Chapter 165 Falling slowly
Dante’s POV
I held her gaze for a second longer than I should have.
My mind already wrapped itself around what was going on here. It just didn't know how to escape it.
Her words stayed between us, few but heavy enough to shift the mood between us.
I didn’t respond immediately, I just watched her, waiting for her next reaction.
There was no rush in her expression. No pressure. Just that same calm look with confidence she’d carried all night, like she already knew I wouldn’t walk away.
I exhaled slowly as my grip tightened around the keys in my hand ever so slightly.
“This is a bad idea,” I said under my breath.
And she tilted her head just a little. “Is it?”
I didn’t answer that, cause I already knew where this could go. And I knew I wasn’t supposed to let it.
My jaw tightened faintly as I looked away for a second with my thoughts tangling up all at once.
Serena.
The silence I had forced for days.
The control.
The distance.
And now this, I let out a quiet breath. I could do it with no consequences, but that's me taking myself back.
It didn’t have to mean anything, yes. I owed no one an explanation either.
This is the only thing that mattered, just a moment. Nothing more.
So I looked back at her. “Where?” I asked.
And that was it. That was the answer she was looking for as her lips curved slightly, not surprised.
“Somewhere private,” she said.
And I nodded once, then unlocked the car.
The drive was quiet and far from comfortable. Just… quiet, having the kind of silence that carried something heavy below it.
I kept my eyes on the road and my hands steady on the wheel, but I kept glancing at her from the corner of my eyes.
I kept glancing at the way she sat beside me, relaxed, like she wasn’t trying to force anything.
And that somehow made the moment a bit complicated. If she had made any attempt forward, I would’ve known how to react already.
But she didn’t. She just… waited.
I tightened my jaw slightly, telling myself I wasn’t going to reach out for her.
That thought alone made my hands tighten over the wheel again.
It wasn't happening this way tonight, not like this. I'm done giving these women the upper hand.
I’d made that decision before we even got there, and I plan to keep it.
I pulled up at the hotel parking lot a few minutes later.
I killed the engine and we sat there in silence. From the corner of my eyes, I could see her staring down at her hands in her laps and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
After a few more minutes, she broke the silence. “Okay, can we go now?” She asked carefully, adding a chuckle.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, she followed suit, stepping out and waiting for me to walk round then lead her towards the hotel.
We walked through the doors together.
“Welcome, Mr. Russo,” the receptionist warmly greeted me and I smiled, gesturing towards her.
She eyed up Issabella slightly as we walked past into the hotel lobby which was pretty isolated.
No one paid necessary attention to me, no one cared. That made it easier to carry her all the way to the highest floor.
Or maybe, it just removed the last excuse.
We stepped into the elevator without a word and the doors slid shut after us, cutting off the outside world completely.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then I pressed the button, tapping my feet on the floor as the silence inside the elevator felt different.
It felt heavy, tense. I could feel her presence beside me without even having to turn.
I kept my eyes forward.
“You’ve been quiet,” she said softly.
“I usually am,” I replied.
“Not always like this,” she shot back, and I didn’t respond to that.
The elevator seemed to move much slower than before.
“Are you thinking about changing your mind?” She asked.
“No.”
The answer came too quickly, and a faint smile touched her lips, but she didn’t say anything about it.
The elevator finally came to a stop with the doors sliding open.
I stepped out first, leading her to the far end, to my room.
I did the necessary verification requirements and the door responded, popping open before I pushed it open further.
The room felt exactly the same as I left it, large, way too large for me alone.
I stepped inside and moved just enough to let her in before closing the door behind us.
I went through the locking procedure, and just like that… it was just the two of us.
No side distractions, no interruptions. Just us.
I exhaled slowly, setting my car keys down on the table as I walked further in.
She didn’t follow immediately and I could feel the hesitation coming off her. So I turned around as I got to my bed.
She was still near the door with her gaze moving slowly around the room before settling on me.
“It’s a beautiful room you got for yourself here,” she said.
“It’s temporary,” I replied immediately.
“What happened to your penthouse?” She asked again as she walked in.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I shrugged out of my jacket, tossing it onto the chair before running a hand through my hair.
“Do you want something to drink?” I asked.
“Are you avoiding my question?” She asked and I glanced at her.
“I asked a question.”
She held my gaze for a second, then shook her head lightly. “No.”
Another few seconds passed without a word before she stepped further into the room slowly.
Like she had all the time in the world.
I stayed where I was, watching her as she made no attempt to rush in.
“I don’t remember you being this tense,” she said softly as she reached me.
“I’m not.”
She stopped a few steps away from me, studying my face like she didn’t believe that.
“You are.”
I let out a quiet breath, looking away briefly. “This doesn’t change anything,” I said.
“I know.”
“It doesn’t mean anything, either.”
“I know that too.”
I looked back at her, wondering why she wasn’t arguing, or wasn’t pushing.
There was still that calm, confident look in her eyes. It made it harder to hold the line.
“When was the last time we were in a room like this?” She asked suddenly, and I went still a bit.
“That doesn’t matter,” I countered.
“It does,” she said quietly. “Cause I remember.”
I didn’t respond, but my jaw tightened faintly.
She took another step closer, not enough for our bodies to touch.
But just enough to close the distance.
“You couldn’t even look at me properly back then,” she added.
“That was a long time ago.”
“Few weeks ago, you mean?” She smirked, and before I could answer, she cut in. “And what about now?”
I held her gaze all the way, but didn’t answer. Cause I knew what she was asking, and I didn’t have a clean answer for it.
The silence stretched on, thicker now, heavier as she didn’t bother taking a step back.
And neither did I.
“When was the last time you let yourself feel anything?” She asked, softer this time.
I looked away again, exhaling through my nose. “That’s not what this is,” I replied.
“Then what is it?”
I didn’t answer, cause I didn’t know. Or maybe I just didn’t want to say it out loud.
I felt it before I could think into it, her hand brushed against mine lightly.
It was barely there, but just enough to freeze my hand. Every instinct screamed at me to step back.
To break it, but I didn’t.
“I’m not asking you to think,” she said quietly. “I’m asking you to just… be here.”
My jaw tightened. That was exactly the problem, thinking was the only thing keeping this from going crazy.
And the moment I stop… I knew exactly where this would go.
I looked at her again as her gaze dropped briefly to my lips before lifting back up.
I took a slow breath. “I said this doesn’t mean anything,” I repeated with my voice lower now.
She nodded once. “I know,” she replied but she didn’t step back. Didn’t break the distance.
If anything… she lifted herself, drawing us closer with the space between us barely existing anymore.
And for a second… I just stood there.
Caught between pulling back—
And closing the distance completely.