Dante’s Girl (The Paradise Diaries #1)(19)
Author: Courtney Cole

“Reece.”

A whimper.

I turn, only to find Mia on her hands on knees next to the chair that I left her in.  She stops whimpering and throws up gallons of purple wine-cooler.  I wince.  And she throws up more. Then she’s crying.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur to Dante and then I rush for Mia.

I feel him behind me, but I don’t look.  I just sink to the ground next to Mia and hold her short hair out of her face while she pukes.

Because this is what a friend does. They take care of their friends even when it is inconvenient or inopportune.  Am I her only friend?  I look around, but don’t see anyone else coming to help.  But to be fair, half of the people here are in her same condition.

“Reece, I feel so horrible,” Mia whines.

“Of course you do,” I soothe her, patting her back.  “We should get you home.”

She sits up and throws her arms around me.  “Thank you, Reece.  You’re a really good friend.”

I’m about to answer her with a sweet reply when she starts heaving again and before I can turn her around, she throws up on me.  Her orangey-purplish vomit runs down the front of my shirt and the smell makes me want to throw up too.

“Oh, jeez,” Dante cringes.  “I’m sorry, Reece.”

He scoots around me and picks up Mia gently by her arms.  “Mia, sweetie, we’ve got to get you home.”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket with one hand and murmurs something into it.  Within two minutes, Buzz Cut and another security guard are at Dante’s side.  Were they out here on stand-by this whole time?  The thought impresses me and creeps me out at the same time.  Does Dante ever get any privacy?

“Mia, Russell is going to take you home,” Dante tells her.  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

Mia nods in her barely cognizant state and then her head flops limply against Russell’s chest.  It looks like Russell glares at Dante before he stalks away, but I can’t be sure.

Dante turns to me.  “Let’s go get that rinsed off.”

I nod mutely and let Dante take me by the arm again. He leads me away from the party, down by the water, away from the splashing boys.  We’re in a quiet little inlet where my feet sink into the wet sand and I look around.  Were the rest of his security detail close-by and watching?

I bend down and try to wash my shirt off.

It’s not happening. It’s too difficult while I’m still wearing it on my body.

“Okay,” Dante assesses the situation. “You’re going to have to take it off.”

My gaze flies to his face in surprise.

“No.”

Is he really just like every other boy?

He just wants to see my boobs?

I thought he was different.

Dante sighs patiently.

“I mean, I’ll give you my shirt to wear and you can rinse yours out in the water before it stains.  I’ve never actually seen it specifically mentioned on laundry detergent commercials, but I’m guessing that bright purple vomit will stain a shirt.”

“You’re probably right,” I cringe as I feel the nasty stuff soaking through and touching my skin. “Okay.  You’re definitely right.  I need to take it off.”

The prospect of taking my shirt off in front of him both thrills me and terrifies me.

“Here,” Dante says.  He’s already shrugging out of his button-up chambray shirt.  He holds it up against me like a shield.  “You stand behind my shirt and take yours off.  No one will see you.”

“Okay.  Close your eyes,” I instruct him.  He instantly closes them tight.

I pull my shirt off quickly and drop it on the ground next to me.  I feel odd standing here in just my bra and shorts when Dante is literally just a breath away.  Just one breath.  He could reach his hand out and my bare skin is right here for him to touch.

And I’m being ridiculous.

He is standing there with his eyes closed like the gentleman that he is.

He’s not going to reach out and touch me.

I gulp and reach to take his shirt and I hear something.

Something quiet, non-descript… and something that shouldn’t be there.

I turn, just in time to hear the clicking of a camera.  The flash bulbs practically blind me as I yank Dante’s shirt around me.

Dante yells and chases whoever is taking the pictures and I am left to quickly slip his shirt on and button it up.  I glance toward the bluff and no one is there. Dante is gone and no one else even noticed that anything had happened.

Everyone else is too drunk to notice, apparently.

I take my shirt to the edge of the water and kneel down to wash it.  Dante’s shirt is soft against my skin, and it smells like him.  I enjoy the feeling for a second and then roll the sleeves up so that they aren’t dragging over my knuckles.

“I couldn’t catch him,” Dante’s voice said from behind me.  He was resigned and pissed off.  “I’m really sorry, Reece.”

I’m confused and I turn to him.  “Why are you sorry?”I ask.  “You didn’t do it.”

He shakes his head.  “No. But it’s because of me.  My life will never be normal and I’m really sorry that it has affected you in such a way.”

“If you hadn’t sent Russell with Mia, this wouldn’t have happened, would it?” I guessed.  I can just tell that Russell’s eyes never miss anything.

“Probably not,” Dante admitted.  “So, I’m sorry about that, too.  She just needed to go home and I wasn’t ready to leave you yet.  I wanted a little bit of time alone with you.  So, this is my fault.”

I roll my eyes.  “No, it wasn’t.  Not at all.  You were trying to be a good friend.”

But in my head, I’m singing.  No, I’m screaming. In my head.  Silently.

Dante wanted alone time with me?  With me??

Dante turns his head and his eyes meet mine and for a moment I see something in his, something a little vulnerable and slightly sad and very beautiful all at the same time.

Just for a moment.

And then it is gone.

Chapter Ten

Dante cuts me the biggest slice of chocolate cake that I’ve ever seen, then pours a glass of milk.  He pushes both things toward me.

“Is that goat’s milk?” I ask hesitantly, eyeing the foaming white liquid.  “Because I haven’t seen one single cow since I got here.”