Lila’s POV
Dante’s voice droned on, which barely registered as I stood under the flickering streetlight,with my arms crossed, as I stared past him at the neon glow of Burger Bonanza place in the distance.
“Lila, I’m serious,” he was saying, his big hands gesturing wildly, his dark eyes all puppy-dovey.
“I know I’m just a bouncer, but I’ve liked you for months. You’re different, you know? I’d treat you right, if you’d just give me a chance.”
I barely heard him.
My mind was somewhere else, dragged back to a place I’d spent years trying to bury.
Dante’s words sounded like promises, but promises were just lies dressed up to look pretty.
I had learned that lesson young, in a house that reeked of cheap whiskey and broken dreams.
~
FLASHBACK
I was six when I first saw my father hi
