Hallows: Duets

The Good Son

Taking Back Sunday- MakeDamnSure

Ashley:

Hellbourne University is so much worse than the Academy. It's newer with "revolutionary" architecture and the best money can buy. And by that, I mean everything is over-the-top fancy. This is where David and his sister are going to school. I hate that even the students here looked polished.

Avery Espinosa is very different compared to David. Where he's playful and adorable, she's stoic and empty and she instantly developed a deep hatred for Dante. When we arrived at their apartment, she was on her way out. The way she looked at him was almost threatening. Even in her pink tennis outfit, she had a very intimidating aura around her. I didn't step away from Dante until she was out the door.

"She seems nice," Dante tells David when he locks the door. We both look at him like he's lost his mind.

"Don't talk to her. She's got this thing about famous people," David laughs.

"She loves them?" he smirks.

"No, she hates them. She was dating this guy back home. He was a rapper or some s**t. When he got signed he dumped her on her ass. Told her all she was worth was groupie scraps,"

"What a f*****g asshole," I say looking over the collection of vinyl records on the shelf by the door. There's an old-timey record player that I am dying to play with. "Are these yours?"

"No, they're Avery's,"

"She has a type," I say taking an original NWA record off the shelf. "Look at this. Rap on Rap on Rap," I laugh. "I want to be her friend, David,"

"I don't know if that's a good idea. Ava is kind of a b***h to everyone. You should see the way she talks to Teegan,"

"Yeah, he told me he has to bite his tongue," Dante takes a Cypress Hill Vinyl and hands it to me, taking back the NWA one from me.

"Okay, but that one is next," I groan as I set up the record player. I look over the songs and choose the second before adjusting the needle.

"How is college treating you?" Dante asks him looking around the living room area to find a place to make himself comfortable.

We both watch him move around the room trying to find his spot. He's really particular about that. It was cute to watch him move around my suite when he was trying to find his "spot". It has to be hard to be him. Unfortunately, Lily likes the armchair as much as he does and they fight over it. He usually takes it from her but there are times when she falls asleep and if anyone touches her she gets violent. She kicked Anthony in the chest yesterday when we tried to take her up to our room. The four of us slept in my suite so she wouldn't wake up scared.

"It's not that different. I just wake up later," he shrugs. "And I only have classes Monday through Thursday,"

"So, you could have spent Friday and Saturday with us but didn't," Dante glares at him from the other side of the room. I look up at him agreeing. "Ash had a game on Friday. We had a lot of fun,"

"I had s**t to do with Armando and Avery," he explains. "My dad is going international and he wants to set up a building here in New City,"

"What does that mean?" Dante looks back at him with interest. David smiles loving his reaction.

"Exactly what is implied, but if he does appoint me to it. Avery is staying here with me and Armando is going to be watching,"

"What does your dad do?" I ask.

"He's an Independent Defense Contractor,"

"That's a fancy name for old Military families contracted by the government to transfer weapons and take care of high-profile targets," Dante muses.

"He is in a good mood," David laughs. "But, yeah. That's essentially what my family does. What they've done for that past couple hundred years,"

"That's intense," I nod. "That explains your recklessness,"

"Thank you," he smiles. I groan getting impatient with Dante and push him towards the loveseat and make him sit down in the middle. I wave David over so that we can cage him in.

"Okay, but when you get up. I have to start over," he laughs.

"I'm sorry I missed your first game," David tells me.

"Don't be. I get it. You're a college boy now. You can't be bothered with our juvenile s**t anymore," I snide.

"Ouch," Dante laughs. David reaches out to give my cheek a squeeze.

"Cheeky, b***h," he shakes his head.

"Hey, I was wondering. Do you have the Texas accent thing?" I ask.

"He does. It catches you by surprise when he's pissed," Dante answers. "It's kind of hot,"

"Are you blushing?" I laugh when David looks away.

"I don't blush," he shakes his head.

"He really doesn't. His ears get red though," Dante continues to embarrass him.

"No, they don't," he covers his ears. "Is that what you guys came over? To patronize me?"

"Of course, not," I laugh. "Here you should be in the middle," I get up and push the two of them over to he's in between Dante and me. "We miss you. You would love messing around with us and Lily,"

"You're messing around with Creepy Lily?" he asks looking between the two of us.

"Not like that," Dante shakes his head.

"Definitely not like that. She's into Tony. They do creepy witchy stuff together," I laugh. He looks over at Dante.

"Yeah, they're connecting," Dante nods.

"And Kelly is cool with that?"

"I'm pretty sure Carter isn't letting her think about it," he shrugs.

"Yeah, and she seems a little less stressed out about the whole thing now. I mean she doesn't like it but she's not tiptoeing around Anthony anymore," I agree.

"That's oddly mature of her," he shakes his head. "She might be plotting to kill her,"

"I like to think that she loves Anthony enough to want him to be happy and he seems genuinely happy to have Lily do weird s**t to him,"

I take his hand in mine and entwine our fingers together. He looks at our hands together for a moment before he pulls his hand away from me.

"Do you guys want something to drink?" he asks and gets up abruptly.

I look down at my hand and make a fist. I have to admit that it stung. My stomach tightens and I have to breathe in slowly to keep myself calm. Maybe I'm reading into it wrong.

"What the f**k was that?" Dante asks him. David looks over to us from the kitchen area in his apartment.

"What?" he asks playing coy.

"What? You just pulled away from her," he slides forward.

"No, I didn't,"

"You do know the three of us are connected, right?" he stands up angrily.

"Dante-" I try to get him to calm down but he doesn't stop.

"I can feel that s**t, David. There's something going on with you. I felt it when you came back from Summer break. I thought it was just because you'd missed us but it's just getting worse. I know for a fact that you weren't with Armando this weekend. You were here. Do you think you're out here alone? What the hell is going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it,"

"You don't want to talk about it? Just like you went behind my back to tell Ash that I need to get out more?"

"You told him?" he has the audacity to glare at me like I'm the one doing something wrong.

"She didn't have to. I know you just as well as I know her. If you have something to tell me, f*****g do it. Don't bring her between us,"

"She is between us," David shrugs. "This isn't just you and me anymore. She's included in all of our s**t,"

"Okay, then I want to know what your problem is as well," I scoot to the edge of the couch not wanting to stand up so he doesn't feel like we're trying to gang up on him. He looks from Dante to me and then down at the glass of sparkly in front of him. "Is this about Eliza?"

"Ash," his head whips up to look at me.

"Who the f**k is Eliza?" Dante asks. I stand up this time looking from Dante to David.

"You didn't tell him?" I ask.

"Tell me what?" Dante demands.

"I didn't know how," he sighs letting his head fall forward.

"s**t," I take Dante's hand to try and keep him calm. This is going to be messy.

"Tell me what the f**k is going on. Right now," he growls. The feel the coldness of his tone in my body and I know David does too.

"Eliza is the girl my father chose for me to marry," he says simply.

I gasp from the ache that floods through my body. My ears start to ring and my eyes fill with tears. I sit down not able to take it. I look up at Dante knowing that this is all coming from him. Yet, he's standing there looking back at David with a completely blank expression.

"And you're going to be the good son then," Dante nods as if he understands.

"Danny-" David tries to come over to him but Dante just grabs my arm and pulls me up to my feet. "Dante, don't go,"

"Why not?" he asks. This time there's genuine hurt in his tone. "Give me one f*****g good reason to stay. How long were you going to keep that from me? Huh? Until you were walking down the aisle with her?"

"You don't understand," David shakes his head. Dante releases me.

"I understand perfectly. You didn't give enough f***s about me to tell me the f*****g truth. You came back here like nothing was wrong. You gave in again and then you tried to make me feel like this is somehow my f*****g fault and it's not the f*****g first time you gaslight me like this, asshole. This has been our relationship from the f*****g start.

"You asked me what I wanted from Ash, you asked me why things were so different between me and her. This is why David. Ashley doesn't f**k with my head like this. She doesn't make me feel like I'm always doing something wrong. I don't know what you f*****g want from me. I don't know what you ever f*****g want. Do you know what you want?" he's standing in front of him now. "You don't do you?" he leans in to whisper in his ear. "Don't come back until you know,"

"Dante, no," I panic when he spins around to face me. He starts stalking towards the door.

"Let's go, Ashley,"

"Sweetie, we can't leave like this," I shake my head.

"Ashley," he growls.

"No," I shout this time. "This isn't fair,"

"Ash," his tone is a warning but for once my fear of him isn't strong enough to make me comply.

"I'm not leaving," I stand my ground.

"Then f*****g stay," he rips the door open. On the other side is a woman dressed in all black. She has a shotgun in her hand.

"Dante" I scream.

David instinctively wraps his arms around me as Dante slams the door shut and moves out away from the door just as a huge hole is blasted through the center. I wiggle out of my coat and pull my desert eagle out.

"Danny," David shouts.

"Kitchen" Dante answers without hesitation.

David and I look at one another. He has his own gun. He nods and the two of us roll away from one another. I sit up on my knees aiming the gun at the door. I motion David towards Dante as I crawl along the wall to get to the door. I sit down with my back to the wall and look up to see them both crouching down by the kitchen island. I put my hand up to keep them from moving. Dante taps his back to let me know she's behind me. I press my back flat against the wall and turn my gun towards me and aim it over my head. I fire twice and hear footsteps scramble. I roll over to the other side. I rush after the shadow as it tries to make its way toward the stairs. Without missing a beat I fire again hitting her in the shoulder.

"What the f**k?" I hear Teegan shout from down the hall. I run out of the apartment to find the woman at the bottom of the first set of stairs that lead down to the third floor.

"Clear the top floor," I point at him, running down to take the shotgun from her.

"Where's Danny?"

"He's inside with David," I call back crouching down in front of her. I pull the ninja mask off her face. "Are there more?" she doesn't answer me. "Who sent you?"

"Monster fucker," she spits a mouthful of blood right in my face.

"You're a dead, b***h," I wipe my face with the back of my hand.

"Clear," Teegan comes back down. "I know you," he smiles down at the girl. "Susan Dallas. Welcome back to New City,"

"New chew toy, dog boy," she groans. He reaches down grabbing her by her wounded shoulder. She screams when he pulls her up to her feet.

"Go, check on Danny. There was rock salt in her shotgun," he tells me. "Be careful with it,"