Michelle parked the car and took one step out the door before pausing to check the text message she had just received. Her heart leapt.
DANTE: Both your apartments have been guarded with waratah against Julian. Be safe. Please.
She quickly stowed her phone and headed up the stairs, closing the door after Alex.
Alex gripped her in a hug so fast she almost tripped backwards. “Thank you so much for doing this.”
“For what?” Michelle asked, running her hand behind Alex’s head. She tried to remind herself not to breathe in through her nose. She remembered how wonderful Alex smelt, and Michelle tended to lose focus if she had her face too close to Alex’s hair but she couldn’t help it. It was only a quick inhale, but even that sent tingles to her temples.
“For letting me stay here. I just didn’t want to be alone tonight. Just…for being there.”
Michelle flattened her hand against Alex’s back, giving her a few soft strokes. “Can I get you anything to eat?”
“No thanks, hun. I’m going to take a shower,” Alex said.
“No worries,” Michelle replied, sitting down with a sigh and leaning back. Alex placed her hands on Michelle’s shoulders and gave a quick, soft squeeze.
“You wanna join me, baby?”
“Yeah…wait, what?”
Alex looked confused. “I said have you got a towel handy…”
“Oh…” Michelle said, giving her head a slight shake. She sat forward and took a towel from the top of the clean pile on the opposite lounge suite and handed it to Alex.
“What did you think I said?” Alex asked with a slight smile.
Michelle gave her best impression of a dismissive laugh and a shrug. “I don’t…I don’t know.”
Alex took the towel and playfully shook her head. “You seem really off. You sure you’re ok? You’re distant. Is it me staying here? If I’m a burden…”
“Shush. You’re no such thing,” Michelle said, putting her feet up, appearing to relax. “Things are just crazy. You saw the sky when we got out and on the drive over here. It’s been like that for weeks. I’m just settling, you know. Glad you’re ok. Everything is fine, sweets.”
Alex didn’t press the matter and left for the bathroom. As soon as Michelle heard the water turn on, she crept past the door and headed into her wardrobe, placing the necklace inside an old shoe box. She had no idea if it was dangerous, but thought the best thing was to keep it close. Just in case. The last thing she needed was for Alex to somehow find it. Michelle almost dropped the box as a piercing shriek came from the bathroom. Michelle shoved the box haphazardly in the top drawer and bolted down the hall, launching her shoulder against the door, breaking it free. She stumbled and set eyes on Alex, sitting naked on the shower floor, knees bent at an angle while she looked down at her side. Michelle moved around to look at what Alex was looking at.
“Oh sweetie…”
Alex’s lips were quivering as she pressed her fingers against what was her tattoo of Nick. His name with the wings. Now it was nothing more than a scabby, sore riddled wound. Alex finally looked up to Michelle, partially showing her the bloodied fingers she had touched the tattoo with. “Did you know about this?” she stammered through tears. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“No…”
“Stop lying to me!” Alex screamed as sobs and fear consumed her. Michelle switched off the water and sank to her knees, wrapping her arms around Alex whose head fell onto her chest, clinging to Michelle’s arms with her fingers. “What happened to me…” she wailed, rocking back and forth, scrunching her eyes. “What happened…”
*
Dante approached his building and looked up to see Margaret, who had been sitting with her knees to her chest on his doorstep, rise. She marched over to him, lip quivering. He had a feeling what was going to happen, but he let her come.
She slapped him with all her might, screaming through raging tears. “You bastard! I trusted you! I want you to look me in the eye and tell me why you betrayed me. Go on. Tell me right now what was worth doing that to my daughter!”
Dante waited for her wheezing breaths to slow before answering, “I loved her.”
Margaret shook her head slowly, her lip trembling. “How dare you…how fucking dare you. You gave me your word.”
Dante closed his eyes briefly and moved past her. “I trust you can get home safely.”
“Don’t you just walk away from me! I want an answer.”
“You have one.”
“You think that’s good enough? That it makes it ok to sleep with my daughter?”
“It was her choice, not yours.”
“I have stood by you through everything! We’ve been through hell together. But. I. Can’t. Even. Look. At. You. Do you have any idea what could’ve happened? You could’ve killed her!
Dante gave a roar-like yell and punched the wall next to his door before rounding on her. “Any idea? Any idea? Did you have any idea? All those years ago when you made me promise to never cross that line with her, did you know what would happen if I did?”
“I heard stories, that’s all.”
“And you never once thought to tell me?”
“I had your word. Little did I know how little it meant.”
“Then you are just as responsible for what happened to her.”
“What the fuck has happened to you? You’re blaming me? How fucking dare you!”
“You’re damn right I dare!” he roared back. “Because of my mistake, I broke a vow to you, ignored warnings and cast her into the clutches of evil itself. In order to save her and rectify my error, she will never see or remember me again. You came close to losing something…” He pointed towards his chest. “I did lose something. I have
