Page 3 of All Hallows' Maze
“Oh, if it’s important go ahead and answer it.” I shrugged, unaware if he was even watching me.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Meredith when she first introduced herself at the dance studio. It was one of those intuition moments. The vibe was there that she realized what I wanted and showed me she could take it. In the beginning, Dakota seemed fine and that was all I needed to support him,them.The distancing came gradually. Following was his rebellious phase which led to many late-night phone calls while he vented about their fight of the day flavor. For just a month, the speed race to hell on earth was impressive.
I think the tipping point for Meredith wasthat day.She had enacted a new rule which barred him from dancing with me. My intentions were always selfish there, so distancing was for the best. The decision was fast-tracked by fate instead when I was paired to stunt with some asshole. One forceful throw sent me careening backward in the wrong direction and unable to catch myself or brace my fall.
Only, I didn’t hit the ground. Dakota abandoned Meredith in the middle of their new routine. He dove for me, scooping my head and neck into his chest, taking the brunt of the impact on his back. Instead of broken vertebrae, I walked away with a pulled muscle. What really wedged that crack wider was that Dakota didn’t let me go. He held me while I cried, he held me while he yelled at that prick, and he held me until the studio owner convinced him that I was going to be fine. No, that crack didn’t deepen until he wiped my tears and kissed my hair in typical Dakota fashion. So, that moment became my exit ticket.
The silence had stretched after my suggestion, only punctuated by his aggravated assault on the poor phone screen.
“Not gonna happen,” he finally said, as though it was a duh moment. He hadn’t called me in a few days, so I assumed things were getting better.
“Why?” I looked up from the patch of grass and out into the field of the park. He sighed and sounded relieved as the tapping and pinging stopped.
“Because I just broke up with her.” His voice came from right my ear, much closer than where he’d been sitting earlier. He framed his legs around mine and effectively caged me in. I dropped the grass clippings in a pile and his large hand moved beneath mine to collect them.
“Why?” I sounded like a broken record.
“She didn’t like you.” He said it so plainly and I couldn’t help but laugh. I noticed he hadn’t joined in on the joke I took it to be.
“Dakota, that’s ridiculous. I’m not spec—” His hand covered my mouth. Pressed against him, he angled my face up to look at him.
“Uh-uh. You’re precious. You’re not a chip I’m willing to bargain. I was sick of the ultimatums for a future that I wasn’t planning for. I can’t dance with you, I can’t hug you, I can’t call you Bunny, I can’t stay with Victor because he’s your brother, I can’t be alone with you, I can’t take you on errands—sick of it.” His long-winded rant left him breathless, and I moved with the heaving of his chest.
I looked between his eyes; he covered my mouth still. Hurt laced his features and I wanted to say so much to make it better, but instead I fought tears that pricked the back of my eyes.
“You left and everything I liked to do turned sour.” The deep-rooted emotions he felt caused his practiced facade to crack. The change in his voice was harder to fight as the vowels changed to his natural dialect. Dakota’s bottom lip trembled, and I wanted to kiss him right there. “She’s whiny, bitchy, and toxic. Her interests are gossiping about people she doesn’t like, and I don’t tolerate disrespect toward you.”
He kissed my temple and held me close. It was his normal sign of affection for me, and he hadn’t been close enough to do it the entire month he’d been dating Meredith. I couldn’t voice it then, or ever, but I missed it more than he would know.
“You’re my best friend,” Dakota continued. “I won’t bargain you out of my life. You’ve been a part of me far longer and I’ll be damned if it’s cut short for something temporary.” I nodded under his hold, hoping he could read my depth of understanding.
When he smiled, I figured he saw what I wanted him to, and I caught a glimpse of his fangs—both natural and the piercing. The emotionally charged and heartfelt moment turned in my chest. A different warmth spread through me as hope surfaced that it could be the time he took the leap with me and trusted our friendship to prevail alongside a romantic relationship.
“Verad—” His phone rang again, cutting him off. My full name was so pretty in his posh lilt, and I inwardly cursed whoever called him. He released me then, grabbing his phone to end the sharp noise before turning and tossing it into the field. Shock overtook the previous feelings.
“Dakota!”
“I truly don’t give a fuck.” His arms wrapped around my upper body and pulled me flush against him as he squeezed, almost a little too tight. “I haven’t been able to spend time with you like I want, like Ineed, for thirty days too many. I missed you.”
His chin rested on my shoulder and the ends of his dark hair brushed my cheek. In his embrace was where I felt safe and comforted, and I hoped he always knew that.
“I missed you, too.” Expecting more affection and soft touches, I didn’t anticipate suddenly falling backward. Trapped in his hold, we landed on the ground as I shrieked and fought to free myself.
“Dance with me again, or you’re not getting free.” I struggled in vain still. “You know you can’t break loose.” He laughed, and released from the melodic sound was the sense that all would be right again.
“I don’t know,” I said, hesitant to rush back to where it all went south. “That drop freaked me out.” It was a half-truth, and I was glad he couldn’t see my face to read it.
“I caught you, like I promised to always do.”
“I’ll think about it?”
“Mmm,” he murmured, a deep sound by my ear that threatened to send shivers through my body. “Half-accepted.” Dakota turned, tucking me into his side and propping up on his elbow. “Half-free.”
I looked up at him incredulously. He watched me, but absentmindedly drew soft, slow circles by my waist with his thumb. These were the moments I never wanted to end. Whatever came of us, be it friendship or more, I never wanted to lose the quiet moments he let that fragile wall of restraint slip. He took a breath and cleared his throat, a sign I dreaded over the years as he fell back into his American mask.
“I have some errands to run tomorrow…”
“Yes,” I answered, never needing to hear the rest.
