Page 14

Ican’t believe this is the first day in my life that I’m having fun outside my house—and with a man I barely know.

I’m losing the game, but Dante has started missing his throws, just like me. Not once has he gotten angry when I’ve laughed at him; he has even laughed with me. Over time, we began chanting during each turn.

To my surprise, the ball skims the edge on his last shot.

“No! I was so close.”

“You’re doing this on purpose,” I tease, laughing.

He smiles and shakes his head as he picks up another ball. I sit down to watch him, but the rumbling in my stomach distracts me. My appetite has returned after all of this, and I haven’t eaten since lunch. All I had was a salad!

I bite my lip. I don’t want to bother him.

“Daddy won!”

I turn my gaze to the side. The family next to us smiles and chats. A little girl bounces on her toes before her father scoops her into his arms, beaming.

My stomach twists again. There was a time when my father seemed to care about me—just for a little while—but he never truly loved me. It was all a lie, because when Tara was born, he changed completely. The last good memory I have is of him lifting me so I could climb into bed with Mum and meet my little sister. After that, everything turned into pure hell.

I was five when I met the devil himself.

Does that man touch his daughter too? Does he hurt her? There are no visible marks on her, nor the fear I used to carry whenever I was near my father.

Is he a good man? Does he love her?

If I have children with Dante, will he be like that man or like my father? Will I feel as safe and content with him as I do now, or will he hurt me? Will I have to learn to cover my bruises the way Mum did? She told me to trust him, but how can I when all I’ve known is violence? I don’t want to live like my mother. I don’t want to live in fear that I might lose my daughter. I don’t want a son who grows up to become like my father. I want them to be happy. I want to give them everything I never had but always wanted.

Freedom.

“… ragnetta.”

I flinch. Dante kneels in front of me, frowning as his thumb gently strokes the back of my hand.

“Is everything okay?”

“I… Yes, I’m sorry. Is it my turn?”

He nods.

I stand up abruptly and step away from him. I repeat the same steps I’ve been practising for the past hour, turning around before the ball strikes the pins. Reaching for my bottle of water, I unscrew the cap.

“So, what do we do now?” I ask, taking a sip.

Dante smiles as I drink, glancing behind me. He nods toward the pins, and when I turn around, not a single one remains standing.

“I did it!”

He laughs and stands up.

“Want to go to dinner now?”

I tilt my head. “That depends… what are we doing after?”

I follow him as he starts walking.

“We could go to the cinema, or I could look for a fair…”

I’ve never been anywhere except restaurants or shopping centres. Is that pathetic?