A Slave to Love

Chapter 56: Separation

When I got home, I was a nervous wreck. I still had no clue what to say or do and at this point all I could think of was speaking from the heart. And right now my heart was ridiculously confused so it wouldn't be much help to me, but every time I thought I was making a thoughtful decision it had blown up in my face so winging it would have to do.

Besides, it wasn't up to just me. There were two of us in this bond.

Because I was a coward, and I felt absolutely disgusting and sweaty, I decided that maybe shower would calm me down before I talked to him, put me in a better frame of mind physically and mentally where I didn't smell like sweaty gym socks, but when I walked into my room and saw him standing by my bed, I nearly had a stroke.

One, because I was not expecting that at all and two, because I couldn't feel Blade through our bond and that was not possible. Like...at all. Panic overtook me until I realized it wasn't Blade standing before me with a stern scowl. It was actually Dante, who on a quick glance looked like Blade.

I slumped against my bedroom door, not sure whether I should be relieved or horrified.

Dante's presence was the last thing I expected and the fact that Blade wasn't anywhere close enough for me to feel unsettled me in ways I wasn't expecting. I'd spent all this time wishing for him to go away and now that he wasn't here, my heart was cracking to pieces. Why wasn't here?

And having Dante here as a replacement only made the picture more grim.

"Sit down. We need to talk," Dante said brusquely.

"Where's Blade?" I asked, staying put by my bedroom door. Access to an exit felt safer and honestly, I wasn't sure this conversation was going to go well and I needed the support of something to lean on.

"At home. Lexi was trying to get Talia to talk some sense into him. Now sit."

I didn't want to sit or talk to Dante of all people, but I wasn't in a position to argue. I dropped my bag and crossed the room to sit on the edge of my bed, hands folded in my lap.

"What's going on?" I asked. Why were Talia and Lexi talking sense into him? About what?

"I'd like to ask you the same question." His voice was even frostier than the last time I'd spoken to him.

"Um..." I floundered for something to say, but between his intense stare and my nerves and worries over Blade, I was having a hard time focusing enough to come up with anything.

"Between you and Blade..." he prodded, folding his arms over his chest.

"We're fighting. I wanted to talk to him today though..." I said helplessly, tugging on my shirt sleeve. "Since when is it your business anyways?"

"Since he's my son and you're putting him in danger. What happened?"

He came here with all this attitude and he didn't even know why he was so mad at me yet? Or if there was even a reason to be? "None of your business. You were so against us from the start, so why should I tell you anything?"

"This isn't a game. This is serious," he growled.

"You think I don't know that?" I yanked up the sleeve of my shirt, showing off my ruined tattoo, the flaming red skin that our volleyball gym class had only made worse. "I'm more aware than you, but I'm taking care of it so stay out of it."

"I'm not staying out of it. You don't get understand the gravity of the situation." His anger didn't wane, but his eyes were locked on my arm.

"No, you don't get it! I know we'll both die if this keeps up, believe me I get it. I want this to end a hell of a lot more than you do, but as far as I'm concerned my relationship with Blade is none of your concern. His wellbeing yes, but frankly this isn't something you should bother with," I snapped before I took a breath, pulling my sleeve back down. "Unless of course you came here for a different reason besides lecturing me."