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CHAPTER 3

MISTAKES WERE MADE

§ ELLIE §

I stood in my room, changing in and out of outfits to find the perfect dress for my date with Dante tonight. I finally settled with curling my hair and then tying it back, wearing red lipgloss, and wearing a navy bodycon dress that hugged my curves. Dante was going to be so happy, because I looked so good right now. This outfit was giving me the confidence boost that I needed.

I walked into the living room, carrying my baby sister in my arms. She was just 2 years old. I searched the house for Mum and Dad, but they were nowhere in sight… It looked like they weren’t home again.

Why did they always have to fucking ruin things for me? How was I supposed to meet Dante when there was nobody home to look after the baby?

I rocked the baby in my arms, worried, contemplating what to do. I was just going to have to feed her and put her to sleep. It’s not like me and Dante would be out that long… and hopefully, I would be back in time for when she wakes up. It’s only one day… one day couldn’t hurt, could it?

I cooed at the baby, suddenly feeling miserable. Any chance of a nice thing I had was always ruined by my duties at home. Deep down, I felt bad that I was going to leave the baby home alone. But I delayed meeting up with Dante enough… We were supposed to meet up months ago. It was time to make myself happy for once, instead of always being a goddamn babysitter for my Mum and Dad. I’m only 16… and I should be living my life.

“I’m gonna leave you in your bed, baby,” I said, stroking my sister’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.” I put her dummy in her mouth and put her back into her cot, praying that nothing would go wrong.

***

I stood in town outside Primark, patiently waiting for Dante to arrive. I decided to get my phone out to speak to him instead.

“Hey Dante!” I said cheerfully to him on the phone. “I’m waiting outside the street you told me to. Where are you? I can’t see you anywhere.”

The phone line went fuzzy, and I stared at my phone, confused… and then the phone line went dead. He must have had bad signal, right?

I shoved my phone back into my pocket, staring at my surroundings. Everybody was busily making their way back home from work, or going shopping, or going out for a nice meal. It was starting to get cold.

And then I saw a man walking towards me. At first, I thought I was being paranoid, but he held his gaze with mine, and I shifted about uncomfortably, wishing Dante would hurry up already.

“I’m right here, baby girl,” said the man, just inches away from me now. He was so close, I could smell his bitter alcoholic breath, and it made me uneasy.

 “Is this some kind of sick joke?!” I accused, as I took a few steps back to look at the man properly. “Where’s Dante?!”

“I am Dante,” the man shrugged.

I started trembling, dismayed. “No, no, you can’t be!” I gasped. This man was old, with terrifyingly veiny blue eyes, pitch grey hair, wrinkles… He looked about 65, and he was wearing a baggy green sweater, paired with baggy brown trousers and brown boots.

“The Dante I was talking to was only 21!” I accused. “He was young, muscular, tattooed…”

The man rolled his eyes at me as I clutched my chest in fear, the realisation of what was happening fully hitting me and kicking in. I’d been catfished… My whole relationship that I had with Dante online had been built on a lie. None of it was real… And I didn’t know what to make of that. The one man I trusted, the one man who was my getaway from my tragic, shit life…

He’d been lying to me this whole time.

He’d been deceiving me this whole time.

“Obviously I had to use someone else’s pictures, or you would never meet me, knowing that I’m an old man,” he said condescendingly.

“You’re sick!” I cried.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Dante said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “I still really like you, Ellie. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined you would be.”

At this point, I was shaking with rage. I felt so angry, so hurt… So betrayed. I’d been played for a fool. And my blood felt like it was boiling to the point it almost dried up.