Chapter 7

She winked. "Nope, we're just going to drink "apple juice" and dance our asses off all night long." The air quotes she used were really reassuring…not! "Great, I'm sure that will warm his heart," I responded, playfully rolling my eyes. Suddenly, I felt this strange pull. My gaze shifted towards the entrance of the cafeteria to see Dante and a group of tall, muscular guys walking in. His eyes once again immediately locked with mine, as if he, too, sensed the peculiar connection. Butterflies danced wildly in my stomach as I blushed and quickly looked away. Crossing my fingers underneath the table, I hoped they weren't headed in our direction. My breath caught in my throat as I watch all of them strolling across the room and settling down at our table. Dante positioned himself directly across from me. I subtly shifted in an unnatural position, intentionally avoiding eye contact with him, even though, if given the chance, I could have stared into his beautiful eyes all day. They reminded me of spring—a blend of fresh earth and leaves on a tree. "Hey Dante," Peach purred, her voice carrying a hint of seduction. Uncertain if it was my imagination, I observed the exchange. He doesn't even look in her direction. "Peach," he responded, his voice void of any particular emotion. My jaw tensed. Did he and Peach have a thing? Was this the reason Jasmine referred to him as a dog? I could still feel his gaze on me, but I persisted in avoiding eye contact. Instead, I shifted my attention to the other girls. "Hey doofuses," Jasmine interjected abruptly, redirecting the conversation. "We were just discussing plans for LL on Friday, are ya'll in?" "Hell yeah," came the enthusiastic response from multiple guys around the table. "Rounds first," Dante mumbled in a voice barely above a whisper, eliciting groans and grumbles from around the table. I sat right in front of him and could barely hear him, which made it surprising that everyone else seemed to catch his words, even the guys on the far ends of the circular table. Though curious about what he was talking about, I didn't dare ask. "Ugh, Dante, why do you have to be such a buzzkill? Can't we have one night off?" Jasmine complained loudly, her frustration evident in the way her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips formed a pout. He scowled at her. "No Jaz, we can't, and you already know why." "Seriously, who are you? I miss when we used to smoke and sneak out to parties together. Now you always act like you have a stick up your ass." "Jaz," he warned once again, raising his voice. "It's like you're not even my twin anymore. Ugh, why did you have to become al-" Before she could finish her sentence, Dante stood up, fury burning in his eyes. "Enough!" he growled, slamming his hands on the table. Jasmine rose from her seat, defiant. "Make me," she challenged, her words dripping with venom. The entire cafeteria fell silent, every gaze shifting toward our table. Dante and Jasmine locked eyes, engaged in a silent battle, capturing the attention of everyone present. The room brimmed with tension, and I found myself glancing back and forth between them, their faces hardened and their eyes as dark as coal. Am I in an episode of Supernatural right now? I wondered to myself. What the fuck is going on with their eyes? Mya and Peach grabbed each of Jasmine's hands. "Jaz stop, this isn't the place for this, do not defy him. Especially, not in front of the new girl," Mya whispered. What does she mean "especially not in front of the new girl?" Jasmine quickly snapped out of it, drawing in a series of deep breaths, each one a visible effort to regain composure. Slowly, she sank back into her chair, lowering her head with a remorseful sigh. "Sorry, Dante," she uttered, the weight of regret evident in her voice. However, fury continued to course through him, unmistakable in the relentless tremors that shook his frame. His emotions radiated with an almost tangible force, saturating the air with an intense and suffocating energy. His chest heaved, the muscles in his jaw worked up and down, and a shadow of darkness lingered in his eyes. One of the guys reacted swiftly, rising from his seat with a concerned expression, reaching out to touch Dante's shoulder. "Dante, calm down before you-" Without a second thought, I reached across the table and gently placed my hand over his. His eyes immediately met mine and softened, returning to their beautiful, spring-like color. "What the hell is going on?" Jasmine asked suspiciously as I kept my gaze on him to make sure he was truly calm. I quickly withdrew my hand, the tingling sensation fading along with the connection. Blushing, I admitted, "Sorry, that was a reflex…" my words trailing off. The uncertain impulse left me questioning its origin—perhaps a habit formed from calming my dad when he was upset? Dante stared at me with intensity as he settled back into his seat. I averted my gaze, desperately hoping that Jasmine would dismiss the incident. The last thing I wanted was for her to assume I was hitting on her brother, especially not in front of her. Maybe it would help if he would stop staring at me like that! I exclaimed in my head. After a prolonged and awkward silence, Jasmine suddenly burst into giggles. "Bestie, be careful next time. You could've caught an STD or something." "Jasmine," he warned in a low voice, his tone stern. She put her hands up innocently, and Peach and Mya silently returned to their seats beside her. "Sorry, bro, I was just kidding," Jasmine apologized with a playful smile. I frowned. I recognized her jest, yet there was an underlying truth to it; she was hinting at the long list of girls he had been with. The idea of him desiring someone else and being in past relationships unexpectedly tugged at my heartstrings for some inexplicable reason. I shook my head, attempting to shake off those thoughts. What was I thinking? Jealousy was an unfamiliar emotion, and I wasn't comfortable with it.