His jawline was clean, his lashes lowered slightly when he smiled, and there was a lazy warmth about him that made people drop their guard. It was a strange thing, that warmth, coming from a man whose name alone could empty a room.
Then, without warning, I remembered the kiss from that night.
The way he had trembled.
The way his breath had changed.
The message he sent afterward on the burner.
That was my first kiss. You have to take responsibility.
My heart suddenly skipped.
I quickly looked away.
But Dante seemed to notice.
He turned his head and smiled at me.
That smile was bright, almost dazzling.
For one brief moment, I felt as if I had fallen into a warm, dangerous dream.
Later, we rode the Ferris wheel.
As the cabin slowly rose, the entire boardwalk spread out beneath us.
The roller coaster tracks twisted like ribbons. The lights of the game booths flickered one by one. The crowd below became small and distant. Beyond the rides, the black line of the harbor stretched south, and I could see the warehouse roofs that belonged to the Falcone shipping concern glinting in the last of the light.
The sunset painted the sky in soft orange and gold.
I sat across from Dante, watching the fading light fall across his face.
Neither of us spoke for a while.
The silence was not awkward.
It was strangely gentle.
When the Ferris wheel reached its highest point, Dante lowered his eyes and gently took my hand.
His fingers were warm.
I should have pulled away.
I knew I should have.
But I did not.
I simply let his warmth wrap around me, spreading slowly through my palm and into my chest.
After we got off the Ferris wheel, Dante suggested going to the haunted house.
I agreed.
Inside, the darkness swallowed everything.
Cold air brushed against my skin. Sudden screams echoed from hidden corners. Fake ghosts leaped out without warning, making me flinch again and again.
At some point, I instinctively moved closer to Dante.
His shoulder brushed mine.
His body heat was close, solid, reassuring.
When something suddenly dropped from above, I grabbed his sleeve without thinking.
Dante looked down at me, amusement flashing in his eyes, but he did not tease me.
Instead, he slowed his steps and stayed beside me the entire way.
When we finally walked out of the haunted house, the bright light outside made me squint.
Then we looked at each other and laughed.
It felt as if we had just survived a small adventure together.
On the way home, I suddenly realized something.
For the entire day, I had barely thought about Luca.
Not his excuses.
Not his absence.
Not the disappointment he had left me with.
It was as if Dante had quietly filled all the empty spaces Luca had created.
When we reached my door, Dante stopped.
One of his soldiers waited by the black sedan at the curb, eyes forward, giving us the illusion of privacy.
For a moment, Dante seemed to hesitate.
Then he leaned down and gently kissed my cheek.
The touch was brief.
Soft.
Almost careful.
Before I could react, he had already stepped back.
"Good night," he said with a smile.
I stood there, watching him walk away.
A faint sweetness rose in my chest, light and unfamiliar.
Just then, my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Luca.
Sorry. A friend came back from abroad unexpectedly, and I really couldn't get away.
I stared at the screen.
For a long time, I said nothing.
Then I let out a cold laugh.
Another excuse.
Always another excuse.
He never came when I needed him.
He never explained in person.
He never cared how many times he left me standing alone.
But Dante had been there today.
Dante had stayed.
Dante had made me laugh.
The contrast was so sharp that it almost hurt.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether I should tell Luca what had happened today.
That Dante had come in his place.
That we had spent the whole day together.
That Dante had held my hand on the Ferris wheel and kissed my cheek at my door.
