☽Ⓛ❈Ⓒ☾

My mouth opens and closes like a fish taking in water for oxygen.

Did he really just say everything?

"Everything?" I repeat the word, disbelief clear in my voice.

Dante smirks again. It's a subtle expression, one corner of his mouth slightly raises.

"Yeah," he replies bluntly. "You got any brothers or sisters?"

And that's how it begins. The conversation flows back and forth. I answer all of Dante's questions, none of which are flirty or inappropriate. He asks questions about my family and seems genuinely interested in the answers. I don't tell him that my family aren't my biological ones because frankly, that's none of his business. That's far too personal for a chat in the garden of a house party.

At some point during our chat, Steph and Raquel come outside, clearly looking for me. They're both squinting as they scan the garden. Upon finding me talking on a bench with Dante Romano, who currently has his arm around the back of the bench behind me, they both try to play it cool.

They fail miserably. The jumping up and down is a bit of a giveaway for their excitement. They leave us to it and take seats on the patio, no doubt getting a prime view of our conversation.

As the evening goes on, the temperature drops. Rick starts bringing out towels for people to wrap themselves in because there is still a mini-rave going on inside. Noise is bellowing from the house and flashing lights are illuminating the curtains in different colours.

In true romance movie fashion, Dante shrugs out of his leather jacket and puts it around my shoulders. He doesn't smile, he doesn't say anything sweet, he just puts it on me and then returns to our chat.

Even after talking to him for over an hour, I struggle to get a read on him. His mates interrupt a couple times and he is equally as blunt and expressionless with them, the people he is supposedly closest to.

As he turns to answer one of his mates, I get another glimpse of the gang tattoo on the back of his neck.

My mum would kill me if she knew I was talking to him.

He turns back and graces me with a small smile that has my stomach fluttering.

"What time are you staying till?" He asks me.

I check my phone. It's midnight and there's a text from my mum.

Earlier on in the night, we all agreed to stay at Steph's and I texted Mum her address. She already knows it because Steph's mum is her friend, but still.

"I'm staying over at my friend's house, so I'll leave when she does," I reply.

I glance over at my friends to check on them. They're both wrapped in some of Rick's towels and cuddled up against each other on the camping chairs. Their eyes are closed as they doze.

"They look kinda sleepy. I should go check on them, they probably want to leave soon."

Dante shows his fifth emotion of the evening by looking a tiny bit disappointed before slipping his nonchalant mask back into place.

"Let's go see them, then," he suggests.

I can't keep the surprise off of my face. I stand up and Dante puts his hand on my lower back under his jacket. I can feel the warmth from his palm through my dress.

He helps me across the grass in my heels. I get to Steph and Raquel and gently shake them awake. They look confused for a moment before staring up at us.

"Dante?" Raquel mumbles. "What the fudge are you doing waking me up?"

Dante rolls his eyes. "That was Allie."

Hearing my name from his lips is pretty damn amazing, I won't lie.

"What time do you want to go?" I ask Steph who is staring at us both.

"Uh, now? I'll call a cab," she says groggily.

Dante stands with us as Steph calls a cab. Luckily, it's a Friday night and there's lots about at this time. They'll be here in five minutes. Steph and Raquel find Rick to thank him for the party.

"You don't need to do that, he's high as fuck," Dante tells them. "He won't remember it."

The girls go anyway, but I think it's an excuse to leave Dante and I alone together. He takes me back into the house and out of the front door.

We wait on the street outside. At this time of night, the only inhabitants are foxes at the end of the cul de sac. Dante leans against the front wall and I stand next to him, still as confused as when he first spoke to me.

I take a good look at him, admiring his appearance. He looks older than seventeen, but that may be the faint bags under his eyes and his physique. He is my age and yet almost a foot taller than me, not to mention ripped to shit. He has muscles upon muscles and I'm practically drowning in his leather jacket.

"I want to take you out tomorrow," Dante says bluntly.

I'm taken aback by the question but manage to recover. Tonight has been full of surprises.

"You don't look happy about asking me that," I reply and Dante frowns.

"What?"

"You just asked me out and you have the most expressionless face!" I tell him whilst laughing. "Can you not crack a smile for me?"

He gives me a small smile, he looks like he's trying to resist it but can't.

"I don't really express my emotions," he answers.

"No shit!" I retort and we both laugh.

Seeing him laugh makes my stomach go all funny. He's so handsome. Laughing makes his grey eyes light up, I love it. I wish he did it more often.

"So? Yes or no?"

I cross my arms over my chest. "That depends."

He narrows his eyes. "On?"

"Whether I'll get another smile or not."

He rolls his eyes. "Sure."

I like this more playful side to him.

"Then, yes."

He smirks and gestures to the jacket around my shoulders. "Keep the jacket, you can give it back to me tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

He's wearing a t-shirt that shows off his tanned, muscular arms. "Yeah," he responds with a shrug. "I'm not cold."

Nope, you're definitely hot.

We exchange numbers and I can't help but smile at typing Dante's name into my phone. The girls come out of the house just as the taxi arrives. I say goodbye to Dante and we get into the taxi. They wait until we've driven away from the house before squealing and grabbing hold of me.

"Dante fucking Romano likes you!" Steph yells, making the taxi driver wince.

"This is insane," Raquel adds. "Not insane that he would be attracted to you, of course, you're gorgeous, but he never dates anyone! He's hooked up at parties and that, but he's never actually like spoken to someone all night."

"I know!" Steph chimes in. "I think he even smiled at her."

"Hell would freeze over before that guy smiles," Raquel says.

I sit between them, still not quite believing that tonight has been real.

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Mum picks me up from Steph's house just after ten. I'm a little tired but not hungover at all, we didn't drink that much.

Seeing that I'm in a good way and not hungover, Mum is extra happy with me.

"See? This is why I trust you. You go to a party, you leave your Find My Friends on, you text me that you're okay and you don't get shitfaced. Thank you for being responsible, Allie."

Unlike some people my age, I hate getting so drunk that I pass out or I'm sick. I did that at fourteen/fifteen, I don't want to do that anymore. I know that seventeen isn't that much older, but I've changed a lot since then.

"I've got a date today, is that okay?" I ask Mum on the way home.

She looks over at me, her eyebrows raised. "Already? You've been here a week! Damn girl."

"Thanks, Mum."

"Sorry, honey. Of course, you can go. Who's the lucky guy?"

"He's called Dante."

"Oo, sounds exotic. Is he foreign?"

"I'm not sure, I think he might be Italian or Spanish."

"So, he's yummy?"

I laugh at her choice of words. "Yeah, he is."

"Southern Europeans always are," she says wistfully.

A/N; if you're not white British I'll find you attractive tbh 😩

"I wish your father was Italian sometimes."

"Don't tell him that."

"I know, poor thing would be so hurt."

Dante texts me in the afternoon asking for address. When he comes to pick me up, he comes on a motorbike.

I've been on the back of my friend's peds and scooters before, but never a full-on motorbike. Dante is smirking at me when I approach him. He hands me the helmet and I look between it and the bike nervously.

"Don't be nervous, Allie. You'll love it, I promise," he tells me.

I clip the helmet on and Dante instructs me to get on the bike. I swing my leg over and get comfortable. When he revs the engine, I wrap my arms around him and squeeze.

Here goes nothing.

Okay, so a motorbike is definitely a step up from a scooter.

It's incredible, though. Dante is right, I love it. I'm pumped full of adrenaline when he parks up in front of our date location. I read the sign and grin at him.

"An escape room?"

He winks. "Wanna have a go?"

"Okay, let's try it."

The escape room that Dante chooses for us is a haunted room one. I wasn't sure about it and I really should have told him that. I like horror movies so I didn't think it would be that bad, but it's a whole different experience to actually be in the room rather than watching it at home on your sofa.

Objects fall off shelves as we're locked in the room. Things jump out from corners and holograms of ghosts turn up at moments you least expect. I spend the hour jumping and screaming and hiding behind Dante, who finds the whole thing hilarious.

I'm a nervous wreck by the time they let us out. We didn't find the way out, mainly because I was freaking out whilst Dante tried to solve the problems.

"We're doing that again but with a different room cause that one was fucked up," I tell him when we get outside.

He laughs and puts his arm around my shoulders, sending my heart racing. "I'm sorry, Allie. I didn't realise you'd be that scared. You said you like horror movies!"

"I know but that was different, that shit felt real."

"We'll come back and do the code room, how about that?"

I pout at him. "Yes, please."

"Come on, I'll buy you a crepe to make it up to you."

At the mention of food, my mood lifts.

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Happy Hump Day! ♥️