Chapter 40

Chapter 40
Veronica

By the time I got back upstairs, I was already regretting that “sure.”

Not because I didn’t want to go. I did. Lorenzo was sweet. He made me feel normal. Safe, even. There were no confusing silences or explosive arguments or power plays disguised as protection.

But that was the problem.

It wasn’t Dante.

I shoved the thought aside, stalking back into the workspace and sitting at my desk like I had something to prove. I wasn’t going to mope. I wasn’t going to replay the conversation in the parking lot or hear his voice in my head or wonder if his jaw clenched like that for everyone or just me.

Screw that.

My phone buzzed again. A follow-up text from Lorenzo.

Lorenzo: Great. I’ll pick you up at 4 on Saturday? I found a spot that does these insane pistachio sundaes. You’re gonna love it.

•~•

Saturday came slower than ever. Dante's behavior didn’t change. He was out of my business and it had an effect on me. 

Lorenzo and I met at the spot near the river. 

He was already there when I arrived—leaning against his car in jeans and a navy blue shirt, his smile relaxed and easy when he saw me.

“Hey,” he said, stepping forward, hands in his pockets like he wasn’t sure if a hug would be too forward.

“Hey,” I said back, and I was a little surprised at how genuine my smile felt.

The ice cream stand was exactly what he promised—simple, local, charming. Painted in pastel colors with a handwritten chalkboard menu and a soft-spoken girl who smiled like we were the first customers of the day. 

We ordered—him a chocolate peanut swirl, me the pistachio sundae with extra whipped cream—and found a quiet spot by the water to sit.

The breeze was warm, rippling over the surface of the river and tugging lightly at my sleeves. People walked past in the distance, couples and kids and old folks with dogs.

It was peaceful.

“So,” Lorenzo said, spooning into his cup, “if I told you I picked pistachio just to impress you, would you believe me?”

I laughed. “Not even a little.”

He grinned.

The silence between us wasn’t awkward but there was still something off in the air. When he laughed, sure he had the look but I caught myself comparing them to Dante’s and I hated it.

He would never take me for ice cream like a normal man would but it seemed I’d spent too much time with him that the normal now felt abnormal to me.

The rest of the evening passed slowly, like a warm breeze stretching across time. We sat there, legs stretched out toward the riverbank, our ice cream nearly gone and the sun dipping low behind the skyline. A golden hue bathed everything, casting soft shadows over Lorenzo’s face as he spoke about something that happened during his volunteer work at the youth shelter last week. I listened, smiling in the right places, nodding when appropriate.

It was easy. That was the thing about Lorenzo—he was easy. Easy to talk to. Easy to be around. Easy to forget the chaos of everything else when he was in front of me.

But easy wasn’t the same as right.

Everything was nice.

But that was it.

Nice.

Not magnetic. Not electric. Not like that thing that clawed into my ribs every time Dante so much as looked at me sideways.

By the time he drove me back home, we were both quieter than before. He walked me to the front steps, hands shoved deep into his pockets, the corners of his mouth turned up just enough to be polite.

“Thanks for coming out with me,” he said.

I smiled. “Thanks for inviting me.”

He stepped forward just a little. Then, before I could react, he leaned in and pressed a soft  kiss to my cheek.

“I’ll, uh…” he cleared his throat, backing up a step and rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll see you around, then.”

I froze. Stunned. Not from butterflies but shock. 

“Yeah,” I said, the word catching slightly in my throat. “See you.”

I turned, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. The hallway lights were dim, the quiet almost too loud after the softness of the river and the way Lorenzo had looked at me. I shut the door behind me pressing my back to it for a second.

Then. A knock. 

I flinched.

It hadn’t even been ten seconds.

“Lorenzo,” I muttered under my breath, already moving to open the door with an awkward half-smile ready on my face. “Did you forget your—”

But it wasn’t him.

It wasn’t even close.

Dante stood there, dressed in all black, jaw tight, his eyes burning into mine with enough heat to scorch.

My breath caught.

He didn’t wait for an invitation. He stepped forward, crossing the threshold like he had every right to be there, forcing me to step back or risk collision.

“What—what are you doing here?”

He shut the door behind him with a slow, deliberate push.

“What did I say about staying away from him?”

His voice was sharp, low, every word coated in steel.

I blinked, caught off guard. “What is your problem?” I shot back. “You made yourself pretty clear, didn’t you? That you were out of my business. That I didn’t have to worry about your tone or your commands anymore. So what are you doing here?”

He moved a step closer. “You think walking away from my jurisdiction means you get to let him put his hands on you?”

“Lorenzo didn’t—”

“He kissed you.”

My jaw locked.

“I saw it,” Dante went on, voice curling dark and dangerous. “I waited long enough to give you space. To let you prove your point. But if you think I’m just going to stand there while he plays boyfriend on your front porch—” his jaw flexed, “—you don’t know me at all.”

I pulled my wrist from his grip, or tried to. But he didn’t let go.

He stepped in again, his hand releasing my wrist only to slide to the small of my back, pulling me into the heat of his body until there was no space left. “And if you’re going to act out,” he whispered near my ear, “then maybe it’s time someone reminded you how to behave.”

My breath hitched.

He didn’t touch me beyond that. He didn’t have to.

His presence alone was enough to flood my senses.

In a swift motion, he was on the couch, my body bent over his leg in a way my ass faced him. 

He lifted my skirt.

I stiffened. Full skin, bare and exposed to him. I couldn’t find my voice.

I opened my mouth but at the same time, his hands landed on my bum. Hard.

I jolted slightly. 

“What the fuck?” 

“10! Count. You miss one, we start over.”