Page 51 of In My Blood
“Are you going to be alright with Dante and Callan?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said confidently.
“We’ll take care of her, and if she needs you, she can use my cell to call you anytime she wants to,” Callan added, and I was grateful for the backup.
“I’m tougher than I look, Rafe. You don’t need to worry so much,” I reassured him.
“I can’t help it. I’m terrified of losing you again,” he confessed quietly. His deep soulful eyes met mine and they were filled with fear and pleading.
“I’m trying, Rafe,” I whispered as I put my hand over his again on the counter. “Right now I feel positive about things, so that has to be good, right?”
“Yes,Tesorino. That’s good.” he agreed. He wrapped his free hand around the back of my neck and pulled me close enough that he could kiss my temple softly. “I’m so proud of you right now,” he added and it completely choked me up. He made me want to do better for him, if for nothing else. He made me want to do more than simply finding some will not to want to kill myself, for him to be proud of.
CHAPTER 14
CARA
“No!” Dante’s barked word had startled me the first five or six times. Now I was used to it, and I just sighed deeply as I turned to him.
“They’re black leggings, Dante. What is your issue with these?” I asked as I stared up the vast difference between us to meet his glare with my own.
“You’re picking the cheapest ones again. Get the thermal ones. Those ones,” he dictated as he pointed to some black leggings that advertised thermal lining inside of them.
“Those ones will be no use to me in spring or summer,” I pointed out.
It had been this way ever since we walked into the large department store, at one end of a vast shopping centre, which Dante had driven me and Callan to, almost two hours ago. When I had walked in and started to look at the most basic items that would tide me over for a while, Dante had stamped his foot down and told me if I didn’t buy a full wardrobe, that Rafe would approve of, he’d start choosing items himself. Callan had advised me it would be easier and more cost effective overall if I just chose clothes I actually liked and that would fit.
I had already picked up a couple of pairs of jeans and a mixture of sweaters, both knitted jumpers, and sweatshirts. I’d picked out a few blouse-type, floaty looking tops, in case I went anywhere a little fancier than I was used to, and a pile of basic plain t-shirts and vest tops that I liked to wear beneath sweaters. Callan had then gone behind me and picked up the styles I chose in other colour options, going way overboard, but refusing to take anything back. When I had gotten annoyed and tried to put my own foot down, Dante had stepped in and for some reason I found myself giving into his commanding growls that everything stayed.
There was a shop assistant following us around with a rack on wheels, filled with clothes I had picked, and items both guys had added along the way. That was the second rail already and I felt ill about the cost I knew this was all going to amount to.
“How about we get some of each, then Cara has leggings for all year round?” Callan suggested as he leaned in past me and grabbed multiple pairs of both kinds.
“Fine, but that’s it. I don’t need anything else!” I said firmly,
“That’s not it. Rafe said to get everything. That means you need sports clothes, underwear, pyjamas, shoes, socks…what else?” Dante looked to Callan.
“She definitely needs slippers for the cold marble floors. A dressing gown would be good too. Oh, and outdoor wear. Coats, hats, scarves, gloves,” he went on and I turned to him with a glare.
“You were supposed to be on my side,” I accused.
“I am. I just want to make sure you have everything you might need too,” he argued with his adorable smile in place, making me feel unable to argue further.
“Rafe wants to take care of you. You need to let him. For eleven years he almost lost his shit worrying about you and doing everything he could to get you home. You need to give him whatever he wants now that he has you back,” Dante told me bluntly.
“I don’t need all of this materialistic stuff though. I’ve managed with only what I could fit in a back pack since I was eight years old. This is all just a waste of money, and believe me when I say I hate wasting money,” I explained.
“Money means nothing to Rafe over seeing you safe and settled. I know to you these are just material things, but to Rafe it’s him providing for you, just as he’s needed to do since the day he let you go. Just give him this, Cara. I know this sounds shitty after the years you’ve spent scrimping and saving for everything, but the money we’re spending here really is nothing more than a drop in the ocean to your brother. Seeing you in warm clothes that he provided means everything,” Callan tried to explain, and that did make me feel a little better about it all, even though I did still hate wasting the money that would have housed and fed me and Mum for at least a year in my old life, maybe even two or three. I wasn’t sure because Dante was doing his utmost to hide the price tags from me.
“Fine,” I sighed. “We can get the other stuff.”
“Thank you, gorgeous,” Callan smiled as he linked his arm with mine. I liked when he did that, as he had since we walked into the shopping centre. He smelled so good, his aftershave not toooverpowering, but a warming mix of something sandalwood and spice.
“What are you thanking her for? We were buying it all anyway, whether she gave her permission or not,” Dante grumbled as he stared at Callan hard.
“I think Callan was just trying to give me the illusion that I was making some of the decisions here right now,” I laughed.
“Why do that when it’s pretty clear you’re not in charge right now,” Dante continued with his bluntness.
