Salvatore

12. Crash

"And then he was like, you're on your first strike," I say in a fake deep voice mocking Dante.

Ana nods sympathetically as she scrubs a nonexistent spot on the counter. "I'm sorry amor."

I huff, inhaling a huge scoop of ice cream and swinging my legs as I sit on the counter. "You seriously didn't hear us?"

She gives me a look. "I had my headphones in and was listening to an audiobook in my room, I didn't hear a thing."

"Wild," I say, crossing my legs underneath me. I look at Ana, the sweetest lady ever and wonder why she's still dealing with Dante. "What does, you're on strike one even mean? Like what's he gonna do? Lock me in the basement? Chain me to the gates?"

Ana shrugs. "I wish I knew. Dante is," she pauses searching for the right word. "An interesting boy."

"Interesting, yeah right." I snort. I look at Ana. "Why do you keep working here, he's a psychopath?"

Ana pauses and is silent for a moment. "He wasn't always like this," she says carefully.

"Ugh that was so cliche, I know you realize how cliche that phrase just sounded, I see you reading romance books." I take another bite of ice cream.

Ana gives me a small smile. "I suppose you're right, but it's the truth to some extent, he truly wasn't always this bad. He was always different, but he wasn't like this."

"Girl, bffr, I know that's not why you continue to stay."

She throws her hands up in the air, finally relenting, "Fine it's because it pays good and I know too much."

I point my spoon at her. "There it is," I say in a muffled voice since my mouth is full.

She playfully swats my arm. "Don't talk with your mouthful."

"Sorry," I cover my mouth with my hand still chewing a ball of frozen cookie dough.

She leans against the counter looking at me. "I know too much about the Rossi family so my only way out of working here is probably death at this point. They'd kill me if I ever tried to leave or they'd take it out on my children, and there's no way I could let that happen."

I nod solemnly. "I'm sorry you're stuck here Ana, it's not fair to you."

She shrugs again. "It's not your fault amor, besides I've made my peace with it a long time ago, there's worse places to be than here." She pinches my cheek. "Besides if I wasn't here, I'd never have met you and you wouldn't be eating properly."

She's kinda right, but I don't say anything instead offering her a spoonful of ice cream.

She declines, "I don't like the way raw cookie dough tastes."

"You're crazy," I hop down from the counter and toss the empty ice cream carton in the trash.

My phone buzzes in my shorts pocket and I check it to see an email from UVA about information for what to do for enrollment in the upcoming weeks. I slap my forehead. I can't believe I forgot about my college plans.

"Ana you've gotta excuse me, I gotta go discuss something with Dante."

"Have fun," she says distractedly as she flips open her book.

I march over to Dante's office, knowing he's home today. Without knocking, I throw the door open. Dante is scribbling something in a notebook but immediately slams it shut when I make my way over to his desk.

"What's that?" I ask, gesturing to his leather bound notebook.

"Nothing." He says gruffly.

I shrug, I didn't expect him to tell me anyways. "I just wanted to know what's going on for my September plans 'cause you know, I start at UVA. Like, do you own a place nearby there 'cause that way me and Jocelyn won't have to pay for the dorms, and obvi I'm not expecting you to pay for my schooling but you are loaded so it won't really impact you anyways if you do."