Forty-eight hours had passed since Adeline asked to meet with me. To say I wasn’t exhilarated was a gross understatement. With every minute passing, the blocks of anticipation kept building sturdier than the last.

Crisp Chicago air fogged up my glasses as I sat on metallic bleachers, its cold adding on to my sudden attentiveness. It was February—therefore, close to Valentine’s Day—and that alone added fuel to the fire igniting inside my cacophonous heart. I, too, wanted to ask her if we could talk: I’d been meaning to tell her how I felt for a while now, but fear crawled on me and webbed all thoughts of doing so shut granting this perfect, fated timing to play its part.

“Enzo?” A soft, melodious note broke the clatter of my heart.

“Adeline.” My eyes connected to the bronze pools etched inside her head. Pools I wouldn’t mind drowning in.

She paced her way to me, holding what looked like an envelope as her sun-kissed skin warmed everything in its proximity. The smell of coconut and future experiences teased my nose and her onyx tresses blowed in the faint wind. My heart slammed against my chest and the idea of her being able to hear it spread dread across my body.

“I’m glad you wanted to talk, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” Her available hand tucked a dark strand behind her ear. “It’ll be quick.”

“Anything.” This was it, my cardiac organ was going to explode and I’d never forgive myself if an ounce of splattered blood ruined the perfect canvas that was her skin.

Six years—six years that I’ve been waiting for this moment. My chest heaved and—

“Your brother.”

What?

An envelope found itself in my hand, rough and uncaring. “Could you hand this to him?”

I opened my mouth to say something—anything—yet nothing but harsh disappointment came out of it. My twin brother. I double checked the letters written on top of it just for the spelling of the name Dante to slap me straight across the face. Something bubbled inside my throat before I swallowed it back down.

“Adeline. I love you.” My voice turned unrecognizable, “I’ve loved you for years!”

Silence fell as her eyes widened before a laugh errupted, each exhale stabbing at my chest.

“I’m sorry, I don’t follow.” Her hand gripped on a seat to gain balance as her other covered her stomach, seemingly cramping. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“You think my love for you is a joke?” The indistinctness of my voice was quickly replaced by thick bitterness.

“Enzo, I—“ Thunder rumbled in anger and wrath. I hadn’t noticed the sky darkening, suffocating the sun until no light could breathe through. “I have to go.”

And she did. Taking my heart away from me. My hand gripped the letter as droplets of water fell from the sky and on the paper.

Dante always took everything away from me, and I let him have most of it. But, why couldn’t he let me have this one thing?

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thanks for reading!

the ending was a little rushed because it’s late and im tired lol.

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xx