Five Star Hotel

21. Secrets

This is a short chapter with a lot of dialogue but it was necessary.

Don't get mad at me for...

I woke up half off the bed, half on. Dante was using me as a pillow and I felt his stubbly face pressed into my back.

My head throbbed and I still had the awful taste of tequila in my mouth. I was sticky from sweat, my hair was matted down and the smell of alcohol made me gag. I stumbled over to the bathroom and into the shower. About two minutes into it I heard a knock on the door, "Can I come in?" Dante asked.

"Yeah." I could barely keep my eyes opened even with the lights were off.

Dante walked into the shower with me, causing my eyes to go wide at that bad case of morning wood. He didn't seem fazed by the way I stared at it, instead he pushed me to the side so that he could get under the water.

I stared at his perfectly round butt and said those words that were dreaded in every relationship, "We really need to talk."

"Talk? If this is about me telling you I love you..." Dante shook his head.

"What? Are you taking it back?" I asked.

"No. I just don't want you to feel like you need to say it back if you're not ready. I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"That's not what I was referring to." I was hoping he wouldn't bring that up. "I know I said I was okay with you not telling me everything, but I'm not anymore. Between Nick and that thing that happened with Anthony yesterday," I pushed him over so that I could have a turn under the water. "It's really starting to get to me. I just want you to tell me the truth."

"Why are you bringing this up now, Skyla?" He seemed annoyed.

"I know you're keeping things from me, Dante. I can't be in another relationship that's filled with lies and secrecy. We were just hanging, but now I feel like we're getting serious and my feelings for you are getting stronger. You told me you loved me, but I just... I can't say it until I know what I'm getting myself into."

"Hanging out?" He asked me. "We've just been hanging out?"

"You know what I mean." I sighed, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around me."

"I don't know." He said. We weren't yelling at each other. Our voices were actually very low. "And do we really need to talk about this right now? It's early." He stepped out of the shower too.

"It's noon time." I said. "And yes, I have to do this now. Every time I ask you what's wrong you tell me not to worry and I'm tired of that. When I ask it's not to make your life any more difficult, I want to be there for you. I thought that you'd would come around to the idea of letting me in but nothing is changing. A relationship is two people who care for each other and trust each other and are honest with each other."

"It's none of your business, Skyla." He closed his eyes.

"If you feel that way then you're not ready to be in a real relationship."

Dante's eyes shot open "You're really going to listen to that bullish!t Nick fed you over me?"

"No, but at least he's making an effort, even if it is all lies."

"What exactly did he tell you, Skyla?" He looked like he wanted to punch a wall.

"What he told me doesn't matter, I want to hear it from you because I trust you. All I know is that your father's name absolutely terrifies him. You said it that day outside the hotel and he looked like he sh!t his pants. I got almost the same reaction when I mentioned it–"

"When did you and Nick talk about Silvio?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"The night he showed up to my mother's house. Remember I was all f@cked up."

"What did you say?"

"That he was here."

"Skyla, do not go around and tell anybody anything about him, that's how you get in trouble."

"Why?"

Dante sighed. "Because I said so."

I pulled on my dress and said, "Don't talk to me like I'm some kid. How am I supposed to know the 'rules' if you don't tell me anything?"

"Why are you making this so complicated?" He groaned. "Does it even matter? You went for a walk with your ex boyfriend who is madly in love with you, but I didn't say anything because I trust you. Why don't you trust me?"

"Because you don't give me a reason to!" I was mad now. "I tell you everything. You know everything about me, but I know absolutely nothing about you!" He stayed quiet. "You were right, you do suck at this whole dating thing. You don't know what it means to be in a relationship." I wanted to hurt him.

"Where are you going?" He called after me as I walked toward the door.

"I'm done, Dante. I am done."

I didn't turn around to see his face when I said those words, I didn't wait to see if he'd run after me. I walked toward the elevator, silently got on and let it take me up to my floor.

Cheers to Sabrina, she was right about men.

Jade was in my room. She was sitting on the sofa with her dress from last night still on, and a cup of coffee in her hand. "You stayed out." She observed with a smug smile.

"Yep." I said taking out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. It felt good to change into something other than that dress.

I threw myself onto the bed and closed my eyes. Jade sat beside me. "What's wrong?" She asked, confused.

"I'm hungover."

"So am I." I heard her take another sip of her coffee.

"Dante told me he loved me." I stared blankly at the wall in front of me. "And then I broke up with him."

"What!?" She jumped over to my side of the bed. "Why the hell did you break up? Did you not say it back?"

"No I didn't say it back." My voice was flat and low. I continued to look at the wall.

"Why not!? Is that why you broke up?" She was dying for answers.

"No that's not why." My voice was still flat.

Jade rolled me over. "Start talking. I can't make you feel better if all I'm getting are these dry answers."

I sighed. "Dante said he loved me. I didn't say it back, but not because I don't love him. He's keeping things from me, things about him, his family, his past. Every time I bring it up he'll change the subject or tell me not to worry. I just had enough of it. I don't want another Nick, I don't even know who Nick is, I never knew who he really was and I hate him for it. I don't want the same thing to happen with Dante."

"Do you think it's an ex or something?" She asked.

"No, I don't think so." I knew Dante wouldn't crack. Nobody could force him to do anything that he didn't want to do, he needed to be in control. Even with Anthony, the rich gazillionaire who took him into his home and played the role of a father, even he didn't have control over Dante.

Jade also knew that I wouldn't crack. I hated apologizing to people, the few times that I have said sorry, had been empty apologies, they were just for show.

"Don't beat yourself up." She said hugging me. "If he really loves you he'll come around. You didn't do anything wrong."

I didn't apologize and he didn't come looking for me. For the remainder of the day Jade and I stayed in doors, trying to recover from our hangovers.

Annnnd the ship has sunk... whoops!