Travis's POV
"Y-you're choking me..." I stutter as Dante tightens the tie around my neck. When he doesn't release the tie, I slap his hand.
"Ow!" he removes his hands, the strain coming off my neck. "Was that necessary?!"
"Apparently," I sigh, pulling the tie off of me. "Maybe I shouldn't wear a tie..." Dante puts his hands on my shoulders as I stare at myself in the bathroom mirror. Looking at my sad reflection, I long for Katelyn. My eyes are cloudy and tired, my face still slightly bruised, and in my imagination, my white hair is tinted red. Everything about me looks torn, but inside, I'm bubbling with joy. Katelyn is going to be my wife, and I her husband. The thought gives me butterflies and sends my heart speeding down a track. I wonder if Katelyn feels the same way.
"Earth to Travis Valkrum," Dante shakes me, "You there?" I feel frustrated that he's interrupting my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm there."
"Do you want to do this later? You seem very spacey." Dante mentions as he fixes his hair in the mirror. When I don't respond, he looks at me, his hands still in his hair. His eyes widen when he sees how widely I'm smiling. "What are you---"
"I'm so happy, Dante," I interrupt him. I almost feel high, for the joy inside me is erupting like a bursting volcano. "Soon, my life and Katelyn's are going to be permanently stitched together and I'll be able to hold her in my arms forever. I feel sympathy that we've been sort of spaced from each other and I break when she cries as she sees me. But I know, oh I know that when ourselves are wed, we'll see more light than dark.
"I feel like you've changed so much since... the accident..." Dante stammers, sounding angry, of all things. He avoids making eye contact with me, so I blink fast a few times before asking,
"Why do you sound so frustrated?"
"I-I don't know..." is all he answers through clenched teeth. We stand there in silence for a while, just waiting for the other to break and say something. Finally, Dante blurts, "Why can't I have that happen to me?! Why does nothing happen to me?! Ever?!" He's looking at me now, his eyes blazing. "Nothing has ever changed me. I've always been the same old Dante," he spats. "Things are always the same---"
"Stop saying 'always'!" I yell at him. He looks at me sharply, his expression showing awe. I don't think we've ever spoken so harshly to each other, but neither of us are playing attention to our words. I lower my voice, "And stop saying 'never'. Dante, listen to yourself. You're saying that you want something to hurt you so you can learn something. How selfish does that make you sound?!" I feel the tension slowly begin to rise in the room, so I soften my words, "Did the impact of the car against my body teach me anything? No, all it taught me is that I never want it to happen again. What taught me something was the aftermath of it all. You can't take life for granted." Dante is not looking at me, for his eyes are glued to the ground; he almost looks spaced out as his listens to my words.
"I never will..." he mutters, sounding shaken. I realize that there is nothing else I can say to him, so I walk to the door and push it open. "but I wish I had more of a life to live," Dante finishes. I turn around to look at him. He looks incredibly feeble, standing and shaking while his eyes stare at the tile floor. It suddenly occurs to me that Dante must've worried his head off about me while I was in the hospital; maybe just as much as Katelyn. His tired blue eyes that look hopeless tell me so. I can imagine him having plenty of sleepless nights, just thinking of me.
"Hey, Dante?" I say abnormally loud.
"What?"
"Don't be so jealous of me and my life," I pucker my lips as if I've just eaten sour candy. "because you're in it." I walk out of the room, now feeling relived to have made him smile.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm SO excited for the wedding! A new chapter will be out soon!
Nya,
Soccerkitty7