Chapter 7:The Warning
796 Words
The next morning felt… different.
I woke up with Dante’s words replaying in my head like a song stuck on repeat.
“You matter to me.”
“You’re not him.”
“I want to protect you.”
He didn’t know what those words did to me.
How they slipped under my skin.
How they made my heart betray me again and again.
I spent the whole morning trying to push the thoughts away, but they clung to me like shadows.
By the time I reached school, I wasn’t even surprised when I found Dante leaning against my locker, arms crossed, waiting like he had every right to be there.
His eyes landed on me instantly.
“You’re late,” he said.
“It’s literally 8:05.”
“That’s late.”
I raised a brow. “Since when do you care about my timing?”
He pushed off the locker. “Since I decided to.”
My stomach did a stupid flip.
Before I could respond, a loud laugh echoed down the hallway. Lucas. With two boys from the football team. He spotted me and waved cheerfully.
“Morning, Sophie!”
I smiled back politely.
But the moment I did, Dante stepped in front of me, blocking Lucas’s view.
I blinked. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t smile at him.”
I gasped. “Are you crazy? I can smile at whoever I want—”
“Not him.”
“Dante—”
He turned, eyes burning.
“You don’t get it,” he said, voice low. “He’s not what he looks like.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he scanned the hallway like he was checking for something — or someone.
Then he leaned closer.
Too close.
“I heard something yesterday,” he said quietly. “About you. And about him.”
My heart froze. “About me?”
His jaw clenched. “Your name came up. And not in a good way.”
Cold fear seeped into my stomach. “What… what did they say?”
He shook his head. “Not here.”
“Dante, tell me.”
“I said not here.” His tone softened. “You trust me, right?”
I hesitated.
His eyes darkened. “Sophie.”
Finally, I nodded. “I trust you.”
He inhaled slowly, like those words hit him somewhere deep.
“Good,” he said. “Meet me after school again.”
Before I could ask why, he turned and walked down the hallway.
But then—Lucas stepped into my path.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Is everything okay? He looked… intense.”
I forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“Was he bothering you?”
“No. I mean—no, he wasn’t.”
Lucas studied me, concern written all over his face.
“You know… you don’t have to let him talk to you however he wants.”
“I know,” I said.
“And you don’t have to meet him after school.”
I froze.
“Lucas… how did you know about that?”
He swallowed.
“People talk.”
Dante’s warning replayed in my head.
I heard something yesterday… your name came up.
Lucas shifted awkwardly. “Look, Sophie… people think Dante’s trouble. And they think you’re—”
He stopped.
I stiffened. “They think I’m what?”
He shook his head quickly. “Forget I said anything.”
“No. Tell me.”
He opened his mouth — but before he could speak, Dante appeared behind him.
I didn’t even hear him approach.
“Walk away,” Dante said.
Lucas stiffened. “I was just—”
“Walk. Away.” Dante stepped closer. “Now.”
Lucas glared at him, then at me, but he left without another word.
The hallway suddenly felt too small.
Dante turned to me, voice low.
“Don’t listen to anything he tells you. Not one word.”
“Why?” I whispered. “What’s going on?”
His expression hardened.
“Someone here knows your past, Sophie. And they’re talking.”
My blood went cold.
My past?
But how?
No one here should know anything.
Dante leaned in, his eyes unreadable.
“Meet me after school. I’ll explain everything.”
I swallowed, nodding.
He brushed a finger against my hand — a brief, subtle touch — like he wanted to reassure me without making it obvious.
Then he walked away.
As I watched him go, I realized something terrifying:
This wasn’t just about school drama anymore.
Someone knew who I was.
Someone knew the truth.
And Dante… Dante was the only one standing between me and the storm coming my way.
- Writer
