Chapter 41 — The Bridge Between Us
Auri hadn't planned on walking with Dante.
But somehow, they ended up moving side by side through the soft evening light—slow, quiet, guarded.
Neither of them touched.
Neither of them said a word.
But the tension between them was thick enough to feel on her skin.
Auri's steps were small, controlled.
Dante's strides were tense, as if he was holding back the urge to pull her close.
Every now and then, he looked at her—quick glances, full of questions he couldn't say out loud.
She felt every glance.
The Park Bench
They stopped at a park near her apartment.
A place she often passed, but never sat in.
Tonight, fate chose it for them.
Auri lowered herself onto a bench.
Dante sat beside her—close enough that she could feel the heat from his body, but far enough that a sliver of cold air remained between them.
For a long moment… silence.
Only the wind moved.
Auri finally spoke.
"Dante… what are we doing?"
His head turned toward her slowly.
"Auri—"
"No," she cut him off gently, staring at her hands. "I need to say this. I need to understand this."
Dante inhaled, jaw tense, waiting.
Auri swallowed.
"You disappear for weeks without telling me. You come back. You look at me like you missed me. Like you want me."
Her voice softens.
"But you still can't say what I am to you."
Dante's fingers curled slowly into fists.
"I didn't leave because of you," he said, voice low. "Work got out of control. I didn't plan to be gone that long."
"Then why didn't you call?" Auri asked, eyes shining with something like hurt. "One message, Dante. One."
He exhaled sharply, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.
"Auri, I'm not good at this."
He motioned vaguely between them.
"This—feelings. Attachment. Needing someone. Wanting someone that isn't temporary."
Auri's breath caught.
"But you want me," she whispered.
For the first time, Dante looked… unsettled.
"Auri," he murmured, voice low and strained, "I don't just want you."
Her pulse skipped.
He continued.
"I think about you in meetings, in flights, in hotel rooms. I think about your voice, your smile, the way you wrinkle your nose when you're annoyed."
He shook his head slightly.
"And it pisses me off because I don't think like this about anyone."
Auri stared at him, stunned.
Dante looked away as if he had revealed too much.
"I don't know if it's love," he forced out, "but it's not something I can ignore. Not anymore."
Auri's heart raced.
Slow. Deep. Painfully hopeful.
"And Olivia?" she whispered.
His eyes darkened.
"That chapter is closed."
"How?" she pressed softly.
Dante glanced down.
"She wanted a partnership. A future built on convenience."
His throat tightened.
"But with you… I feel something I can't control. And it scares the hell out of me."
Auri felt her chest tighten—because she understood that fear.
"Then why do you look angry when I get close to Adrian?"
Dante scoffed quietly, running a hand through his hair.
"Because I hate it."
His jaw clenched.
"I hate seeing him near you. I hate knowing he gets to talk to you every day. I hate that you smile at him."
Auri blinked.
"Are you jealous?"
He exhaled with a frustrated laugh.
"Of course I'm jealous."
Auri's breath trembled.
"You never said any of this."
"I didn't know how."
She looked at him carefully.
"Dante… I'm not asking for a label. I'm asking for truth."
He lifted his eyes to hers.
Soft.
Heavy.
Raw.
"Auri," he said quietly, "you matter to me. More than I planned. More than I wanted."
Auri's chest ached—in the best and worst ways.
She reached out slowly, unsure, but Dante grabbed her hand halfway, holding it tightly like he was afraid she'd pull away.
His palm was warm.
Firm.
Desperate.
Auri whispered the question that had been killing her for weeks.
"Then what happens now? Between us?"
Dante swallowed hard.
"I don't know," he admitted honestly.
"But I don't want to lose you. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you close—even if I have to learn everything from the start."
Her heartbeat stuttered.
He lifted her hand, pressing his lips softly against her fingers.
Not sensual.
Not hungry.
Tender.
Auri's breath caught at the unexpected gentleness.
Dante murmured against her skin.
"Just… don't walk away from me."
Auri whispered,
"Then don't disappear again."
He looked at her—really looked at her—and nodded once.
"Deal."
The Walk Back
They stood up together.
Dante didn't let go of her hand.
Auri didn't pull away.
They walked slowly, quietly, but something between them had finally shifted—
like a bridge that had finally started forming after all the storms.
When they reached her building, Dante paused, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow?" he asked.
Auri blinked.
"For what?"
"For breakfast," he said simply.
His lips lifted slightly.
"And maybe for… everything else we need to talk about."
Auri felt warmth spread through her chest.
"Okay."
Dante's smile deepened—rare, real, breathtaking.
"Good night, Auri."
"Good night… Dante."
He left before she could lose her balance again.
And Auri stood there for a long time, hand pressed to her chest, heart racing with a feeling she was finally beginning to understand.