“Why? Why did you break up?”
“Because she could see I was in love with you. I love you Rachel,” he answers and my heart soars. The tears become ones of joy. I can’t believe I got my dream. Just hearing him say those words mean everything.
“I love you too,” I tell him and it feels like a weight lifted off my soul.
“You do?”
“As if you didn’t know.” I pretend to pout and he pulls me in for a kiss.
I kiss him back with everything inside me forgetting where we are. Nothing matters to me right now.
I want to tell him that I’m pregnant. Courage comes to do it then it’s stolen away when someone clears their throat loud and exaggerated. It’s then I remember where we are.
We look on ahead to see Allen holding a bottle of wine in his hands. The smile on his face is broad and deadly. Full of venom.
“Well hell, no wonder you threatened to kill me,” Allen states looking at Dante holding me. “The old man was getting all the goods.”
Dante releases me and Allen is stupid enough to come closer. He walks right up to us and looks from Dante to me then focuses on my breasts and licks his tongue over his lips.
“Get gone Allen, you don’t want any trouble with me and not when your drunk,” Dante tells him.
“Please, you think you’re all high and mighty, you can’t handle me. look at you with the bosses daughter trying to get pussy at a charity event. I hear she’s been around the office I was hoping to get some and –”
Dante lands a fist in his face and knocks him right to the ground. Allen falls so hard the bottle in his hand slips from his grasp and smashes.
He’s not that drunk that he can’t get up and I shriek when he lunches for Dante, coming at him with full strength like he’s ready to kill him.
Dante on the other hand barely moves. He takes the hit and lands another a one two punch in Allen’s face that does more damage this time.
Allen wails as he falls to the ground and people start coming out to look at what’s going on.
Mom and Dad come out and see them. Dante doesn’t see them though. He’s not finished with Allen yet. He places his foot on his chest like he’s ready to crush him like a bug and stares him down with fierce eyes. I’ve never seen him get so mad before.
“Motherfucker, don’t you ever talk about my girl like that again. You hear me!” Dante balks and Allen recoils, cowering and covering his face. “Fucking apologize now.”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” Allen says.
I’m looking at Dad though who looks furious. Mom looks dazed.
“Dante!” dad snaps and Dante turns his attention to him.
It’s too much. Everything. I’m so overwhelmed and my head feels so light. I take a step to reach for the balcony ledge but it moves.
It’s like it moves several feet away from me and I can’t reach it. One more step and I’m on the ground. Darkness takes me as I close my eyes.
Chapter Eighteen
Dante
I’ve been asked to wait here in the waiting room of the hospital.
They’d only allow family inside.
I remember when Rachel was ten and we went camping and she broke her arm, Peter classed me as family. He called me his
brother and we all went in and sat with her while the doctors checked her out.
Today I’m nobody.