Chapter 31 #31
Chapter 31
Shailyn
After that awful experience at the office, my head was all over the place. The confrontation with Hannah kept replaying in my mind like a broken record, her words echoing in my skull no matter how hard I tried to push them away. The stares from my coworkers, the whispered conversations that stopped the moment I walked by, the weight of everyone's judgment pressing down on me until I could barely breathe.
I just wanted to catch a break with everything, to be honest. Just one moment where I could exist without feeling like I was drowning in confusion and doubt.
I was sitting at my desk, staring blankly at my computer screen, not really seeing the code in front of me, when I heard footsteps approaching. I knew without looking up who it was. I could always tell when Dante was near, something about his presence that made the air feel different.
"Hey baby," his voice was warm and gentle as he came to stand beside my desk. "How was your day?"
I looked up at him, and something in his expression, the genuine concern in his eyes, the way he was looking at me like I actually mattered, made everything I'd been holding in come spilling out.
"It was terrible," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "Hannah and I... we had a huge fight. She was going on and on about those photos, about how you're lying to me, about how I need to see the truth or whatever that means."
Dante's expression darkened, his jaw clenching. "What did she say exactly?"
"She said you're manipulating me," I continued, the words tumbling out faster now. "That you're filling my head with lies. When my memories come back, I'll understand everything. She made it sound like... like you're some kind of villain in a story I can't remember."
"And what did you say?" Dante asked, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder, warm and reassuring.
"I defended you," I said firmly, looking up at him. "I told her she was crazy. That she was the one lying, not you. That if she was really my friend, she'd stop trying to ruin my marriage."
Something flickered across Dante's face, satisfaction maybe, but it was gone so quickly I might have imagined it.
"I'm proud of you," he said, squeezing my shoulder gently. "I know that couldn't have been easy."
"It wasn't," I admitted. "She was crying, and part of me felt bad, but... I can't just stand by and let her trash you like that. You're my husband. You've been nothing but supportive and caring since I woke up. Why would I believe her over you?"
"Exactly," Dante said, his voice smooth and soothing. "Just leave her, baby. She's just being a bitch. Honestly, I think she's always had a thing for me, and now that she sees how happy we are together, how in love we are, she can't handle it."
"You really think so?" I asked, though part of me had already started believing it. It made sense, didn't it? Why else would Hannah be so determined to break us apart?
"I know so," Dante said confidently. "I've seen the way she looks at me when she thinks no one's watching. The way she finds excuses to come to my office or talk to me. She's jealous, plain and simple."
I nodded slowly, letting his words sink in, letting them reshape my understanding of Hannah's behavior. "I just wish she'd leave us alone."
"She will," Dante assured me. "Eventually she'll realize she can't come between us and she'll move on. But until then, just ignore her. Don't let her get in your head."
"Okay," I said softly.
Dante smiled, then bent down slightly so we were at eye level. "How about I take you out, hmm? To clear your head. Let me take you to an ice cream shop. We can get away from this office, from all these people and their gossip, and just be us for a while."
The suggestion made something in my chest loosen. "Really? You have time?"
"For you? Always," he said, helping me gather my things. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
The ice cream shop Dante took me to was a small, charming place tucked away on a quieter street in downtown Kington. It had a vintage feel to it, with pastel-colored walls, checkered floors, and little round tables with wrought-iron chairs. String lights hung from the ceiling, giving everything a soft, romantic glow even in the late afternoon.
"This place is adorable," I said as we walked in, the bell above the door chiming cheerfully. "How did you find it?"
"I have my ways," Dante said with a smile, guiding me to a table by the window. "What flavor do you want? Let me guess... chocolate?"
I thought about it for a moment. "Actually, I think I want strawberries. With caramel drizzle."
"Strawberry and caramel?" Dante raised an eyebrow. "That's a new combination for you."
"Is it?" I asked, suddenly uncertain. "I don't... I can't remember what I usually get."
His expression softened. "It's okay, baby. You can get whatever you want. I'll be right back."
He returned a few minutes later with two enormous ice cream sundaes, mine with the strawberry and caramel I'd requested, and his with what looked like vanilla and hot fudge.
We had fun. Real, genuine fun. For the first time since waking up in that hospital bed, I felt like I could breathe without the weight of missing memories and confusing relationships pressing down on me. Dante made me laugh with stories about mishaps at the office, about some ridiculous presentation a junior developer had given that had accidentally insulted one of the board members.
I enjoyed myself and forgot all about what happened earlier, forgot about Hannah's tears and accusations, forgot about the whispers and stares at work. It was just me and Dante, sharing ice cream and laughing like a normal couple.
When we finished, Dante reached across the table and took my hand. Then he leaned in and kissed me, soft and sweet, tasting like vanilla and chocolate.
I felt delighted. The kiss made everything else fade away completely. I felt my worries go away, dissolving like sugar in water, leaving only this perfect moment of connection.
"I love you," Dante murmured against my lips.
I paused because I wasn't expecting that, it came as a shock. But I'm not thinking it twice, Dante loves me and I love him too.
"I love you too," I whispered back, meaning it with everything I had.