Falling

23 | Penthouse

I had no idea why I had felt the need to check up on Amelia at work yesterday, but I did. And finding out she never even showed up, left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Why wasn't she there? Why hadn't she shown up? Was it about the pictures?

So many questions led me to the kitchen for another beer. I grabbed another one. Tossing the old can in the recycling and starting for the living room. I gathered the papers from Tate and brought them to my study, throwing them on my desk when a knock sounded at my door.

What did Rodney forget this time?

I approached the door, resting the beer on the kitchen counter before turning the knob. It wasn't Rodney.

Looking down I was met with the round blue eyes of Amelia Rhodes. My body froze and my eyebrows furrowed. She looked tense, and nervous? No. Anxious.

"I meant to stop by your office today but I had no time... I asked Tatum for your address. I hope you don't mind." She said and walked past my shocked form, making herself comfortable entering my home.

There she stood, hair flowing and body clothed with what appeared to be leggings and a sweater. Yet somehow she was still the most gorgeous woman I had ever laid eyes on. What the fuck was wrong with me.

"Well, come in please." I said sarcastically shutting the door approaching her form as she stood there watching me.

"I needed to talk to you about that article that's still up. It's been bothering me." She kept her eyes on mine. Showing no sign of anything, just determination. I watched as her flawless face scrunched in confusion.

"Did you really threaten that... woman who wrote the article?" She swallowed at the word woman and looked nervous at the mention of her. Now I was confused.

"I did not threaten her Amelia. Just advised her to take it down." I said studying her face. I ushered my arm, showing her the living room to take a seat on the couch.

She shook her head.

"I'm not staying long, I just want confirmation you aren't going to go around and threaten people the second they do something that you disapprove about." She said quickly averting her eyes from mine.

I sighed lovingly away from her, grabbing the beer from my kitchen counter and taking my seat back on the couch.

"Whatever Amelia. What's done is done. Would you relax and quit thinking I'm a monster of a person?" I said a bit harshly.

She always thought so foul of me and it fucking bothered me. From the corner of my eye I watched her move to the living room, eyes roaming the penthouse.

"I've always wondered what they looked like." She said while running her eyes over the furniture and then venturing further in towards the floor to ceiling windows. "I see these penthouses in magazines and on tv... never in person."

She kept her face towards the NYC night skyline. I watched her.

"Well now you have. Please take a seat Amelia." I said.

I watched as her tense shoulders slouched a bit and she turned towards me again. Her eyes roamed the empty couch and the armchair across from it. She settled for the armchair. Relaxing back into it.

"So, I'm going to have to... fire Rodney for sharing my address with that friend of yours," I smirked while sipping my beer. I watched eyes roll as they followed the movement of my hand.

"Don't be so extreme Dante." She turned her head to the door.

She furrowed her brows, "Wednesday. Tate, that was the man you were beating the night we met wasn't it?"

I tensed, setting the beer down and clasping my hands together leaning forward on my knees. She turned back towards me gaging my reaction.

"Yes." Was all I said, nodding my head keeping my eyes on hers.

"Can I ask why," she said softly but urgently. As if she needed me to answer.

"Thats personal." Was all I said. Not really wanting the topic of my sister to be brought up right at this moment.

"Oh, and digging into my past isn't?" She snapped back at me narrowing her eyes. "Why were you beating Tate to the brink of death Dante." She says back, tense again.

My hands shook.

"Tate and his father have been long... enemies of mine." I said, diverting my eyes from her clenching my jaw. "He said some things to me that night that were unpleasant." Was all I gave her. My heart clenched at the thought of my sister. I grabbed the beer and finished it all.

Standing to the kitchen I got rid of it and started for another one. "Would you like one?" I asked her from across the room.

"No thank you," she said.

I moved back into the living room with my third beer and watched as she eyed my form.

My turn for questions.

"Why are you so uptight about how I handle the last journalist Amelia." I said while opening the third can. Watching her face now. It scrunched in pain very quickly but then it was gone. Weird.

"I just don't want you hurting anyone Dante. You tend to threaten and hurt people over your own selfish reasoning." She said rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

Narrowing my eyes back at her I didn't answer. Tired of constantly fighting her over my actions, tired of the constant hatred she appeared to have for me.

We sat there for what felt like eternity. In silence. She watched me finish the third beer, just sitting there with an unreadable expression on her face.

I don't know if it was the beer or the fact she had such a control over my mind, but I found myself saying the next words.

"My sister is dead." I didn't wait for her reaction, just turned my head to the side.

"Tate made a crude comment about her. I don't take those lightly." I heard her gasp and brought my eyes back to hers. She looked at me with sadness, and I hated it.

"Don't fucking pity me Amelia, I told you so you'd realize I'm not such a cruel man. I don't do things always with malicious intent." I bit back watching as she jumped at my harsh tone. I felt guilty at my response but then again, I was angry.

"Stop taking your pain out in anger Dante. I'm sorry about your sister, and I'm sorry.... about Tate." She said quietly, but sternly narrowing her eyes while watching my features.

"Don't apologize." Was all I said turning to the night sky through the windows

"On second thought. I'll have that beer." She said surprising me.

And then she was standing up and walking towards the kitchen to retrieve her poison for the night... I had a feeling her question about my sister wouldn't be the last tonight. And with that thought I said back.

"Grab me another one too."