"Then we'll go," he says.
"Unbelievable." Nico shakes his head.
I glance at Dante. He still hasn't told everyone that this is personal for him. They don’t know that his twin sister is one ofthe girls inside the club. As far as they’re concerned, this is a rescue mission for trafficked women.
I gently squeeze Dante’s hand.
"It's going to be okay," I tell him. "We'll find her."
He stares at me for a moment before nodding.
I'm about to pull away, but he doesn't let go of my hand.
"What's the matter?” I whisper.
His eyes have never been sadder. There's so much turmoil churning in their depths, and it tugs on my heartstrings. I just want him to be okay.
"Talk to me," I say.
He glances at the group. Nico is now talking about what he wants to eat for dinner.
I place my hands over Dante's chest, drawing his attention back to me. His chest swells under my fingertips as he takes a deep breath. I find myself wishing I could take his pain away.
He was there for me when I was at my lowest. He always found a way to make me feel better. I just want to do the same.
"I prepared for this moment a thousand times," he says. "And now that I'm so close, I'm..."
He takes another deep, shuddering breath. I patiently wait for him to finish.
"I'm consumed by this fear, Grace," he confesses. "It feels paralyzing. We'resoclose, and I'm scared something will go wrong."
"You have anxiety," I say. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
"I can't afford to feel this way," he says. "It's so pathetic."
"Not only do you have anxiety, you also have anxiety about having anxiety," I say, tracing the line of his eyebrow with my thumb. I feel a tug deep inside my core. I want to kiss him and soothe him.
I don't know if he realizes it, but he's leaning into my hand. It's the sweetest thing.
I stroke his eyebrow again. His eyes flutter closed as his body relaxes under my touch.
"Someone clever once introduced me to this breathing technique called box breathing," I whisper.
His eyes open. The intensity of his liquid gold gaze melts my insides.
"Breathe with me, Dante," I say.
He complies, breathing in sync with me until he gradually relaxes. I become aware once again of people watching us, but Dante doesn't seem to notice. He's completely fixated on me.
Someone clears their throat.
Dante threads his fingers into my hair and pulls me close, placing a kiss on my forehead.
I’m blushing by the time he turns to face the group.
"Where are we headed?" he asks.
"Everyone follow me," Nico says, getting on his black bike.
