The Debt **ON HOLD**

6

  "Dante, what the hell are you doing here?" I whispered as he slipped into the room. Isaiah was still sound asleep—at least I hoped—and dad was still outside possibly with mom.

  Im starting to think Dante might have a bit of a death wish.

  "It's fine, your dad said I have five minutes." Dante whispered as he slipped inside of the room, tiptoeing towards the hospital bed. He didn't look good. His eyes were red, he had bags under his eyes, and his hair looked to be getting a little untamed.

  Jesus how long was I out?

  "Really? The way you're sneaking tells me otherwise." I sent him a glare and he let out a chuckle. He looked at me with a smile, as if I was a friend he was seeing for the first time in a long time. 

  "I'm tryin not to wake up your guard dog." His smile didn't falter. This was a genuine smile, not his signature smirk, a smile. I smiled and shook my head before taking a quick peak at my brother. An earth quake wouldn't wake that boy up.

  I looked at him for a second before voicing my thoughts. "You look like shit."

  He let out a quiet laugh, looking down to the floor before looking back up to me. "You don't exactly look runway ready either."

  "Yeah but I've been dyin, what's your excuse?" I laughed, countering his insult. He laughed for a moment before coming to a slow stop. His jaw moved slightly and he pursed his lips.

  Dante stood there, staring at me, until his smile fell. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but they didn't seem to be happy thoughts. My thumbs played a game of thumb war as I laid there uncomfortably. Was that joke too made too soon? I tend to make jokes out of bad situations, which he clearly knows from the first time he met me.

  "I'm so sorry." Dante broke the silence. His eyes were filled with remorse. Did he look like dog shit because of me? I tilted my head before shaking it in disagreement.

  "Don't blame yourself for this shit, Dante." I continued to shake my head as I looked at him with sad eyes. Out of everyone, he would be the easiest to blame, but the fact of the matter is... the only person to blame is Nikolai.

  "No. I should've known that crazy son of a bitch would do something like that. I shouldn't have underestimated him." He was getting restless. Guilt, is a dangerous emotion, and Dante was clearly filled with it.

  "No." I said angrily. I knew the road he was going down, I went down that road as a teenager and he doesn't wanna be on it. "If anyone is to blame here it's the dip shit who did it. He made that decision. He decided he wanted to get the last laugh but jokes on him because look at me. I'm here."

  I noticed Isaiah shift from my peripherals and sighed before getting quieter. Isaiah is a time bomb that I'm not sure will go off or not, it's best not to test him.

  "You could play the blame game all day, but at the end of the day we don't know how this situation would've ended up, with or without more protection. We don't get to." When I spoke, I knew that Dante knew I was right. The only problem was I didn't know how deep he was. Guilt can be one hell of a monster. 

  The door opened and my mom walked in. Dante turned his head slightly, waiting for my moms call.

  "Your times up." She spoke softly. I think she heard what was happening, hospital doors aren't exactly sound proof.

  Dante nodded his head slightly before turning his head back to me and sending me a nod. I watched him walk out the door, and prayed he'd take the next exit off guilt road.