Chapter 33 A Bet
"He's so you," I say.
The movie finally comes to an end, and it is an entertaining movie. Somehow, the main characters are much like Dante and me. At first, they hate each other. When they're in the same room together, they do nothing but stay silent. Time passed by, and they decided to open up and give themselves a chance to know each other better.
While they spent time together, they always bickered and teased each other. Bickering and teasing each other had always been a part of their days together. After more time had passed, they realised they were falling for each other and were glad that their families arranged the marriage for them. Even though the circumstances sound a lot like what Antonio and I are currently going through, the main characters' characteristics and character development fit Dante and me better, so it feels more relatable to our relationship dynamic, at least to me.
"No, he's not," Dante retorts. My eyes immediately roll at his denial. I remember how he was when we first met, just like it happened yesterday. The way he looked at me like I had something contagious, I remember it. It was quite funny as well when he was so easily ragebaited by me. Gosh. I miss those times. It was fun while it lasted.
"Dude, he is. You were as grumpy as he was. Always too serious. Never smile or anything. But now, you're not anymore. I guess it's the effect I have on you," I say, giving him a teasing smile as I wiggle my eyebrows. Dante forces a laugh and then scowls.
"Hahaha, no," Dante says. He's lacking in the self-awareness department. Did he forget how strict he was for a couple of weeks when he first got assigned to me? I guess it was thanks to my charm that Dante wasn't as grumpy and serious as he was before. Well, he did say he likes me, loves me, even, so I guess he's getting softer for me because of his feelings for me, too.
"Don't try to deny it. It's definitely because of me, isn't it?" I say, wiggling my eyebrows again as I grin at Dante widely. Dante rolls his eyes, but smiles back at me anyway.
"Fine. It is because of you, but don't think of it as something more," Dante says.
Something more? Does he mean he doesn't want me to think he's kinder to me because he likes me? Oh, Dante, my darling. I know your secrets. I won't say it to your face, but I know you're showing your softer and gentler side towards me more because you like me back.
"What are you even implying?" I ask, acting clueless. Dante stares at me for a second, forming his thoughts. Behind those eyes, hesitation is quite apparent. His immediate thought is definitely because he likes me, but just like before, he won't admit it.
"Just because I'm nicer now, don't think you can get away with anything. I'm still your bodyguard, and my duty is to keep you safe and keep you in your place," Dante says. I know he was going to say the other thing, but he holds himself back from doing so. It's whatever. I know the truth already, and I won't try to dig it out of Dante for now. And keep me in my place? Now that's something I need to clarify further.
"Keep me in my place, huh? What are you going to do if I don't do it? Punish me?" I ask.
"Yes," Dante says with a straight face.
He's going to punish me? Oooh. I wonder how he will do it. Gosh. I need to get my head out of the gutter. Calm yourself down, Ale.
"How?" I ask.
"Run away again now and find out for yourself," Dante says. The glint of mischief in his eyes makes my heart skips a beat. Shit. I swear he'll be the death of me if he keeps teasing me like this.
I would've done it if I'm not sick right now. Not because I want to actually run away, but because I want to test him and see what he'll do. You know, just like the first time we met. It was kinda fun, and I bet my next escape attempt wouldn't be any less entertaining. So, we'll see about that in the future.
"No, thanks. I'm too sick to even stand up," I say, sighing as I shut my eyes close. My statement somehow makes me aware that I'm still sick, making me conscious of how my body still shivering from my fever and how the world kind of spin around me because of my dizziness.
"That's what I thought," Dante says.
"Expect the unexpected, though. You'll never know when my next attempt will be," I say, still keeping my eyes closed, smiling cockily at the thought of me actually succeeding in running away from Dante.
"Oh, I'll figure it out the second you think of it," Dante says. An idea appears in my mind. I smirk at it. That's not a bad idea. I'll definitely win the bet. I can definitely run away from Dante without getting caught.
"Wanna bet?" I ask, smirking at Dante.
"Why not? I don't want you to go bankrupt, so I bet you 50 euros that I'll catch you the second you try to run away next time," Dante says. It's not a crazy bet, but I must win it. I need to be smart enough with my hiding place if I managed to leave Dante's side and sight.
"Alright. A bet is a bet. We'll see who wins it soon. I won't actually run away, just hiding from you. I'll give you an hour to find me. If you can't find me within half an hour, I win," I say.
Half an hour should be enough time for me to find the best hiding place. How should I do it, though? If I do it when we're outside the house, Dante might get into big trouble with my father. As much as I want to test how good Dante is at finding me, I don't want him to get punished by my father because of our little game. So, my only option is to do it around the house area. Maybe in the woods? Nah, it's too obvious. Whatever. I'll think about it later.
"You'll lose, I'll find you in minutes," Dante says.
Minutes? Nah. He won't find me. I won't let him. That's a promise. I will hide in the most unexpected place and he won't be able to find me. Whether he likes it or not, I will win this bet.
"Only in your dreams," I say.
"I mean it," Dante says.
"We'll see about it later. I'm going back to sleep now. Ciao," I say.
"Wait. Let me check your temperature first," Dante says. He grabs the thermometer and sticks it into my ear. The device beeps and Dante nods at the result. I guess that's a good sign. I really hope it is. I don't want to be sick for too long. I need to prepare for the Ricci's function.
"You're getting better. It's 37.8 now," Dante says.
"That's good," I say.
"It is. Now go back to sleep. I'll wake you up later for dinner," Dante says.
It's still 3.30 in the afternoon right now. So, I have plenty of time to rest before dinner. I hope I wake up in an hour or two, though. I don't want to sleep for too long. Long naps sometimes make me feel sluggish, and I don't want to experience that while I'm still sick and dizzy. It'll absolutely feel worse than usual.