close to my dialling heart

49🌹just the two of us

🎶I could stay awake just to hear you breathin' watch you smile while you are sleeping, while you are far away and dreaming 🎶
                         ~Aerosmith~
DOVE 🕊

I stared at the wall, my thoughts tangled and restless, making sleep impossible. The new message from minutes ago from the anonymous sender kept replaying in my mind—his claim that he could treat me better than Xavier. But I didn’t believe it, not for a second. Xavier was everything to me. Who was the is person?

My phone chimed, pulling me out of my thoughts. I reached for it, hoping it was Xavier. When his name appeared on the screen, a small smile tugged at my lips, but it quickly faded as I read his message. He wasn’t going to make it tonight. Disappointment flickered briefly, but I knew there had to be a good reason. Xavier would never let me down unless he had no choice. I didn’t reply right away, not because I doubted him, but because I missed him more than words could express.

I started to feel suffocated, the walls of my dorm closing in on me. Needing a breath of fresh air, I slipped outside, the cool night breeze immediately calming my nerves. Just as I settled onto a bench, my phone rang. Seeing Xavier's name on the screen brought a sense of comfort, and I quickly answered.

"Hello," I said, my voice softening as I spoke, feeling a bit more at ease just hearing from him.

XAVIER 🥀

I was attending a mafia meeting, one that seemed to hold great importance, though the weight of it only added to my unease. I sat beside Mr. Meadows, who was calmly leading the discussion, his presence commanding the room. Everyone's eyes were on the door, waiting for the arrival of the boss of the most powerful mafia in Italy—and possibly the world. His impending presence loomed over the room like a shadow, and i was told he had something to say to me.

Most would consider this an honor, the chance to be acknowledged by someone so formidable. But for me, it was anything but. The tension in the room pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. All I wanted was to escape this suffocating atmosphere and be with Dove. There was no place I'd rather be than by her side, where everything made sense and I could find peace.

When I texted her, she didn’t reply, so I decided to call her before this so-called boss of bosses arrived. Excusing myself, I stepped outside, needing to hear her voice. When she answered, her "hello" was so low and breathless that it sent a chill through me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concern tightening my chest.

"Yes... I think so," she replied, but I could tell she wasn’t. Her voice was faint, trembling as though she was shivering.

"Dove?" I pressed gently.

She sighed softly, and the sound of it only deepened my worry. "I just feel a bit under the weather," she admitted, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

"Will you be okay?" I asked, listening to the uneven rhythm of her breathing. She was struggling, and it tore at me. I couldn’t stay here, not when she sounded like that.

"I'll be fine," she insisted, but I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

I didn’t even glance back as I rushed out of the building. The moment I stepped outside, three black cars pulled up, their arrival signaled by the eye of providence emblazoned on the front—clearly, the boss had arrived. This was crucial to the old man, but it was insignificant compared to Dove’s condition.

I jumped into my car and sped away. Mr. Meadows’s meeting might be important, but I couldn’t focus on it. Not while knowing Dove was unwell.

DOVE 🕊