Dalesio ✔️

Food

Chapter 5

*Camille's POV*

I walked home from school after talking to Dante for a bit longer. I ate dinner with my mom and even had enough time to take a shower before the party started.

I rummaged through my closet for anything that resembles party clothes.

I lay all my choices across my bed.

I go with the red, lace top and the black leather skirt. I don't like the feeling of leather but I'm not working with a lot of clothes.

I grab my black heels this time with red bottoms and walk down the stairs.

It's much easier to put heels on after you make it downstairs.

"And where is it that you are going, hot stuff?" My mother asked, eyeing my outfit. "To a party." I respond.

"Oh how I miss when I partied day and night." I watch as she reminisces for a moment. "Just be at school tomorrow, and if you come home drunk don't wake me up."

"Yes ma'am I will be sure to be at school." I pull my hair back into a slick ponytail. I like my hair better when it is out of my face. "Be safe, use protection, don't do drugs...unless you bring some home.
Also, don't get caught because I won't bail you out." She gives me a small, sarcastic smile.

"Mother of the year award goes to you, as always."She lifts her dress up slightly and bows, "Love you baby." I shook my head at her bow, "I love you too."

I check my phone when I hear a ping. It's Dante, he's here.

"Okay mom, I'm leaving!" I yell from the bottom of the stairs, "Okay! Protection!" She reminds.

"Ma!" I hear her laugh as I walk outside.

"Cano." He said greeting me, "Dalesio" He smirked at my comment, "You look nice."

"Oh? Is the Dante Dalesio complimenting me! I'm so honored." He stares dead into my eyes for a few minutes before looking away. "I hate you."

"No you don't." I poke his chest causing him to smirk at my stupidity.

He opens the passenger door for me. I notice that he waits until I put my seatbelt on to actually walk over to his side of the car.

I sigh and lean my head against the window of his car. His smell brings me peace.

It sounds weird...but it's true.

I glance at him and roll down the window.

The wind hits my face, it's cold outside but it feels good. It's rejuvenating.

When we arrived at the party the music pounded in my ears. "We won't be here long." He says, opening my door.

I honestly hope not. I didn't realize there would be so many people here.

I look down at my hands as I play with my ring. He's been taking me to school every morning and taking me home. Sometimes he walks with me instead of driving.

I've been here for about a month now. Time has been flying.

He looks down at me after he grabs my hand to help me from the car, "Stay close in here."

I want to ask why but he had already begun pulling me into the crowd before I had a chance. As we walk he looks back at me to make sure that I am okay, something he does more often then I think he knows.

He stops at the front door before he opens it, "If you get scared in here just squeeze my hand." I nod and follow him into the house filled with over a thousand drunk teenagers.

I look around. The stairs are filled with empty solo cups and sweaty bodies. The living room has teenagers standing on the couches and tables. The kitchen, filled with people trying to get refills.

I almost slam into Dante's back when he abruptly stops.

"Dante! My guy!" A manly voice speaks. "Who's the girl you're hiding from me." I step from behind Dante. "Cam- " I begin, but before I can finsih Dante is speaking. "Irrelevant."

It's clear that they didn't care for each other. The tension in the air is so thick I think I am choking on it.

"Alright then." The man says. Dante and I both watch as he pulls out his wallet and takes a couple hundred bills from it. "Here. I'll have the rest Saturday."

Dante slightly squeezes my hand. "Shame." He shakes his head and looks down at me. "Stay or leave?"

Do I want to stay in a sweaty home that may collapse at any moment, or leave?

"We can go." He nods and leads me back through the crowd and to his car.

"Hungry?" He asks, a huge smile breaks across my face, food is my comfort for every situation. "Yes."

We pull into a Wendy's parking lot. I thought that he would want to get food through the drive-thru but he wanted to sit inside.

So that's what we did. We ordered food and sat down.

"So" I grab a french fry and take a bite of it, "Tell me something about you." It's a cliche question, I know, but I don't know anything about him.

"I hate people." He says nonchalantly. I laugh and drop the rest of the fry on my plate, "No, something that's not already obvious."

"I hate all people," He pauses. "I hate you a little less." I think he meant for that to sound reassuring but I don't think it did. "Okay, progress. Why is it that you hate me less?"

"I said a little less." He reminds. I gasp as he takes one of my fries from my plate. "Hey!" I slap his hand away. "Fine, how come you hate me a little less then everyone else"

He shrugs. "You're just not like everyone else. You're more tolerable." He takes another fry from my plate, "And you're way prettier then everyone else." I smile and look down at my tray of food, trying to cover my blush.

"My turn to ask a question." He says to break the awkward silence. "If you believe what everyone says about me, why don't you fear me like everyone else too?"

I shake my head thinking. I've asked myself this question. I don't really have a genuine answer. I guess I just assume that he would have hurt me already.

"I don't know. I guess I just figured that if you were going to kill me you would of already." I shrug.

"Never say never." He winks and I laugh at him. There's moments when I see his lip twitch like he wants to smile, but he never lets it happen. He's so tense.

"Do you miss New York?" He asks randomly after a moment of comfortable silence. "Yeah, I grew up there. It's so quiet here, I never thought I miss such a loud city so much."

He nods in an understanding, "I visited there a lot with my mom. She owned a bakery out there." He quiets down at the end of the sentence like he's telling a secret no one else can hear.

"Owned?" I question.

"She passed away, the bakery went to my father and he sold it." I watch as he closes his fist, holds it tightly, and then releases.

I don't know what to say to him.

His mother must be a sensitive topic to him.

"Ready?" He asks and I nod. The next best thing next to food, is sleep. Sleep is the only escape I have from our twisted reality.

We walk back to the car together in silence. The drive back to my house was silent as well, but it was comfortable.

Peaceful.

When we arrive outside my house neither one of us move.

"Thank you for the food. You didn't have to pay." I say quietly. "You don't need to worry about money." He states before he gets out of the car to open my door.

"I'll pick you up for school tomorrow." He reminds me. I enjoy these moments we have together. I'm beginning to worry I may enjoy them a bit too much.

"Night Cano."

"Night Dalesio." After I enter my house I watch him leave through the window.

Maybe I like him...