Dante
I brought the phone up to my ear after leaving Amelia and Mari in my office. My mother never calls. Never.
"Hello," I said waiting for a response.
I don't have the best relationship with my parents. Especially not after Lily's death. Everything about them reminded me of that night and her no longer being here. It was selfish but it hurt too much to be around them after the accident, so I left.
"Dante! Oh you answered!" She sounded surprised. I rounded the corner to the elevator, taking it down to the garage floor to get in my car.
"Is everything alright mom?" I asked quickly. I'd rather not stay on the phone longer than necessary.
"Yes of course. We just haven't seen you in awhile and were wondering if you'd stop by for dinner on Saturday. Your father and I haven't seen you in months." She sounded gutted, and I felt sorry. But I had an empire to build and a business to run. I didn't always have the time to get up and leave to visit family.
"I'm not sure mom." I said quietly while sliding into my car.
"Please come home for a night Dante. I know you... resent us." She stopped for a moment and I gripped the steering wheel. "But it'd be nice to see you. I'd like to talk to you and catch up on your life."
I sighed letting my head roll back onto the headrest of the front seat.
"I'll see if I can make it." I answered still unsure.
"Please make it Dante, your father and I would love to see you." She pleaded.
"Plus there is the case I'm working on that's getting crazy and I'd love to just have a break for a moment with my son." She sounded tired and I guess that's why I found myself shaking my head yes.
"Ok mom." I answered and then we said our goodbyes before hanging up.
Fuck.
I hadn't been back to that house in over a year. Only seeing my mom briefly for lunch months ago. I hated that Lily's room was there and that they had cleared it out. A year after she died, they cleared out her things as a way of grieving. I didn't grieve like them though, and it hurt more that parts of her were no longer there.
I was interrupted with another call. Rodney's name flashed across the screen and I slid to answer.
"Hello." I said while starting my car up.
"Dante, stop by! Zac's here and we're gonna watch some football." He sounded excited.
"I don't know man, I could use a good sleep." I said back hearing a laugh in the back only assuming it was Zac.
"Zac just whispered to me that it's because you're secretly going to get laid with Amelia." Rodney laughed as he said it.
Shaking my head I cracked a smile. "I guess I could stop by for a few hours." I heard Zac cheer in the background and Rodney rattled off. They ordered some pizza before I hung up to start driving.
I realized I had a missed text from Amelia so I went to open and reply but my phone died. Fuck.
I left my charger in my office and assuming Rodney would have one I just decided to head to his house and wait to respond.
____________________________________
The drive to his house was only 20 minutes and before I knew it I was heading up the stairs to his small townhouse he shared with Zac on the outskirts of the city. I knocked once and before I could knock again the door flew open.
In front of me stood Zac with a wide smile.
"Finally! He lives!" Zac laughed as I just flipped him off stepping into the house. We grabbed hands and patted each other's backs as a greeting and headed to the living room where I can only assume Rodney was. Sure enough, sitting in the living room was Rodney with pizza boxes laid out in front of him on the coffee table and a beer to his lips.
"Save me one?" I questioned taking off my coat and flopping into the couch stretching my long legs. I undid a few buttons of my dress shirt and untucked it a bit from my pants. I fucking wish I had stopped for more comfortable clothes.
Rodney looked up to me with a smirk. "Of course," he got up and grabbed a beer from the kitchen island and turned to me. "Catch," he said as he threw it in my direction. I threw my hands up, catching the beer and cracking it open as Zac took a seat beside me on the couch.
"So no Amelia loving tonight?" He teased wiggling his eyebrows.
"I've been here for three minutes and you're already on me about this?" I asked sighing and sinking further into the couch resting my head on the back cushion. I felt the couch dip on the opposite side of me as Rodney sat down.
"He's been begging me for details ever since he saw you two leave the other night." Rodney said turning the TV on.
"Did you fuck?" Zac asked, shoving my shoulder.
"Shit Zac, way to be blunt." I shook my head bringing the beer to my lips as I sat up again leaning on my elbows. "And I wouldn't tell you that even if we did or didn't." I replied.
"You're full of shit man. Just admit it." Now was Rodney's turn to make a dig at me. "Admit what?" I was confused.
He looked at me with a knowing smile and it pissed me off.
"That you're into her." He said smiling and bringing the beer to his lips. "Everyone can see it. Everyone except you two." Shaking my head I just looked away.
"She's a hot Dante, and a whole catch. You better grab her and hold her tight." Zac teased and reached for a slice of pizza.
"Why are we talking about this right now?" I don't even know what to say. I haven't even thought about what they're saying and it's fucking scary. I haven't been in a relationship since college years ago, and even then it was a quick 3 months and that was it. After that I stuck to hooking up and avoiding any and all commitment.
"Whatever man. It's your loss." Rodney said, turning his attention to the TV.
My loss?
I'll admit, the idea of Amelia and I being together more than just physical was a foreign idea to me but... I didn't hate it. Waking up besides her the other morning made me realize there was more I was missing out on in life than I had originally thought. I'm 26 and have lived my entire life with determination to succeed, never giving myself time for anything else.
And then Amelia comes along and I make this stupid fucking deal to save my own ass that just gets me into and entirly different predicament.
The girl I was supposed to monitor and keep an eye on strictly for just business has wormed her way into my every thought somehow. Every moment of everyday I thought about what she was doing and I was a fucking loser.
"She hates me anyway, it'd never happen." I said abruptly. They both turned to me, Zac looking confused and Rodney just assessing me for a moment. Zac doesn't know about the deal we made, just that she was in my program so I'm sure he's confused.
"Honesty Dante. Be honest with her." Rodney said.
I knew what he meant. We had talked about it briefly one night when I had too much to drink and admitted I felt like shit for using Amelia's past against her. He told me that night that there was no erasing the past and that what's done is done, but there is only going forward.
"I don't know what he means or why he's saying that but yes. Honesty is key." Zac said standing up. "I'm grabbing another beer, want one?" He asked heading to the kitchen and I just nodded my head yes.
While he was gone I turned to Rodney.
"I know you're holding back on whatever you may feel for this girl because of the circumstances and how you assume she'd react. So stop doing that. Talk to her, admit to her how you feel about that night. Show her that there isn't just one side of you." He said quickly and turned to bring the beer can to his lips.
Fuck. I hated this. I hated that my heart actually skipped a beat when I thought of her name. Or that I actually pictured her smile in my head every time I needed a mental break. Or that everything Rodney just said was right. And for the first time in a long time I wanted long term. More than just at night. And I wanted it with Amelia.
"Here you go." Zac said, setting the beer down and taking his seat next to me again.
"I think, whatever is going on between you two, is all new to you. And you don't know how to react which is normal. Just be honest and communicate, that's the best way to go." Zac said before turning his attention to the tv. They both continued watching football and I finished the first beer, tossing it aside and bringing the second one to my lips.
"I'll just crash here tonight since I'm drinking." I said and they both nodded their heads. "Hey you got a charger?" I asked.
"Yea, on the kitchen counter by the stove," Rodney turned and pointed in the direction of the kitchen.
I stood and made my way over to plug my phone in. I grabbed the cord and connected it, setting it back on the counter.
While I waited for it to charge I leaned against the wall separating the kitchen and living room watching as the Giants and Patriots battled it out on the screen. "No Tatum tonight?" Zac asked, looking over to Rodney.
Rodney just shook his head and said "No. Said I was hanging with you two tonight." I couldn't help but think how easy Rodney and Tatum fell into a relationship or whatever was going on. Why the fuck couldn't it have been that easy for me?
I guess you reap what you sow. And I've been an arrogant asshole for most of my life, if not all of it. People assumed the worst of me and I fed into it.
Hearing my phone turn on I turned to grab it on the charger.
I needed to talk to Amelia. Really talk, because whatever was happening. I fucking didn't want it to stop.
I unlocked my phone to a few unread messages from Amelia and I smirked at her concern. That was something wasn't it?
So I called her and told her I needed to talk to her this Friday in person. Because it was time we talked as adults and it's time we talked about what the fuck was going on.