchanged between us. He abruptly stands in time to catch me as I rush into his arms. He engulfs me in the safety of his strong arms and rests his cheek on top of my head. Any issues or apprehensions we may have had are lost in this embrace.
I look at him grasping the sides of his face, trying to determine the full extent of his unseen injuries. We stare at each other for an interminable amount of time. Tension thickens the air between us. Daniel leans his head down for the sweetest kiss until Dante clears his voice from the kitchen entryway. I look back, embarrassed, to see Dante leaning against the door frame, smiling.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Dante remarks, all previous animosity he had for Daniel forgotten.
I take Daniel’s hand shyly, leading him to the couch hoping an explanation will follow shortly. Before sitting down, he removes a large stack of cash from his front pants pocket and places it on the coffee table. Dante and I look dumbfounded at each other than at the cash.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Not much. I won.” He replies briefly looking at the cash, seeming to reflect on something. “That’s yours by the way.”
A pin dropping on the floor is loud in this silence. Swallowing is difficult due to the lack of saliva in my mouth.
“You won?” I ask dumbfounded. “How?”
Daniel smiles at me fondly but when he tries to entwine our fingers he winces.
“Can I get some ice?” He says to Dante then looks at his hand. “I love that you don’t see me as the hardened motherfucker I truly am. Sorry for the language.”
I blanch at his statement.
My eyes follow his, noticing for the first time the knuckles on his right hand are bruised, swollen and scraped. Dante returns with a bag of ice and frozen peas.
“Your eye is starting to swell.” Dante gives me the ice. “The peas work great on the hand.”
Daniel nods and Dante disappears into the kitchen again.
“Hey.” Dante yells from the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Some water please.” Daniel replies.
“Sure, no problem.” Dante answers.
“What happened?” I ask again.
He places his less swollen hand on my cheek in a tender gesture. His roughened thumb moves gently across my cheek then places it on my thigh where it stays as he starts the story.
“I didn’t like someone placing their hands on you.” He says noncommittally.
Intrigued by his remark, I ask, “How did you know I was there?”
“I didn’t like the way our date ended, but I couldn’t find the right time to come by.” He replies.
Inside I am doing a happy dance at his revelation but outwardly, I hope, I’m playing it cool.
“You could have called?”
“I could have, but I didn’t want to risk you hanging up on me. I finally decided to stop by tonight and be damned of how you might react. That’s when I saw you both leaving.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“You were dressed suspiciously, like you were hiding. I was curious to see where you were going, if you were… meeting someone.” He hesitates.
Meeting someone?
“You thought I was meeting a guy?” My brow quirks in astonishment. “So what if I was? It became none of your business when you wouldn’t answer my questions. But I don’t want to talk about that now.”
“I didn’t know what to think. I mean… You’re right, I have no claim to you, but I had to see.” He pauses. “Then you arrived at that place…. To say I was more curious and somewhat angry would be down playing it.”
Dante walks in with water for Daniel and tea for me.
“What were you thinking taking her to a place like that?” He questions Dante, quietly irritated.
“Look. I’m indebted to you twice now for saving her, but you have no right to question us on how we live our lives. I appreciate your concern for her well-being, but don’t think that gives you a pass. I don’t think you’ve been honest with her. There is more to you than you’ve told her. Now would be as good a time as ever to start explaining.”
I am proud of how Dante handled himself. Not only did he thank Daniel and control his own anger, but he also drew a line in the sand. All in a neat, polite package.
After a couple of minutes, Daniel answers. “You’re right.”
“Good, now I’m going to bed. You two have a lot to talk about.” Dante kisses me on the top of the head, then whispers, “I’m right in the other room if you need me.”
I nod, knowing I won’t need him. Once Dante leaves the room, the air feels charged once again. Daniel is looking down at his hands. When neither of us speaks for a few moments, I look at him and realize my burning ears are due to him staring at me.
At a loss of what to say I mumble, “Do you want anything? I mean-. Are you hungry? We have a lot of Thanksgiving left overs.”
He cocks his head to the side, smirking.
“Thanksgiving dinner? Isn’t that in two days?”
I giggle either at his confusion or because anxiety has gotten the best of me.
“It is, but Dante and I celebrate it on the day we escaped the Johnson’s house. That is the day we are most thankful for. It also allows our friends who we work with to celebrate the actual day with their families.”
“I see. That’s nice of you two.”
“It works out best for everyone.” I sigh. “So, you want to tell me what’s going on?”
Silence.
A few more minutes pass.
“Any time now.” I say a little irritated by the foreboding silence.
More silence and now it’s killing me.
“Fine, don’t tell me.” I start to stand, but he places a hand on my forearm. “Look, I get it. You don’t want to tell me. I understand, but you can’t keep doing this. I feel like a yo-yo.”
He laughs mirthlessly.
“You’re right. It’s just…. I don’t know how you’ll react.”
“The only way either of us can know is if you tell me.”
“After my parents were murdered and I made sure my siblings were safe, I dropped off the face of the earth.” He says surprising me because he doesn’t seem like the type to abandon his duty. “I knew everything would be taken care of, the estate, the King, my family. I was so angry with the people who killed my parents and knowing we couldn’t prove it made the anger unbearable. I started lashing out at the wrong people.”
I know the feeling well.
“I disappeared and met a few people who didn’t know me. It felt freeing. I changed my name to James Malcolm. My real name, you see, is Daniel James Alexander Ashbrooke. My mother’s maiden name was Malcolm.”
“Oh.”
“These people I met introduced me to fighting. But these fights, they were in the underground fighting rings across Europe. Similar to the one tonight. They taught and trained me well. I fought hard and was good at it. It was the perfect outlet for the anger. I could unleash it without consequence. I sunk deep into that life. I never knew if I would see daylight again. At the time, I didn’t want to.”
Dante taught me how to defend myself after he rescued me one night. Feeling helpless made me angry. He took me to the gym he worked at and had me hitting the punching bag. Eventually, he had me sparring with him. It helped to relieve the pressure and tension.
“The fighting eventually became boring when the challenge was gone. No one could beat me or they were afraid to be in the ring with me, so I left it and started racing fast cars and motorcycles.” He pauses thinking, again looking at our hands.
I noticed he hesitated when speaking of the fighters being afraid of him.
“Why were they afraid of you?” I ask.
“One night during a match, I killed someone.”
That was the last thing I expected him to say. Stunned is an understatement to what I’m feeling. There had to be some underlying cause for the fighter’s death.
“How?” I try keeping my reaction neutral.
“We were equally matched. I hadn’t had someone that equally matched in a while. I was getting tired and the match was tied. He punched me good. I fell to my knees disorientated. When he came at me, I went to upper cut him, but hit him square in the chest. He dropped to his knees and I took advantage of it. It took the referee a couple of minutes before he realized what happened. I was still too disoriented to realize he wasn’t defending the blows I was raining down on him. The ref had to get me off him. That’s when they started CPR, but it was too late. That was one of my last fights.”
“It wasn’t your fault. How could you have known?” I say sympathetically.
“It was a long time ago. I came to terms with it, but the guy had a two year old daughter. He was fighting to make more money. I arranged to have a trust fund set up for her anonymously.”
“That’s generous of you.”
“I don’t think so. She’ll never know her father. There’s more.” He sighs and continues. “Death follows me where ever I go. While in Italy, I found different friends who liked fast cars. These so-called friends and I were hanging out one night and decided to play a game of chicken. It was a rough crowd I hung with this time. They also didn’t know who I was. To them I was just some guy looking for the next rush. They stole cars, sold drugs, and some did more unsavory things I don’t care to mention.”
“Wow.” I blink, at a loss of words.
“The leader, Jed, was the one who decided we should play a game of chicken, especially since I wasn’t a “blooded” brother yet. I agreed. I had nothing to lose. The Italian countryside is littered with cliffs. We set the route and it was tricky in many spots. He was known for pushing the limits and bailing at the last possible minute. He didn’t care if he lost a car in the process, but frankly neither did I. I had plenty of money, more than I even I knew at the time.”
Daniel reflectively looks off into space as if going back to that moment in time.
“We were racing when I realized I didn’t want to do this anymore. I mean life. I stayed in the car long past what may have been considered safe. Jed kept looking at me and I could see the look of fear start to creep on his face. He realized too late that I planned to go over the cliff. At the last minute, I changed my mind because I realized I couldn’t leave my family to fend for themselves. They were innocent and young yet.”
He takes a sip of his water and looks at me out of the corner of his eye.
“I glanced at Jed and saw he was trying to get out, but couldn’t. He was struggling with the seatbelt. There wasn’t enough time for him to stop at the speeds we were going. He would have slid off the cliff regardless. I could do nothing to help him. I bailed in time to see his seatbelt finally come undone. He tried to open the door, but it was jammed. He kicked at the door, but it wouldn’t give. The car plummeted over the cliff.”
“Oh.”
“Again, my fault.” He says with remorse. “I left right after that. Never looking back.”
“It wasn’t your fault. Jed could have stopped at any point when he realized what you planned to do, but he was too stupid. None of it was your fault.”
How could he think he is responsible for these deaths? They were freak accidents. Those men were meant to die at that time. Why can’t he see that? There is absolutely nothing, in my mind, that he could have done in either situation.
“It was, but it’s not worth arguing with you about it. You wanted to know so there you go.” He sighs dejectedly. “That’s why I couldn’t let you watch me fight. I turn into something else.”
“Daniel, I don’t care about any of that. I’m sorry it happened.” I lift his chin with my finger to look at him. “Who was the woman at the gala?”
He gets up walking away, not answering the question again. I follow him and touch his arm gently. The heat seeping from him is overwhelming. His skin is vibrating, the electricity palpable.
“Daniel, who is she?” I quietly insist.
“My fiancée.”
I gasp, withdrawing my hand, feeling burned.
“No. No. No. This can’t be happening.” I turn to walk away, but fail as he wraps his arms around me from behind.
“You don’t understand, Daphne.” He says sadly, whispering in my ear.
“Let me go, please.” I plead.
“No, hear me out.” He demands, tightening is hold.
“I think you should leave.”
The tears well and threaten to overflow.
“No, you wanted to know so I’m telling you.” He turns me around, forcing me to look him in the eye. He holds my cheeks tenderly in his sure grip. “It was arranged by our parents. After my family, hers is the next in line for the throne. Like I told you, there are people in my country who still live by the old ways.”
“Why ask me out then? Why lead me on?” I ask, my anger rising. “You shouldn’t have started something with me if you’re engaged to someone else. That’s not fair to her or me.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right, but there is something about you that I can’t place yet. I can’t explain it but please let me try.” He pauses, thinking. “If after I explain, you don’t want to see me then I’ll leave. But hear me out first before you decide. Please?”
He looks so endearing I have difficulty staying angry at him. After everything he did tonight and in the past, how could I not listen to him? He deserves to be listened to.
“Fine.” I concede.
I inadvertently wipe at my eyes. He flinches and catches a stray tear with his thumb, staring at it perfectly poised on the tip of his thumb.
“We have been informally engaged since we were seven. Everyone knew by that point the King was not going to sire an heir. Therefore, it was up to my parents to ensure their line. You see, the law states that if the King had children I would have been wed to the first surviving female heir. In our country, the crown is passed down the female line, unless, the only child is a male, as was the case with the King. My parents and Elizabeth’s parents had been friends for years. It was the obvious choice for them.”
I interrupt him. “The females inherit the crown?”
“Yes. It doesn’t keep with most European traditions.” He smiles. “When my parents died, it was expected I marry immediately, but I told you what happened. I wasn’t fit for anyone. I couldn’t do that to her, we are friends after all. I don’t love her and never have as a husband should. She deserves someone who will love her. She has been allowed to do as she wishes without my interference or her father’s. But recently she’s been acting differently. I don’t know if it is a cry for attention or what, but I know she is not coming to my bed a maiden.”
“A maiden?” I quirk an eyebrow incredulously. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Since I will eventually be the next king, I am supposed to marry a-. Wait, let me quote it properly.” He pauses, tapping his temple. “The Queen-to-be should have no carnal knowledge of another male besides that of her proposed King.”
“And they expect that rule to be followed?” I ask skeptically then squawk, “In this era?”
“Yes, they even go as far as following the medieval ways.”
Medieval ways?
“We run in the same circles. Many know she is not pure. Again, okay with me. I don’t love her and hope she will find someone who does and let me out of this arrangement.”
Shaking my head in disbelief, I say, “If you don’t want it, why continue with the engagement?”
“Because it is expected.” He sighs. “She is the one I brought to the gala, hoping to spark something, but it backfired. She thought this was her opportunity to make the engagement formal. And maybe I was trying to force my own hand subconsciously. But then I saw you and I knew I couldn’t. She reacted poorly to seeing you with me that night.”
He knew he couldn’t what? Pursue me? Go through with his engagement?
“I had to intervene before she did something to embarrass herself and me. We flew home that night and what a flight it was. I couldn’t risk the engagement despite what I truly want. Believe it or not, the façade of the engagement allows me much more freedom than if I was single.”
“What do you mean?”
“The women at court in my country don’t hassle me because I’m as good as married in their eyes.” He explains.
“Are you still together?”
“In my eyes, no, we never were. But I can’t do anything for the time being. I’m hoping that her newest paramour, whom she thinks I don’t know about, will be able to change her feelings towards me.” He smiles hopefully. “You see I can’t do anything without damaging her and despite everything, she does deserve better.”
“I see. Then, where does that leave us? That is, if there is an us? I mean, you have me thinking there is?”
Oh hell, why did I just have to blurt that out?
“I want there to be an us.” He grabs my hands in his. “When I am with you, it’s different. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like I have known you my entire life. The first time I saw you on the dance floor you reminded me of someone. But for the life of me I can’t remember who.”
“What happened after you brought her home?” I ask, needing to know.
“We had dinner with her parents and talked. They’re still insisting I marry her, that I honor the arrangement. They feel there has been too much upheaval in the country and it needs a strong leader. Since I came back after Jed’s accident, I’ve taken my duty more seriously. Her parents know something happened during that time and have been trying to take advantage of it ever since.”
“How would this,” I point between us, “work?”
“I don’t know, but we can figure something out. I know I need to see where this goes before I make any other commitment to her.”
I can’t see how this would work. There are too many obstacles prohibiting it from working.
“Daniel, we’re from two different worlds not to mention countries. You seem like a great guy, but I don’t know if I can do this.”
Can I handle the distance and constant traveling he does? Wondering whether if he sees her and something happens? I can be extremely jealous at times.
“I can see the headlines, ‘Duke seen with gold digger American,’ or something worse.”
Honestly, where do I see this thing between us going? Marriage is obviously out of the question, so what then? Have fun until he is done figuring things out? Then what? I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to envision myself falling in love with him.
“I get it, but if we start off quietly, see where this goes, I think-.”
“NO! I won’t be someone’s dirty little secret. I can’t-.”
“No. No. No.”
He grabs my upper arms. I glare at him, but he doesn’t back down.
“That’s not what I meant. We pretend to be friends who have similar interests. That way we can spend time together and get to know each other.”
“What happens if we forget? Hold hands in public or kiss? What then?”
“We’ll deal with it then.”
“I can’t live thinking I am being watched all the time. I’ll end up like my mother.”
“Trust me.”
He smiles reassuringly, lifting my chin with his hand, pleading with his eyes. He leans in to kiss me, but I hesitate at first then realize I want, no need, to see where this goes. The kiss is slow, sweet and tender, but ends too quickly. Resting his forehead against mine, we’re breathing heavily.
He says with slight annoyance, “Now can you please tell me why you were at that fight? It has been bothering me all night.”
His body is rigid beneath my touch. I hesitate to answer not sure if he is angry or physically hurt. I decide on the latter and start explaining.
“After our date, I started thinking about my father. Dante and I decided finding him may answer some questions I have. We hired a private investigator, but we don’t have enough money. Dante used to make extra cash by fighting.”
“He doesn’t seem like the type.”
“He isn’t but we needed the money and he felt it was something he had to do. When he did fight, he hid it from me. I was angry. To make a long story short, I made him promise after his last fight that I would go along the next time.”
“I see.”
My hands are gliding up and down his arms in a soothing way as I explain further.
“I argued for working extra shifts at the diner, but even with that we still wouldn’t be able to come up with the cash.”
“Why didn’t you just ask for it?” He says seriously.
I cock my eyebrow at him.
“Ask who? You?” I inquire slightly peeved.
“Yes.” He says absolutely.
“Really? When? We didn’t exactly end our date on a good note. We’ve had no contact since then. I thought I screwed up. It wasn’t until I saw you tonight that I admitted to missing you.”
He pulls me forcibly to him and crushes his lips to mine. It’s pure passion. He steps back breathing heavy trying to regain his composure.
“Sorry. You seem to cause this reaction in me. Knowing you still want me after everything I just told you, well I couldn’t hold back anymore.”
I laugh, giddy with excitement. He kissed me because he wants me. I feel like a teenager in love for the first time. The most handsome, popular boy likes me.
“Please, don’t let me stop you.”
“I’ll pay for the private investigator if you’ll let me. I’ll also have my people look into it.”
“That’s too much. I can’t ask that of you. Dante was able to get enough money to pay him. But thank you.”
“Keep your money.” He points to the roll of cash. “It’s his anyway.”
“Thank you.” I kiss him softly on the cheek.
“What can you tell me about your father that I can relay to my people?” He asks.
“I’ve already told you everything I know.”
“Okay, I’ll let my people know. If-.”
“Wait, I forgot.” I interrupt him. “When my mom used to talk about Kansas, it seemed fake, like it was memorized. Dante brought up a good point also. Why New York and not somewhere closer to Kansas.”
“So, you don’t think she was from Kansas, is what you’re saying?” He infers.
“Yes, but it sounds crazy. I mean, why would she lie?”
“Who knows why parents do what they do?” He replies thoughtfully.
“She would say crazy things like we were being followed by my father’s enemies. I think she may have been trying to protect me, but from what or who I don’t have a clue. She used to make me hide my birthmark especially when she wasn’t high. When she was high, she couldn’t have cared less. She would make scathing remarks about it being my fault. That if I weren’t such a princess, things would be different. I mean what could I have done by the age of six to cause her to say such things?”
The room is so quiet we can hear Dante snoring in the other room. The sky outside is starting to lighten. Suddenly, I feel tired and can’t stop the yawn from coming. It has been a long and stressful night. Daniel starts to raise wincing and moaning as he moves.
“Can I get you anything?” I ask, trying the stifle another yawn.
“No, thank you. Let me take a picture of the birthmark before I go then I’ll send it to my private investigators.” He says taking his phone out of his pocket.
“Okay” I lower the shoulder of my shirt.
“Good. I got it.” He says after a couple of minutes.
I turn back around to face him as he puts his phone away.
“I need to make sure everything is okay back home. It’s difficult being here and managing things from afar.”
“Okay. When will I see you next?”
I sound needy to my own ears.
“Actually, I bought a house just north of the city. I would love if you would join me for dinner tomorrow.” He laughs correcting himself, looking at his watch. “I mean tonight.”
“I would like that very much. I don’t mean to ask, but can I tell Dante any of what you told me? I hate keeping secrets from him, but I understand if you don’t want me to.”
He contemplates it for a minute. “I don’t see why not.”
“Thank you.” I kiss his cheek again. “What time?”
“Seven. I’ll have a car pick you up.” He says holding my hand.
“Great.”
We walk to the door and he stops looking at me, debating something. I see the fire in his gaze, but he surprises me by leaning in, kissing my cheek instead.
“Good night, Daphne.”
“Good night, Daniel.” I sigh, almost swooning.
He chuckles. I close the door and lean against it in amazement. Inside, I’m doing the happy dance yelling, he likes me, he likes me. But the other side says be careful, it will only end in heartache. Yes, he has a fiancée, but he doesn’t want to marry her. But he can’t marry me either. My mood deflates faster than a popped balloon.
I run to Dante’s room debating on whether I should wake him and talk things out, but seeing him sleep so peacefully I decide to climb in next to him instead. When he feels the bed dip with my weight, he lifts his arms making room for me to cuddle.
“Everything okay?” He mumbles.
“Everything is great. We’ll talk in the morning.” I say.
“Hmm.” He hums before a soft snore escapes.