The Monster In Us

31- heLLo boys

In the morning, I don't sleep in like I had planned to do because I wake up at around seven in the morning thinking about Dante and also thinking about what the worst thing that could happen if I tell him who I am.

The worst—he kills me. And that's really not so bad.

But if I tell him and he can accept that, then I think that we could be really amazing. He would know that I really do love him, even though I know all of the things that he's done. Because I know that he doesn't think that I'd love him if I knew who he really is.

I lay in the bed, naked beside Dante for a while just thinking about how I think he would take it if I did find the courage to tell him. I'm not sure if I would go through with it, I'd probably wimp out at the last minute anyway. I'd tell him in person because anything else is weak and if I'm really going to do this, I can't be weak. I'm going to throw this entire mission into flames if I do this. My father will kill me if Dante doesn't do it first.

I don't know how long I'm lying awake in the silence of the morning before there's a loud pounding on Dante's bedroom door. Immediately, I close my eyes again and pretend to be asleep because if it is his father, I don't want to deal with him. Especially considering that I'm naked.

I'm lying on my stomach with my bare back uncovered but the sheet covers me up from the dip of my back and below. I hear the door open and I feel the bed moving as Dante starts to wake up to the loud sound of the knocking.

"What're you doing?" Dante tiredly mumbles to the person who has now barged into the room.

"We have a problem," It is Giovanni. I feel entirely too exposed now but I just keep my face in the pillows and my breaths long and deep to make it look like I'm still asleep. "Get up."

"What is it?" He asks. I can feel him moving around the bed, probably finding his pants or underwear to put on before he actually gets up.

"We'll talk at the office," His father says and then there's a long pause. "Is that the new IT girl?"

"I told you that I was seeing her," Dante reminds his father as he stands up from the bed. He still sounds really tired but he can apparently sense an urgency in his father's voice because he seems to be moving fairly quickly.

"I didn't make the connection," Giovanni admits.

"Yeah. Well we'll be at the office in half an hour," He says. I hear a door open so he either just went into his closet or his bathroom. I know that he's only a few steps away but I still feel gross being naked and alone in a room with Giovanni.

"You're not bringing her," His father says quickly. "This is private business. Unless you told your girlfriend about the side business?"

"No," Dante sighs, his voice very low but Giovanni isn't talking quietly at all, apparently not caring at all if I were to wake up and hear what they're saying.

"Well then, unless you want to use her has bait, I'd leave her here," He tells Dante and after that, it sounds like he leaves the room. I remain still just to be sure.

There's some quiet rustling around in the room for a few minutes until I feel the bed dip again and then there's a warm hand on my back.

"Elisa," Dante mutters my name quietly and then starts to lightly shake me.

I pretend to be slowly waking up as I slowly roll over to look at him. I pull the sheet up as I roll to cover my chest just in case Giovanni comes back. "Good morning," I greet him. He's already wearing a dress shirt and his tie is hanging untied around his neck. "I thought that we were sleeping in today."