Chapter 9

• ~Lola’s POV~
• As the train pulled away from NYC, heading to Ozark, I thought of the opportunities I had to express how I felt for Dante, but I couldn’t. The prom night, our dinner dates, on my 18th birthday, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I’ve been told that no matter what, a girl should be too desperate. His mom told me I should never tell him. He would have to realize his feeling for me himself. Sadly, it took years, and still counting, I chuckled because it never happened, it was all in my head. Dante and Lola's story was all in my head and this is our goodbye. Sadly, our story ends today. The story that never was there, perhaps it was all in my head. There is no Dante and Lola going forward as there was never Dante and Lola even before. I will miss him. Dante was just a natural. I loved everything about him. It was so easy to talk to him; he was a great listener, and he laughed at my silly jokes. I have never once looked at any other man the way I looked at Dante. His smile, his laughter; I swear the world stopped revolving when that man genuinely laughed. His smiles were something that kept me going each time I searched for something that could make me smile. Dante was amazing, and I loved just how easy it was to talk to him. He always had the answers to every one of my questions. I know I was sometimes annoying, but he laughed at every little silly thing I did. Now, I gave up my happiness in order to make him happy with the one he truly loved. I am just an altruist. I will no longer see that amazingly handsome face. I do not blame him; I had enough chances. The time I knew I had lost him for good was when he told me he was going out with Candice. I gave up on him looking at me as a woman a long time ago. But I never thought that he would date anyone I knew. I vividly remember that day. It was his birthday, and right when I was about to tell him how I felt about him, Candice showed up and kissed him in front of me. And he told me they were going out. He told me he was happy with her; she made him feel things, and he wanted to be with her.
• Candice is the type of girl that goes for what she wants. She told me she liked him, and she went for him, and she got him. Well, I am the opposite. I thought that the stupid promise we made to each other when we were young meant something to him, as it did for me. I waited for him to tell me it was time for us to be together. I didn’t even get to ask how long they had been seeing each other. I just stared at the two of them simultaneously whilst forcing a smile onto my face. Deep inside, I died that day. I knew I had lost him, but what did I do? I couldn’t resist him when I saw him naked, even though I knew that there would never be Dante and Lola. We were done that day. He told me he wanted to be with Candice. I told myself I was over whatever I felt for him. I even lied that I was happy for them while forcing a smile. I even learned to live with the fact that they were a couple, even though they would cheat on each other. I was there to listen to all of them. I forgot to mention that the day Dante told me he was going out with Candice was the day I learned how to drink alcohol. I freaking waited for him, but he forgot everything about us when he saw a more mature girl around him. I had to pretend when I’m with the two of them; I laugh at every joke they made, like an idiot. When they kissed in front of me, that’s when I felt my already broken heart drop to my core. Then he said something that made me wonder if he ever meant that he would be my Prince Charming.