"Dante, it's not safe here." I tell him yet again, stomping on the wet ground as I groan frustratedly.

"I can't just sit around and do nothing." he sighs, checking the car engine.

"You will catch a cold Dante. Leave the car, we need to get away from this rain pour." I start to shiver.

The rain won't stop pouring and we are out alone in the dark, in the middle of the road. It isn't safe but Dante wouldn't listen. He keeps trying to fix the car, I doubt he even knows what he's doing. I take in his full height, he's completely drenched from head to toe. What does he think he is, indestructible?

"Listen Dante, we need to find shelter. It's not fucking safe out here, and you could fall sick." I tell him, dragging him away from the car. "We will call for help once the phone signal is back. First, let's get out of the rain."

The car has broken down and I don't think I can handle a broken down grown man too. A sick person and a sick car? What am I supposed to do then?

"Okay get in the car, I'll look around then come back to get you." he sighs, walking away.

"No way am I staying here alone, Dante. The one that gets left behind always end up dead, I'm coming with you." I rush to meet him.

"Says who?" he laughs.

"Says the horror movies I've seen." I yell.

We roam in the rain aimlessly for about ten minutes, not sighting a soul or place to hide. We should have stayed in the car. Now we are in danger of falling ill, or worse we get robbed... shit, we could even get killed by a freaking psychopath!

"Dante this is pointless, I think we should go back to the car."

"So we get killed?" he glares. "You haven't seen that in any of your horror movies?"

Okay, maybe he's right. I mean I don't want to get hacked into pieces by some serial killer but at the same time, I'm starting to think I just might collapse and die from the cold. I'm shivering like a drenched puppy and my fingers are starting to freeze... even his lips are trembling seriously from the cold.

"And what genius came up with the idea of leaving the car in the first place? You insisted it wasn't safe."

Now he's using my words against me.

"I did say that but I never suggested leaving the car. Besides, since when did you start listening to me Dante Moretti?" I scoff and he rolls his eyes. "I know for sure you didn't leave the car because I said so. You, my friend wanted to-"

"You can see the cabin?" he cut me off, pointing at the cabin hidden in the woods.

"Where?" I move closer.

"Just look." he groans, moving close behind me.

He place his hands on both sides of my head, turning my head towards the direction he pointed at.

Ouch!

"Why not just snap my neck?" I yell.

"You see it now?" he ignores my protest.

"Yeah, yeah I see it." I sigh.

When he didn't say anything, I turn around to look at him and he sends me a are-you-dumb-look. I scoff.

"Why are you looking at me like am dumb or something? I only asked you a question."

"No offense Ria, but why so dumb? That's a fucking cabin for goodness sake, we should go there and ask for help. At least, that's what a normal human would do in a situation like this. Don't you think so?" he end his words with a loud groan. "You know what, just stay right here."

I nod repeatedly, shivering from the cold.

He scoffs unbelievably, shaking his head. But why? Oh, he was being sarcastic?

"You are coming back for me right?" I ask, shifting away my wet hair that's sticking to my face.

"Let me spell it out for you, I'm going to seek shelter till it stops raining." he states as a matter of fact.

I should have known. Why am I so dumb?

"But what about me?" I narrow my eyes, studying his face.

"You can stay here and enjoy the weather." he drawls out slowly.

That freaking son of a gun.

"What's your problem? But why are you being so mean, are you bipolar or something? You were nice to me few hours ago and here you are talking to me like-"

"You want to know why am like this? It's because I'm going crazy, Ria. You are driving me nuts." he yells.

"For God's sake, how?" I fire back.

What the hell is he even talking about?

"I can't get you out of my head. Believe me, I tried." he yells loudly this time and I flinch.

"This isn't me, Ria. I'm not supposed to feel things for you. I'm not supposed to have the urge to protect you. I'm not supposed to want you so bad. I'm not supposed to—- fuck!"

"Not after what she did to me." he mutters the last part lowly but I heard.

She? His fiancee?

"Dante." I whisper, closing the little space between us but he flinches, moving away from me.

"You thought that apology was real?" he scoffs.

"You thought wrong, Ria. I didn't mean a single word, I only wanted to get in your head. I needed to make you like me enough to get in your pants. It's been just a plan, to fuck you and never see you again."

Oh my God.

"I lied about Caitlyn, it was part of the plan. Then the stupid car broke down, and now I feel guilty for the first time in my life. We are out in the open in the middle of nowhere and you are in danger because of me. Fuck, if anything happens to you... I just wont-"

"Call me a jerk, call me a monster or anything you want. I deserve it. Shit, I deserve it all. I won't ask you for forgiveness because I don't deserve it. But let me protect you and once you are safe, I promise you will never see me again."

(DANTE'S POV)

"I lied about Caitlyn, it was part of the plan. Then the stupid car broke down, and now I feel guilty for the first time in my life. We are out in the open in the middle of nowhere and you are in danger because of me. Fuck, if anything happens to you... I just wont-"

I won't ever forgive myself...

"Call me a jerk, call me a monster or anything you want. I deserve it. Shit, I deserve it all. I won't ask you for forgiveness because I don't deserve it. But let me protect you and once you are safe, I promise you will never see me again."

I'm a monster, she needs to see me exactly for what I am. I don't deserve this woman, I don't deserve her heart. I can't explain what it is I feel for her, but whatever it is, it really is deep and strong. I know she's way too perfect for me, I knew right from the start. The only way to atone for my sins is to let her go and never appear in her life again.

She laughs hysterically, bringing me back to reality. She's standing right here in front of me, completely drenched with hurt evident in her eyes... hurt that even her laughter fails to conceal.

"Wow, you really are something else Dante Moretti."

Why is she not hitting me? Why is she not yelling at me?

"Ria."

Her laughter is laced with a hint of sadness, sounding like a cry for help. My chest tighten and I feel my jaw twitch. I cover the rest of space between us, placing my hands on both her shoulders. I shake her, over and over again... my aim to get a reaction out of her extremely futile.

God, what have I done?

"You should be calling me names, punching me in the face, yelling at me... that's what you should do Ria. Fucking hit me, hurt me like I did to you." I yell.

"You know, it's funny actually." she says loudly, still laughing.

I wait for her to speak, my whole being tensing up. My heart shatter in pieces when she pushes me with so much force, almost sending me fly to the ground.

"I don't know if I should be impressed with your honesty or be mad at you for even having such plans in the first place."

"And I can't even get mad because just like you, I have these feelings that I can't seem to explain no matter how hard I tried. To think the man I was ready to trust with my heart would do such terrible, inhuman things to me? It hurts Dante. It hurts so much."

I see tears rush down her eyes, and it kills me slowly. For the first time in my life I've been rendered speechless.

"I don't know what to do Dante. Should I be mad at you? I don't know. Should I throw myself into your arms, holding you just like I've always wanted? For goodness sake, I don't fucking know!" She cries out.

"Ria, I'm sorry." I mutter the only words I could think of.

"You know what? I'm not mad. You didn't even go with the fucking stupid plan, you came clean. You confessed to me, remember?" she says, breaking into a humourless laughter.

"But why does it still hurt? Why, Dante? Tell me, why?"

Immediately the words leave her mouth, I grab her hand, pulling her close to my chest. She sobs uncontrollably, breaking my heart. Silent tears slip past my eyes and my chest tightens up in pain. It is all my fault. I hurt her badly.

"I met a monster in person, Dante."

"You are a monster."

Her words ring in my ears repeatedly, crushing what's left of my heart to pieces.

"You are a monster, Dante Moretti... a monster!" she cries out, hitting my chest with her fists.

"But why does it hurt so much? Why am I hurting like this but still feeling so drawn to you? Why do I still feel like holding you? Why can't I just walk away? What have you done to me, Dante?"

My chest doesn't hurt by how she hits me, it hurts badly because of her words. Yes, I do deserve all the pain.

"I'm not like her." she finally says.

"I'm not your fiancee... not every woman is like her. I guess you have to realize that all by yourself."

"Fuck, it's all very wrong. You are to be married to someone else but I keep clinging onto you, unable to let you go."

"Ria, look at me." I tell her urgently, my palms settling on both sides of her face. I look deeply into her eyes.

"I don't want to be with her. I do know I'm unsure of what it is I feel for you right now but I don't want to ever let you go. Call me selfish if it means holding you in my arms, kissing you, making sweet love to you while getting lost in those beautiful hazel eyes of yours. If being happy whenever I see you smile is being selfish, then I want to be selfish with you Ria."

I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Now I know one thing for sure and that's the fact that I'm not letting her go.

Her hands are grabbing my shirt tightly. I untuck her fragile hands from my shirt, placing gentle kisses on them. The gesture catches her off guard and a gasp escapes past her lips. I see her release her fists, and I caress her cheeks, her eyes drifting close. I kiss away the tears that spill from her beautiful eyes... tears I'm to blamed for.

Her hands hold onto my shoulders and I smile, heaving a sigh of relief. I place a gentle kiss on her temple.

"I will never hurt you again, Ria." I mutter under my breath, shutting my eyes.

"Never again."

"Why should I believe you?" she asks firmly, pulling herself out of my embrace.

"Tell me why."

No doubt, I've been an ass and a terrible liar. Why on earth should she believe me now?

"Answer me Dante."

I know I need to say something now or I might just lose her for good. But they say, actions do speak louder than words. In this moment, I decide to do the one thing that cross my mind.

I kiss her...

My lips meet hers and my heart bubbles with joy. I kiss her gently like she's fragile and deserves all the care in the world. Her grip tighten across my shoulders, pulling me into her, pressing herself into me. The tip of my tongue brushes her lip, insistent, and she open her lips to let me in. My hungry mouth mold into hers, the pouring rain and the cold long forgotten.

Once I pull away gently, her eyes deeply looking into mine, we both breathe heavily. I caress her cheek and her eyes shut, her long lashes fanning her cheeks.

"Once a person's trust in someone is broken, it can be very hard to regain." I mutter under my breath.

"You have no reason to believe me."

Her eyes open slowly, and they remain on me.

"Because I will do my very best to prove to you, not by my words but my actions why you should trust me again. It might take a while but I know I'll regain your trust in me, Ria."

Because no matter what, I do not plan to fuck this up—-you and I.