Dating the Devil's Son

Chapter 21: A Hesitant Meeting

Lila stood outside the café, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag as she stared through the glass window. Dante was already there, seated at a corner table with his back to the wall, his dark eyes scanning the room. Even in a casual black shirt, he looked impossibly intimidating, the sharpness of his jawline illuminated by the soft glow of the lights inside.

For a moment, Lila considered turning around and walking away. She wasn’t sure she had the strength to face him, not after everything he’d put her through. But then, he looked up, his eyes catching hers through the glass.

There was no going back now.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. The warmth of the café washed over her, but it did nothing to soothe the icy knot of nerves in her chest. Her heels clicked softly against the wooden floor as she approached the table.

Dante stood as she arrived, his towering frame making her feel small and vulnerable. “Lila,” he said, his voice low and controlled.

“Dante,” she replied, her tone sharper than she intended. She couldn’t help it the sight of him, the calm in his expression, ignited a spark of frustration within her.

He gestured to the chair across from him. “Please, sit.”

Lila hesitated, her grip tightening on her bag. For a second, she thought about leaving, but instead, she slid into the seat, her movements stiff.

Dante sat as well, folding his hands on the table. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The hum of conversations around them seemed to grow louder, the clinking of cups and plates filling the heavy silence between them.

“You came,” Dante said finally, his voice soft.

“You didn’t leave me much of a choice,” Lila replied, her tone guarded. “You’ve been dodging me for weeks, and now, out of nowhere, you want to talk?”

Dante exhaled, leaning back in his chair. “I know I’ve hurt you. And for that, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Lila repeated, her voice rising slightly. “Is that supposed to fix everything? You disappeared, Dante. You didn’t just hurt me you broke me.”

Her words cut through the air, and for a moment, Dante didn’t respond. His dark eyes studied her, filled with something she couldn’t quite place guilt, perhaps, or sorrow.

“I never meant to hurt you,” he said quietly. “But staying away was the only way I knew to protect you.”

“Protect me?” Lila scoffed, crossing her arms. “From what, exactly? From you?”

Dante’s jaw tightened, and he looked away for a moment, as though gathering his thoughts. “Yes,” he admitted. “From me. From the world I come from. You don’t understand, Lila. Being with me… it puts you in danger.”

Lila’s heart pounded in her chest. His words were heavy, laced with a gravity that only deepened her confusion. “What kind of danger?” she asked, her voice trembling despite herself.

Dante hesitated, his gaze flicking to her before quickly dropping to the table. “I can’t explain everything right now,” he said finally. “Not yet.”

“Then why am I even here?” Lila demanded, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Why did you ask me to come if you’re just going to keep shutting me out?”

“Because you deserve the truth,” Dante said, his voice sharp. “Even if I can’t tell you everything right now, you deserve to know that this us was never a game to me. What I feel for you is real, Lila. It always has been.”

Lila’s breath caught, her anger wavering as his words sank in. She wanted to believe him, to believe that the connection they had wasn’t something she had imagined. But the pain of his rejection still lingered, a wound that hadn’t yet healed.

“Then why did you leave me?” she asked, her voice breaking. “Why did you shut me out if you cared so much?”

Dante closed his eyes briefly, his hands tightening into fists on the table. “Because caring about you puts you in danger. Because the more I’m around you, the worse it gets.”

Lila frowned, her confusion growing. “You keep saying that, but you’re not telling me anything. Danger from what, Dante? What aren’t you saying?”

He looked at her then, his eyes dark and haunted. “If I tell you, there’s no going back. Once you know, everything will change.”

“Maybe I want it to change,” Lila said, leaning forward. “I can’t keep living like this, Dante wondering, waiting, not knowing why you’re pushing me away. If you care about me, then let me in. Let me help you.”

Dante clenched his jaw, his chest heaving as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to tell her everything, to lay bare the truth of who and what he was. But the fear of what that truth might do to her held him back.

“You don’t understand what you’re asking for,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Then make me understand,” Lila shot back, her green eyes blazing with determination.

For a moment, the tension between them was palpable, the air around them charged with unspoken words. Dante stared at her, his dark eyes searching hers, as though trying to find a way to explain the impossible.

But in the end, he said nothing.

The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating. Lila leaned back in her chair, her heart sinking as she realized he wasn’t going to give her the answers she needed not tonight, at least.

“Fine,” she said, her voice cold. “If you’re not going to tell me the truth, then stop dragging me into whatever this is. I can’t keep doing this, Dante. I can’t keep waiting for you to let me in.”

Dante flinched at her words, his jaw tightening. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said quietly.

“Then stop,” Lila said, her voice trembling. “Stop making me feel like this if you’re not willing to fight for it.”

She stood abruptly, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Dante started to rise, but she held up a hand, stopping him.

“Don’t,” she said, her voice breaking. “Don’t follow me. Don’t call me. Not until you’re ready to tell me the truth.”

And with that, she turned and walked out of the café, leaving Dante alone at the table, his chest aching with the weight of everything he couldn’t say.

As Lila stepped out into the cool night air, tears streamed down her face. She hated that she had let herself hope, even for a moment, that he might finally open up to her. But the walls he had built around himself were too strong, too impenetrable.

And no matter how much she loved him, she couldn’t keep fighting alone.

Dante remained seated, staring at the spot where she had just been. His fists tightened against the table as a wave of frustration and guilt surged through him. He wanted to chase after her, to pull her into his arms and tell her everything.

But he couldn’t.

Because the truth wasn’t just dangerous it was damning. And if Lila knew what he truly was, it would destroy her.

As he sat there, the words of his father echoed in his mind: “Love will destroy her, Dante. The more you care, the closer you bring her to the edge.”

Dante leaned back in his chair, his head tilting up toward the ceiling as he closed his eyes. For the first time in centuries, he felt completely powerless.

And for someone like him, that was the most terrifying feeling of all.