8. Chapter Eight Jade
Chapter Eight: Jade
T he sterile smell of the lab clung to us as we squeezed into our usual table at the bistro. The comforting scents of garlic and herbs masked the lingering scent of fluorescent lights, a welcome change from the grueling day spent under them. I sank into the booth’s worn leather seat, grateful for the softness against my achy muscles.
“Thank goodness for this place,” I sighed.
Ellie let out a similar sigh as she dug into her spaghetti carbonara with gusto. “I needed this break so badly,” she said between bites.
“You and me both,” I replied, pushing up my glasses and tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“So spill, what’s been on your mind all week? You’ve been avoiding my texts like the plague,” Ellie prodded playfully. “And you keep talking about work.”
I hesitated, knowing she wouldn’t let me off easily. “I mean, babe, it’s work. It’s been crazy busy,” I finally admitted.
“Don’t give me that, Jade. I know you. That’s all you talk about. You’ve been…distracted. You left with Dante Moretti. It’s him, isn’t it?” Her eyes sparkled mischievously across the table.
I couldn’t hide my smile as I nodded. “Yes, it’s Dante Moretti.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. Slut. I mean that in the most encouraging way,” Ellie chuckled, shaking her head. “You did say he was out of your league, remember?”
“He is!” I exclaimed, leaning in closer. “I can’t believe we slept together. He’s so handsome and...you know, rich. And he has a lot of stamina.”
Ellie’s laughter mixed with the sounds of the bustling bistro around us. But deep down, a small part of me couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was more to Dante than met the eye, and I was diving into dangerous waters with him.
“Speaking of well off,” Ellie leaned in, her expression turning serious. Her voice dropped to a whisper, the playful spark gone. “Jade, be careful. The Morettis...I’m pretty sure they’re not just rich. They’re mixed up in some serious stuff. It’s not all legitimate.”
A chill ran through me despite the warmth surrounding us, the noise of clinking glasses and chatter suddenly distant. My mind raced at the implications of what she was saying—dangerous, unlawful, the kind of trouble you don’t walk away from.
I shook my head, forcing a half-smile as I attempted to dispel the cold dread settling over me. “Dante doesn’t seem like...He’s just been really nice.” I wanted to believe that the man I had begun to fall for wasn’t tied to the darkness Ellie was hinting at.
Ellie frowned, the lines of concern etching deeper into her face. “Appearances can be deceiving, especially with them. You know how these families operate; they have a facade for everything.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. She knew I wasn’t naive, but this was territory far beyond my expertise in biotechnology. And yet, the idea of Dante being anything other than the charming man I’d come to know seemed impossible.
“Ellie, thanks for looking out for me,” I said, trying to reassure both her and myself. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”
She gave my hand a tight squeeze before standing up. “I’m sorry I have to go,” she said. “I promised my roommate I’d feed her dog and she’s going away for the…”
“You told me,” I said. “We’ll go out properly next weekend.”
“Thank you! I love you. I’m serious, Jade. Be careful about this.”
Then she was gone, the cool night air sweeping in as the door closed behind her, leaving a void where her presence had been.
Alone with my thoughts, the restaurant’s buzz morphed into a relentless hum, pressing against my temples. The laughter and conversations around me blurred into a single indistinct noise—a warning siren that I couldn’t silence. Ellie’s words played on a loop in my head, an eerie soundtrack to my growing unease.
Just as the weight of her warnings began to truly sink in, my phone vibrated against the wooden table. I flinched as I looked at the screen. It was him. Dante. My breath hitched at the sight of his name, the familiar rush of excitement now tainted with a twinge of fear.
Hope you’re having a wonderful evening. Thinking of you.
The text read like any other sweet nothing he had sent before–and he had been in touch all week–but now it felt loaded, each word heavy with unspoken meaning.
I stared at the screen, my blue tank top suddenly feeling too tight against my skin, my heart pounding loud enough to rival the cacophony around me. Should I respond? My thumb hovered over the keyboard, indecision paralyzing me.
“Damn it, Dante,” I muttered under my breath, the sound lost amidst the din of the restaurant. The charming man who had effortlessly slipped into my life—was he a facade too?
Thank you, Dante. It’s been a long day.
I finally typed back, my response as non-committal as I could muster. The moment I hit send, my stomach twisted with a mix of guilt and trepidation. Ellie’s words echoed in my mind, casting a long shadow over the warmth that once flooded me at his messages.
I left the restaurant with haste, my ponytail swinging as I darted through the throngs of New York’s nightlife. Once home, the silence of my apartment was a stark contrast to the earlier bustle. I needed answers. My fingers itched for my laptop like they did for a pipette when a hypothesis formed in the lab.
I sat down, powered on the device, and let my scientific curiosity drive me into the depths of the internet as I sipped from the foam cup with the lukewarm espresso I’d grabbed before leaving the restaurant.
“Moretti family Little Italy ties” I typed, each keystroke a deliberate probe into the darkness. As the search engine populated results, my heart raced. I leaned forward, glasses perched on the bridge of my nose, peering at the screen.
The shrill ring of my phone sliced through the quiet like a bullet from the dark. I jerked back, nearly knocking over the coffee. It was Dante. I hesitated, staring at the screen as it lit up the dim room.
“Hey, Jade, just wanted to hear your voice,” he said when I finally answered, his words smooth and warm like a shot of whiskey on a cold night. But I couldn’t shake off the chill that settled in my bones. I held the phone slightly away from my ear, my fingers trembling.
“Hi, Dante,” I replied, faking a calm I didn’t feel.
“Everything okay?” he probed gently.
“Yeah, just tired,” I lied, curling up on the edge of my bed, feeling the weight of my day’s discoveries pressing down on me.
“Get some rest then. We’ll talk tomorrow,” he suggested, but there was something in the way he said it—a hidden question, as if he sensed my tension. “Are we still on for Monday? My lawyer is eager to get started.”
“Yes,” I said. “I think so.”
“Okay. I’ll call tomorrow to confirm.”
“Sure,” I said before ending the call. The room plunged back into silence, leaving me alone with the echoes of our conversation and the hum of New York outside my window.
As darkness wrapped around me, I lay down, pulling the covers up to my chin, my body heavy with exhaustion. But sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, images of Dante flickered through my mind—his charming smile, the intensity in his eyes, the allure of danger that seemed to follow him like a shadow.
“Could Ellie be right?” I murmured to the empty room, voicing the fear I’d been pushing away. Ellie’s warnings about Dante’s world—the violence, the power struggles, the ruthlessness—had seemed so far away until now.
I tossed again, my blue tank top twisting with each turn. My thoughts spiraled, tangling with doubts and the remnants of the safety I once felt with him. The cool fabric of my dark denim jeans offered no comfort as I shifted restlessly, trying to find some semblance of peace.
I had to get dressed for bed, but I knew sleep would be just out of reach for most of the night.
I was right. I’d barely slept.
As the first light of dawn crept through the window, I made my decision. With a sigh, I sat up and reached for my phone on the bedside table. My fingers felt numb as I typed out a text to Dante, a simple message that felt like the heaviest thing I’d ever written:
Need some time to think. Talk soon?
I stared at the words, my heart pounding in my chest. It was one thing to feel them, another to send them into the world where they couldn’t be taken back. My finger hovered over the send button, hesitating. Was I ready for whatever his response would be? With a breath that felt more like surrender than resolution, I pressed down.
The day stretched out before me, endless and unforgiving. I spent it in solitude, my apartment a silent witness to the emotional turmoil swirling within me. I curled up on the couch, knees drawn to my chest, and let my mind wander through the labyrinth of my feelings for Dante.
But…there were no feelings for Dante.
There couldn’t be.
We were just fucking, and we might become business partners…and it didn’t have to become anything else. Right?