apathy (sequel to fervor)

11 | нιძιɴɢ.

 11 | нιძιɴɢ.

It's been two months since I had last seen my family.

Sure, Barcelona was completely gorgeous, but Georgia was my home. I had family, and friends back there, who missed me deeply. I'll be honest, I did take them for granted. Now I'm on the run with some strange man in Barcelona, and I can't really fully enjoy myself..

I want to enjoy this lovely, new experience, but I'd rather enjoy it with my family. Who knows what's going on with them? I hope Ramiro's controlling his anger..and that Mom and Dad are keeping it together without me..

I sighed, staring out of the window. It was a huge, tall, glass window, and when the sun rose, it would bathe the whole room in sunlight. I was laying on my side, the sheets pulled up to my chin. I couldn't sleep at all, but I felt tired.

I sat up, pushing the covers back.

Maybe something to eat or drink would make me able to sleep?

I exited out of my room, stepping into the almost pitch black hallway. The windows in the hallway gave a bit of light as I walked down the steps to the kitchen, and I headed straight for the fridge. I got a clean cup, and started to pour some juice into it when I noticed him.

Dante.

He was standing outside, wearing nothing but a pair of lounge pants. He was as still as can be, and it made me worry about him. I put the cap back on the carton of juice and placed it back in the fridge. I came to the door, and slid it to the side, coming out into the cold air.

I shivered, rubbing my arms.

Dante looked like he was in a trance, staring up at the night sky.

"You can't sleep either, huh?"

I looked at him, responding to his question with a nod. "Here," he picked up a blanket, and wrapped it around me, "this'll keep you warm."

"Why are you out here?" I asked him, looking up into his eyes.

"The sky looks gorgeous at night," he nodded, "I have a lot on my mind, as well."

I sat down, by the pool, crossing my legs. "You wanna talk about it?" I asked him. "Nah, I'm good," he answered, and sat down next to me.

We looked up at the sky, in silence. There was a constellation shaped like a chair, almost a throne, and several others in the sky.

"That's the Corona de Belleza, or Beauty's Crown in English," he pointed. I looked at him, and his eyes stayed focused on the beautiful night sky. "They say that a Spanish Queen gave up her crown because she fell in love with a sick beggar. She had fallen out of love with her King, and often left the castle to go be with the beggar," Dante looked at me, giving me a gentle smile, "she nursed him back to health and he proposed..but before she could say yes, the King and several of his men came through the door and killed her, and the beggar."

"Then why do they call it that?" I asked.

"She had given up her crown for love."

I sighed, content.

That was so sweet. Someone making sacrifices to be with you, for example, the Queen giving up her crown to be with the beggar. Mom told me that when you got someone like that, you held onto them, because they would be the best thing you would have.

"That's sweet.."

"They say that the one you see the constellation with is the one you'll fall in love with."

I blushed, looking away.

"So what about you?" He asked, taking my hand, "Anything on your mind?"

I looked down into the pool, watching the water ripple back and forth. "I'm just thinking about home..I miss them, you know?"

He nodded. "I know how you feel. But you'll be with them before you know it. They might be right around the corner, coming to save you now."

I gave him a sad smile, and he scooted closer to me. "I just miss them so much!" I started to cry, and Dante pulled me in his lap. I cried into his neck, and I felt him lift me up, going back inside the house.

"Shh..shh.."

I sniffed, my vision blurry. We had entered a room, and Dante laid on the bed, me still in his arms. I sobbed onto his chest, and he pulled the covers over us. His arm snaked around my waist, and he turned off the light.

"I'm here, okay?" Dante kissed my lips, wiping my tears. "I'll be here whenever you need me, okay?"

I nodded.

"Now get some rest, alright?"

I got comfortable, snuggling up to him. Dante's scent invaded my senses, and he smelled like vanilla. I looked up at him, and his eyes were closed, his chest rising and lowering softly.

Now that I was up close, I could see the detail of his tattoos. Dante had a full sleeve, and it continued on the right side of his chest.

I sniffed, and Dante started to snore.

"Good night," I whispered, tracing patterns in his chest until I fell asleep myself.

When I had woke up in the morning, Dante was no where in sight. I took a shower, and picked out one of his shirts to cover up with, and slipped on my shorts. I came out of his room, and went down to the kitchen.

"Morning."

Dante was at the counter, eating some breakfast. "Good morning," I said. "I made some breakfast for you. I didn't want to wake you up, you looked so peaceful sleeping."

I went over to the stove, taking a clean plate and piling pancakes and sausage onto it. I took a seat across from him, and he snickered.

"What?" I asked, pouring syrup over my pancakes and sausage.

"For a small girl, you sure do eat a lot."

I rolled my eyes. "Hush."

"Are you gonna make me hush?" He raised his eyebrows, sticking his tongue out at me. I tossed some syrup on him, and it got on his face, and in his hair.

It was dripping down into his face, and he wiped it off. "Oh hell no!" He yelled.

I giggled, and Dante came around the counter, trying to catch me. I hopped off the seat, running around the other side of the counter.

"Get over here, Monae!" He yelled, hopping onto the counter. I screamed, squirting him more with syrup. He growled, and I ran out of the kitchen, but Dante caught me. I wiggled in his arms, and kept squirting him with syrup. He turned around, and I squealed, but stopped when I noticed that Santiago was standing there.

There was syrup on his shirt, and Dante put me down slowly. Santiago sighed, "I leave the house for an hour.."

"I'm sorry! I guess we got a bit out of hand.."

"It's fine, Monae..but you," he pointed at Dante, "come here."

They left the room, and I heard a door close, signaling that they went into Santiago's office. Soon, I heard them yelling at each other, back and forth.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Santiago screamed.

"I'm just having some fun, damn!" Dante screamed back at him.

Some of what they were saying was incoherent, but I crept close to the door, placing my ear against it.

"What happened last time, Dante?!"

"That won't happen again."

"But you don't know for sure."

I bit my lip.

What are they talking about?

"You know what happened, last time. I just don't want her to end up like that."

"She won't."

The door started to open, and like the fool I was, I forgot to move. 

Dante stood there, staring me down. 

"Dante-"

"Don't."

He walked past me, and I watched him, walk up the stairs, leaving me simply..there. 

I looked back at Santigo, but it was blatantly obvious that he wasn't going to tell me what was going on. 

What was Dante hiding?