Page 18 of Ruined in Vows

Looks like she is going to be sick.

The commotion around us turns to white noise and I cock my head to the side as I study her features.

It’s... weird.

This whole situation feels strange.

Like deja vu.

And despite being surrounded by people, it’s just me and this angel that exist in this moment.

Then she speaks, her voice a balm to my soul, soothing every uncertainty I have been feeling.

But then as if a bucket of ice-cold water has been poured all over me, she breaks the spell by calling out another man's name.

“Dante?”

Chapter 13

Allegra

“Dante?” I gasp out his name, through my tight throat.

Though my singular focus is on the confused man in front of me, the shock surrounding us is palpable, a living, breathing entity.

Dante frowns, his face a picture of confusion as I stare at a ghost from my past. Mamma steps forward, her soft, placating voice breaking our trance.

“Dante? Is that you?” she asks, emotion thick in her voice.

His head whips to Mamma, eyes narrowing as he assesses her. My heart beats painfully in my chest, so loud I hear it in my ears. Though I want to run to Dante, feel his strong arms wrapped around me once again, I stay rooted to the spot. A range of emotions flicker inside me. Disbelief. Alarm. Anxiety. Guilt. Anger. Shock. But the most predominant one is fear. Because the man I love, the one who loved me in return is looking at me like I am a complete stranger.

“I'm sorry. I think you have me confused with someone else. My name is Luca.” His deep timbre snaps me from my reverie, seeping into the space in my chest, and warming my heart.

Glancing around at the guards, I shoot them a warning look, silently asking them to stay put and not intervene. We don’twant to alarm or scare him off. Taking a slow, steady step toward him, I take in his face, body, every part of him. He may think his name is Luca, but I would know this man anywhere. It is him. It’s my Dante.

His dark wide eyes shift back to me, narrowing cautiously when he notices me moving toward him. Smiling softly, I say his name again, hoping it sparks some recollection and tasting it on my tongue.

“Dante,” I choke out. It's been so long since I said his name out loud. It feels foreign, but... right. “Your name is not Luca. It’s Dante,” I tell him sternly. He watches me curiously, his chest heaving faster, the closer I get to him. But I don’t stop, instead testing the waters and reaching out and taking his hand in mine. Electricity shoots through me at the contact and I know he feels it too when his eyes snap to mine, his lips parting in... Suprise?

Glancing down at our entwined hands, I smile at the feel of him only for it to fall when I catch sight of the gold wedding band on his ring finger. Pain pierces the organ in my chest, radiating through my body. He is married? My reproachful gaze snaps to his, though really, I have no idea what I am accusing him of.

I pause, briefly wondering if I have this all wrong. Is this just a case of mistaken identity and in fact Dante has a doppelganger? I mean don’t they say we all have a doppelganger, and in some kind of twisted fate, I just happened to stumble across Dante’s?

No. I refuse to believe that.

If the steady, strong rhythm of my heart - that only started to beat properly when my gaze locked on this man - is any indication, then I know I am right. Sucking in a breath, I realize what I need to see to confirm what I already know. I give myself a couple of seconds, then without hesitation, I turn his hand, a shuddering breath leaving me when I find what I am looking for.

The small scar on his forefinger, from when he helped me out of a tree stares back at me. I was only around eight and decided it would be a good idea to climb a tree in our backyard, when I got stuck. Of course Dante, my hero, came to my rescue, but ended up ripping his finger open on a broken, sharp branch. The cut was deep but not threatening, and after my mamma got him cleaned and stitched up, he went about his day as if nothing happened. The scar was a reminder though. And I am hoping by pointing it out, it will stir some memories.

“You see this?” I motion to the mark. His brows furrow in confusion. My chest tightens at the lost look in his eyes. “You got this, helping me out of a tree,” I say softly.

Dante pulls his hand from my grip, taking a step back and putting space between us. Anger and tension radiate from every inch of him as he stares at me with narrowed eyes. My face falls, heart cracking in two, because I already know what he is going to say.

He shakes his head, rejecting my story. “No. You are wrong, lying, or both. I am Luca Mancini. Married to Caterina. I don't know you,” he grates out, through clenched teeth, his chest heaving with his anger. From the corner of my eye, I see the guards moving in, but I shake my head silently telling them not to come any closer. “This was a mistake. I should have never approached you.” He turns on his heel, ready to leave, but I call out to him, stopping him in his tracks. He glances at me over his shoulder. The confusion and distress in his eyes is gut punching, but I am relieved that he is at least open to hearing whatever else I have to say.

“Please. I’m not lying. You do know me. We were...” I trail off, swallowing. “Arein love. Your best friend is Nico, my brother. My mamma,” I motion to her, “has been like a mother to you, your whole life. You. Know. Me.” I enunciate, hoping to get through to him. “I don’t know what happened, but we were toldyou died in a fire at my brother’s club. There was no body. We had a funeral for you though. Mourned for you. I still mourn your loss every day,” I choke out, my emotions getting the best of me.

“No,” he snaps, his hands cupping his shaking head as if he is in pain.

---