Page 148 of Rhet

“Now, now. She can still open a locked door. We just have to be a little more careful.” I hug her and we both go inside.

As I step inside the house, my heart is in my throat, it’s all over. My brother is in his wheelchair and Rhet stands in front of him talking.

“Nice to meet you, Dante.” Rhet shakes his hand.

Dante nods. “Yeah, you too, man.”

“I swear your face looks so familiar, but I can’t place it.” Rhet squints.

I pray to God he doesn’t see the trophies on the wall or on the bookcase. Dante rolls to the stairway, gets on the lift and goes up the stairs quickly.

“Rhet, help me carry mom to her room, please.” I walk to his side, trying to distract him from remembering.

He squints and shakes his head. “Ms. Mitchell, may I have the honor of lifting you up?”

My mom nods and Rhet swoops her up in his arms.

“Come this way.” We both walk up the stairs to my mom’s bedroom.

After I settle her in, Rhet and I make our way down to the car.

He must have remembered Dante’s face. He has figured it out. I mean why else would his demeanor change so drastically. My palms begin to sweat and I wipe them against my chest. We are over. I step into the car. As the car door closes, silence surrounds us.

My whole body feels tense, shit, Dante.

I swallow. “I’m spending the night here, just to monitor my mom.”

“Fine.”

More silence, he knows how do I explain this?

“I have a question for you,” his voice sounds gruff.

“Yes?” If I don’t slow my heart rate down, the people walking outside on the streets will thinks it’s a beat playing in the car.

“Why?” he asks the leather seat squeaks as Rhet moves.

“Why, what?” By the time this whole thing is over, my ass will be magazine perfect from the way I’m clenching it.

“Why did you hesitate when the doctor asked you out?” His stare was intense.

What the hell just happened? My shoulders fall. “What?”

“Don’t act dumb, Zee. It is because of last night?” he questions.

“What?” A sense of relief comes over my body. He doesn’t recognize Dante. Maybe it’s his weight or his scruffy appearance.

“Is it because I didn’t say I love you? Look, I fucking love you okay.”

I shake my head, trying to clear the fog. “What?”

“What the hell? Are you even listening?”

I smile as I see how frustrated he looks. “You love me?”

“Of course, I love you. Why wouldn’t I love you?”

I close my eyes, trying to center myself. Then I refocus on him.

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