DANTE RUSSO:
"You need a date or else you can't go," Elijah tells me as he reads his book.
I cross my arms, "I know that but who did you bring?" Please don't say your therapist.
"Isabella."
And there we go. His therapist is his date.
"Elijah you need to stop whatever is going on with your therapist," Domenico says, his tone holding disgust in it.
"No thanks. I'd rather not."
Ares speaks up. "Anyways how do you feel knowing I was right, Elijah?" He says, grinning.
Elijah slaps the back of Ares's head with his book. "Stop bringing it up," he snaps.
Ares rolls his eyes at him. "You're just mad because I was right," he mumbles, rubbing the back of his head.
"For once," Dom adds.
"Statistically, Athena should be at the ball tonight," Marcello randomly says.
We all turn to look at him.
"What?"
I shake my head at him, "She's obviously going to be at the ball."
"Yeah, I don't get why we can't just like I don't know take her back," Ares complains, frowning.
"Because she is her own person, she will come back when she is ready," Elijah says for the hundredth time then he looks at me. "You need to find a date. The ball is within five hours, if you can't find you're not coming," Elijah sternly tells me.
"But Marcello hasn't got a date and he's coming."
"Yeah cause Camille made him an exception. Have you seen him? He's a robot," Dom scoffs.
"Actually no I am not. A robot is a machine resembling a human being and can replicate certain human movements and functions automatically. However I am not, I have a heart, organs, and a brain, a robot does not have that," Marcello states as he scrolls through his phone, not looking up once.
We all stare at him in silence.
"What the fuck," I whisper.
The door opens and one of the guards stands in the doorway.
"Sorry to bother but Artemis is here for you Dante."
✮ ✮ ✮
"I said no, Artemis."
She frowns, "You have to bring a date to go to the ball, Dante. We can go together, just as friends."
Standing in front of the mirror, I run a hand through my dark brown hair. Artemis stands behind me, watching me in the mirror.
I scoff as I fix my tie. "And let people think I'm dating you? Yeah, no thanks."
"You mean let Emilia think you're dating me?"
My eyes connect with hers in the mirror. She crosses her arms, confident in herself. I clench my jaw, this is the thing I hate about her, she knows everything.
"How do you know about me and Emilia?" I ask her.
She shrugs, a mischievous look in her blue eyes. "I just do but why don't you just go with me to make her jealous?" She suggests, checking her nails, bored.
I stuff my hands in my pockets and turn around. "And what will you get in return," I say, narrowing my eyes at her.
She looks away from her nails and at me. "To see Athena again. She is the one behind the kills, right? I want to see it in person since I missed it last time," she explains.
My eyes trail down, momentarily stopping at her chest and then to her silk long green dress heels.
My eyes connect with hers, "Fine but don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't look at me."
She raises an eyebrow, amused. "Then how are you supposed to make Emilia jealous? By just standing next to me? That'll definitely work."
I close my eyes, frustrated. Why does she want to help me make Emilia jealous? Why is she so willing? I don't trust her. Not one bit.
I sign, "Fine. We will make it realistic but after tonight don't speak to me ever again."
She nods, "Got it."
I glance down at her hair. It's long and wavy. I can just imagine— No. Stop it.
I turn back around, facing the mirror. "Alright then. We're leaving at ten—"
"Okay, see you then," she quickly says, immediately leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.
I step back and stare at the door in disbelief.
She didn't even try this time. She didn't try to figure out why I cut off all ties with her. She didn't try to mend what was broken.
Is she moving on? Has she met someone else? Maybe she hasn't met someone else. She probably hasn't because why would she be asking me to be her date? Maybe she's trying to make someone jealous too.
She probably is.
✮ ✮ ✮
Lorenzo was also made an exception because Camille said "What woman would want to be his date?" The best thing about it is that she was right but I don't know where he is.
My uncle Mario dances with his wife Katie and uncle Dario is dancing with his wife, Gianna. Each time those two women get close to each other they always argue.
I can't handle listening to them argue again.
I look around and see Elijah hanging out with his therapist at the bar with Sebastian. They all talk and laugh. I grimace, he actually brought his goddamn therapist. He must be lonely. Marcello is talking with Matteo as always.
And Ares. Where is he? I look around the area and find him talking to this random girl like they are best friends. Oh yeah. That's his date.
Sometimes I think he's gay but then I remember he used to fuck his girl best friends in high school so I don't think he is.
My eyes land on Emilia and Domenico. She talks to him with a big smile on her face. Dom has an amused expression on his face as he listens carefully to what she's saying.
I clench my fists. We're identical twins and yet she wants him? There's no difference between us other than our eyes. Mine are a pale blue and his are darker. I don't get it. I don't think I ever will.
"Shouldn't you be making her jealous? Not the other way around," Artemis whispers in my ear.
Sighing, I whisper back, "She's not even trying to make me jealous. She doesn't care."
Artemis stands up, "Let's dance."
Looking at the dancefloor, I find that it's empty now. No one is dancing anymore. I shake my head. "No, the dance floor is empty. There is no point."
She rolls her eyes, "I thought you were the smarter twin, Dante."
I blink.
"I am."
"Then you would know, if we are the only ones dancing, people are going to watch. Maybe even Emilia."
My eyes go down to my clenched fists. She's right. But is it even worth trying? I look around the room and see a man standing in the corner who's watching Artemis with a grin on his face.
I look up at Artemis, she playfully rolls her eyes at him before giving him a little wave.
So she does know him.
"Fine. Let's dance."
Her head snaps down, shocked. "Really?"
I sigh, "Yes. Really."
Standing up, I take her hand in mine and walk to the dancefloor with her.
Music fills the air without effort, like the waves filling holes in beach sand; the sound rushing in and around every person in the room.
The song is slow but yet so memorising.
As the music plays, we move together in a slow dance. Our bodies sway gently to the rhythm, and our feet move in sync with each other. We hold each other close, our arms wrapping around each other as we move across the dance floor.
Shit. I don't think I can do this. It's too intimate.
I look away from her, looking at the ground. My hand slightly shakes but she grabs onto them, holding them firm and tight.
"Look at me," she quietly tells me.
I look at her.
"It's just you and me," she whispers in my ear.
Our faces close as we look into each other's eyes as we move, losing ourselves in the moment.
"It's just you and me," I repeat, quietly.
She nods, smiling. "You and me."
A small smile creeps onto my face as I stare at her. "You and me," I whisper.
It bothers me knowing everyone is watching us but I can't look away from her. I just can't.
As I hold her close, a sense of warmth and safety that I haven't felt in a long time. The room around us fades away, leaving only us.
Why did I push her away? Right. I pushed her away because she was too young. I was eighteen and she was sixteen. Nonetheless, we're older now. She's twenty-one and I'm twenty-three.
"You and me," she reminds me with a soft smile.
I nod, my hands gripping her waist, "You and me."
I can feel her heart beating against mine. Every movement we make together feels effortless and natural as if we had been dancing together for years.
As the song continues, a sense of bittersweetness washes over me. I know that this moment won't last forever. But for now, I'll allow myself to lose myself in the moment.
As the song comes to an end, I pull back slightly, looking into her eyes.
"You're an amazing dancer," I say, my voice low.
She smiles up at me, her blue eyes shining in the lights. "Thanks," she murmurs as a small blush covers her cheeks.
I look up from her and look at Emilia who's watching me with happy sadness in her eyes.
Shit. I wasn't even thinking about her during the dance. I completely forgot about her.
Artemis clears her throat and takes a step back. I look down at her, confused.
"I don't feel so good, I think I might have to leave early," she says, not looking in my eyes.
She walks away from me, leaving me alone on the dance floor.
It takes me a moment to just process what the hell just happened and start following her.
She seemed fine ages ago and suddenly she feels sick? She's the worst liar I've ever met.
She quickens her pace and enters the big building since the event is being hosted outside.
"Artemis?" I call out.
She stops and turns around with tears in her eyes, angry.
"I have loved you since I was sixteen. I still love you and yet you don't see it! You don't see me at all and here I was foolishly thinking that our dance meant something but the second it was over you go look at her!"
I stare at her, shocked. "Artemis—"
"Tell me! What does she have that I don't?!"
My mouth stays shut.
She scoffs, shaking her head at me in disbelief.
"Is it because you haven't known her for years to not notice her mistakes but with me you have? Is it because she's not some murderer but I am? What is it that makes you want to look at her and not me?!" She shouts, tears streaming down her cheeks.
I don't say anything because I don't know how to.
She sniffles and angrily wipes her tears away. "Fine. I give up. I honestly do. I thought maybe I could try one last time but I'm sorry I was stupid enough to even think there was still something between us."
I shake my head, my heart hurting. "No Artemis—"
"No," she says, cutting me off, glaring at me, "You cut me off and I thought maybe you were just waiting until we were older so it won't be weird. Since the day you cut me off, I have been waiting for you. Every goddamn day. Patiently waiting for you because you told me you loved me."
She's right. I hate that she's right. I hate that I am in the wrong. But I deserve this. I deserved it a long time ago.
She sniffles, looking away from me. "You know you could've just told me to move on, right? I would've left you alone if you just told me so," she mumbles.
"I know," I quietly say.
After a few minutes of silence, she looks up at me. I'm about to tell her I'm sorry but she beats me to it.
"Goodbye Dante," she whispers before turning away and walking away from me.
I can't tell her I thought she hated me for cutting her off. How can I be so blind to think it was hatred instead of love?
I stand there watching her leave the building and leave me.
"Oh my god, who was she? She was so pretty!" I hear Emilia say behind me.
I turn around and I see Emilia and Dom watching me.
I stare at Emilia, her blonde hair is done in a similar style to Artemis and she's wearing a paler green dress. She doesn't have blue eyes, she has brown.
Oh shit. Is it possible I've been liking Emilia because she looks like Artemis?
Dom clears his throat, "Maybe we should go back outside, Emilia."
Emilia frowns, "But I've seen the girl before. You know her right?"
"Yeah her name is Artemis," Dom says, grabbing her hands. He looks at me, "We'll see you outside, okay Dante?"
My throat and mouth are dry so I just nod, not being able to bring myself to talk. They smile at me and walk off and I turn back around, starting at the exit.
Fuck this.
I'm not letting her leave just like that. Before I know it I'm walking out of the building. I stand at the exit and see Artemis waiting outside but I know she's not waiting for me.
"Artemis," I call out. She turns around and looks at me with shock.
I need to be honest, I'm not going to say I love her. I'm going to be straight up and blunt.
"I'm sorry, I can't give you what you want," I say, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "I'm not the man you want me to be. I'm an alcoholic, Artemis and you're an amazing person and I shouldn't have cut you off with no explanation, I'm sorry."
She stares at me, "What are you trying to say?"
I'm going to regret this. I know I am. I'm regretting it and I haven't even said it but this is for the best, I'll just hurt her again. I don't want to do that.
"I'm saying you deserve better. I don't know why you waited for me, and I'm sorry I was too blind to notice it but I don't deserve you. I never will. So I'm going to say what I should be said years ago, move on, Artemis. Find someone who will love you."
Her eyes are red and watery. I can see the hurt and rejection on her face, and it pains me to know that I cause her this much pain.
Artemis looks at me for a long moment, but then, before I could say anything else, she turns around and walks away.
I lick my dry lips and nod. I hope she finds someone better. I truly hope she finds someone the loves her as much as she loves.
But then, as I turn to walk away, I see Artemis getting into a car with the man from earlier. The one that was staring at her. The one that grinned at her. The one she waved to.
A wave of jealousy and regret wash over me, and I realize that I don't actually want to lose her to someone else.
Of course, I don't want to lose her but to him out of all people? You've got to be kidding me.
I clench my fists and walk away. "You have no right to be jealous, no goddamn right," I mumble to myself.
But God, I wish I did.