Page 19 of In the Cover of Darkness

“Fuck this,” I say under my breath to myself. Throwing back the blanket I quickly move across the room and open my door. Taking a deep breath, I creep across the hall, open Dante's bedroom door and close it softly. I can hear him breathing so I'm hoping I can just sneak into his bed and not wake him, sneaking out again in the morning.

Slowly crossing the room, I lift the blankets off the bed and slide underneath, being careful not to disturb the bed too much. I feel a million times better already, just knowing Dante is here next to me, and I start to relax, shutting my eyes to the dark room, letting the silence overtake me again.

“Are you okay?”

I squeak, I actually make a squeaking sound when he startles me by talking.

“Breathe, baby, it's okay. I heard you coming all the way from your room.”

Letting out my breath, I roll over and face him. Even with the room being pitch black I can still feel his eyes on me, hearing the concern in his voice.

I feel him moving and suddenly his hands are around me, dragging my body across the bed, bringing me into his chest. Completely overwhelmed at this point, I burst out sobbing, snuggling as close as I could get to him while he holds me and rubs my back.

I think I've hit a breaking point in trying to keep it all together. I don't want to burden Dante and I don't want Trevor to find me. I feel lost and saved all at the same time, but I also don't knowhow to express all of this and so I guess that's what's happening now.

I cry and hold on to Dante until I exhaust myself and fall asleep wrapped in his arms. I hope tomorrow will be a better day and that I'll feel a little bit stronger in myself.

Chapter 18 - Dante

Mila cried so much last night that my shirt was soaked. After I pulled her to me across the bed neither of us spoke, but I just tried to comfort her as best I could while I felt the sadness pour out of her. My heart broke for her and everything that's happened, but I'll be damned if I'm going to add to that heartache. I'm serious when I tell her we're starting over together. No matter how long it takes, I'll be ready and waiting.

The sun shines through a gap in the curtains, illuminating the room in the soft glow of morning light. I roll over in bed, reaching out to nothing but cold blankets. Opening my eyes, I can see my suspicions are right in that I'm alone. This is definitely not how I planned on waking up, hoping I'd still be holding Mila like the other morning, but knowing that it could happen again keeps my mind from reading too much into it. I quickly throw some clothes on, and head to the bathroom before making my way down the stairs where I can hear someone moving around. Slowing my pace when I hear Mila talking, both her and Ace must be up and from the smells wafting through the house, are cooking up a storm.

“You want anything else to go with that plate of bacon you got there Mila,” Ace says.

“I'm sorry,”Mila says laughing. "My ex … Dante said he told you about him. He used to tell me what I could eat. He was always saying I was too fat and I was lucky to have him because I'd let myself go, yadda, yadda, yadda. I haven't eaten bacon in years. Dante got us pizza the other night and wow, it was the best damn pizza I've ever had, because I've not been able to eat anything like that for so long. I forgot how good food can taste, but you're right,” she says, still giggling, “I think I've got the whole packet of bacon on my plate, so I will sacrifice two pieces for you and Dante to have.”

"Well shit darlin', I wasn't expecting you to say that. You have all the bacon you want okay. I got more in the fridge ..."

I don't hear anything he says after that. I'm struggling to keep my composure here. I’m fucking pissed and I think what's got me so worked up is not what she said, even though that's a nightmare in itself to have someone control what you eat. But because she sounded so carefree about it, like it's just another day, and completely normal.

I need to get away and hit something before I lose it. Storming outside, almost taking the door off its hinges, I can see the barn is open across the driveway and I trudge across the snow toward it and the pile of wood that I can see, grabbing the axe sticking out of a log.

I’m not sure how long I've been out here chopping wood, but at some point, Ace came out and said something to me, not sure what but I grunted at him to fuck off and he left me to it. I can see Mila now, navigating her way across the snow with layers of my clothes on underneath my jacket. Also wearing a pair of Aces boots, which are far too big for her but are better than just socks.

“Dante,” she says softly, “are you alright?”

I want to laugh at the notion of her checking on me, making sure I'm okay when her world has been torn away from under her. It just reinforces how kind and caring she truly is. Despite everything happening to her, she's making the time to be concerned for me and how I'm feeling.

Taking one more swing of the axe, I jam it into the log I was going to chop next, so the handle is sticking up in the air ready for me to keep going.

“Dante,” she says again, taking the remaining steps toward me, and placing her warm hand on my arm.

With a deep inhale I say, “I'm sorry if I scared you,” looking at her, hoping once again that I don't see fear in her eyes. Except, I'm met with a look of worry. Concern for me and my well being. Gods, she's fucking perfect.

In a gentle motion, not saying a word, I pick her up, wrapping her legs around my waist as I carry her over to the workbench on the side of the barn. Gently placing her down on it, I don't move away from in between her legs. I could see Ace staring out the kitchen window, and I didn't want him to watch us. I know he saw me when they were talking in the kitchen so he knows what I heard and why I was angry.

Closing my eyes, I take a second to collect my thoughts, opening them to find her staring at me, her look of worry now replaced with intrigue.

“I overheard what you said to Ace. About your food being controlled. I just … I saw red and I needed to blow off some steam.”

She doesn't try to push me away, yell at me or minimise my reaction at that moment. She just stares at me waiting for me to finish, to give me a moment of vulnerability that she's had with me several times since we met.

Gently, I push the hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear before running my fingers across her cheek.

"I hate what he did to you, Mila. I hate everything about it, and if he ever comes here trying to find you, I need you to know that I'll kill him. I'll kill him and hide the body so no one will ever find him. He will never haunt you again.”

Continuing to hold my gaze, without an ounce of fear in her eyes she softly says, “I think that's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me before,” pulling me slightly closer to her, gently tugging on my shirt.

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