Page 254 of Dante
Until my legs give out and I slide down the tile, sitting on the shower floor in my soaked clothes, gasping for air.
Dante slides down next to me.
We sit there. Side by side. Water raining down on us.
Laughing like idiots.
It's not funny.
None of this is funny.
Tomorrow everything changes.
And I can't do anything about it.
I can't control what happens next. Can't plan for it. Can't prepare.
All I can do is sit in this shower with the man I love and laugh until my ribs ache.
The laughter fades.
We sit in silence.
The water runs over us. Warm. Steady.
Dante's hand finds mine.
I lean my head against his shoulder.
"I'm scared," I whisper.
He doesn't answer.
He doesn't need to.
We both know what's coming.
I take a breath. Push myself up.
"I need to change." I look down at my soaked clothes. "And call my parents."
Dante nods.
I lean down. Kiss his forehead.
"Don't drown in here."
The corner of his mouth twitches. "I'll try."
I step out of the shower. Water pools on the bathroom floor. My shoes squelch with every step.
I grab a towel. Wrap it around myself.
At the door, I pause. Look back.
Dante sits on the shower floor. Water streaming over him. Head tipped back against the tile.
He looks broken.
