Being Mrs. Kane

Chapter 23

The most dangerous silence is the one where the impending danger is more silent than the silence there!
– Mehmet Murat ildan

The Past few weeks for me was like walking on clouds. First, it was Laura's and Eddie's reconciliation then, Diana made me a part of her little design team for her next fashion show. After that, I had the most beautiful engagement party ever even if most of the guests were total strangers to me. Finally, I got the best engagement gift, my brother.

I watched as Dean signed the final paperwork with his parole officer then he pulled me into a bear hug and ruffled my hair.

"It's nice to see you again," he said with a smile and I felt my eyes water. "On the outside," he added.

"It's nice to see you too," I said with a sniff and a small chuckle. I sighed as I placed my head on his shoulder breathing him in— he smelled of aftershave and cheap perfume but not the prison. A small tear fell at that.

His hair was starting to grow unlike the clean shaved I got used to seeing. His eyes were red at the rim, I could see that he was holding back his tears. He looked decent with his clean shaved jaw, button-up shirt, and jeans but looked a little different— more built yet a little leaner than before.

"I have so much to tell you," I said as I led him to the car with Theo standing outside.

"Welcome Mr. Kingston," Theo said with a small smile and a curt nod before getting into the driver's seat. Dean turned to me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"You can start by telling how you became Cinderella," he said and I groaned.

Time seemed to pass in a blur as we rode to my apartment. We didn't run out of things to say, from my time at Landucci to Shelby's Home of elderly— well, I was sort of the only one speaking while Dean would just make small retorts. I was careful not to press him to about his time in jail, the dark times was over now.

I opened the door to my apartment and for the first time, I felt a sense of satisfaction that he wasn't coming back to my former shack of an apartment.

"Do you know RatFace has been MIA for a while?" I asked him as we got in.

"Wouldn't be the first time," he replied.

"No, this time is different. Rhino Lounge is no longer in operation," I explained.

"Well that means Blanco was right," he simply said.

"Blanco? You're still in contact with Blanco?" I asked.

"He said Ratface has been battling with a terminal illness for a while. I thought he was wrong, I mean, where does he get the energy to disturb you? It seems like he was right after all," he said and I blinked several as I tried to digest the information. I didn't know if I should be happy about the news or feel sorry for him.

"You still talk to Blanco," I asked trying to turn the conversation away from Ratface's fatal condition.

"Yes, he is one of the people who still visit me," he said.

"You never told me."

"It never came up," was his clip reply. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, I just— your parole officer said—"

"I know what she said, alright? I won't be getting in trouble if that's what you are afraid of. Blanco has a comfortable studio apartment not so far from here, he's a budding artist and he'll need some helping hand so I'll be starting from there," he explained.