The Wounded Love novel Chapter 24

I left work, no longer loving life, and walked back to the hotel. Before going up to my room I stopped at the bar to get a glass of wine. It was necessary. I needed to relax before going over to her house.

I found Dante sitting on a stool with a drink in front of him. He spotted me right away and waved me over, so I made my way to the seat next to him. Instead of letting me sit down, he pulled me in between his legs and pushed me against the bar. I smiled. "Someone is in a good mood."

"Hmm, not really. You left me this morning." He placed each arm on the counter, trapping me.

"So... what are you going to do about it?" I wondered aloud. He was a little tipsy.

Dante didn't answer me in words. Instead he pushed my hair to the side and stared to kiss me. I sighed. "Maybe I should leave more often."

He shook his head. "No, you shouldn't." Dante held me tighter.

I laughed. "Are you drunk?"

"Ovviamente no. Of course not." He was looking into my eyes now.

"Are you high then?" He seemed like he was on something. I found his behavior strange for someone who always looked so serious.

"Si Stella mia, on you." Then he laughed. I laughed too because he was being ridiculous. "You smell good. Like flowers." Dante took a big sniff of my hair.

"Are you sure you're good?"

"I've only had a few of these." He pointed to his glass. "Don't you find it weird how even after all we've done, I still don't have your phone number?" He asked. "Give me your number."

I smiled at his drunken state and pulled out my cell phone. As he dialed his number into my phone I heard someone sit on the stool next to us. The man said, "You must be Skyla, am I right?"

He had shaggy brown hair and was much bulkier than Dante. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. "Yeah, how do you know?"

"This one doesn't shut up about you."

"Be quiet." Dante didn't even look at the guy. He continued to play with my hair instead.

"I'm Sean by the way. Dante's friend." He extended his hand, so I shook it.

"Is he okay?" I pointed to the man who still had me trapped between his legs.

Sean shrugged his shoulders. "He may have had one too many, but he'll be fine."

"I am fine." Dante gave me my phone back. "You," He said to Sean. "Need to go back to your girlfriend."

"Good." He kissed my chin. "Be careful-?stay clear of your ex."

"Nick?" I asked. "He's really not a bad guy." I explained. "He was only drunk."

"Trust me, Skyla, I know men like him. He screwed you over once, and he'll do it again."

That was harsh. "You're just jealous." I accused.

"Please, amore mio. What do I have to be jealous of? Look at me." He backed up, giving me a clear view of his massive, muscular chest.

I bit back a laugh. "I'll see you tomorrow." Dante kissed my hand as I left.

I ran up to my room and changed into fancy clothes because my mother was into that kind of thing. Then I went outside and managed to catch a cab. The drive to her house wasn't too long. If I was being honest I wanted it to be longer. What was I going to say once I got there? What was she going to ask me?

Dinner turned out to be awful.

At first everything was fine. We hugged, she complimented my clothes, and I complimented her thousands of dying plants. That was just the way we apologized to each other.

Mother had plants from all over the world living in her house. They would've look beautiful if they weren't all dead. I didn't know why they refused to stay alive. She had house maids constantly looking after them when she wasn't. My mom was weird like that.