AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I just started back.”
“That’s amazing, Dom.”
He grabs both of my hands in his. “I’m trying to work through my mess, so I can be better for you. What happened on Saturday, the things I said, the shit I did. It wasn’t okay. I hurt you again. And I know I don’t deserve it, but I want a chance to make it up to you. More than anything I’ve ever wanted in my entire life, more than my next fucking breath. Will you please let me do that?”
He pulls my hands up to his mouth, brushing his lips over my knuckles while his eyes break my heart. He’s pleading with me. A vulnerability swirling in his irises I haven’t seen before.
And God, do I want to give in to him. It would be so easy to let the ice surrounding my heart melt away and fall into his arms, but I can’t do it. The hurt is too fresh. My hands are still bleeding from picking up the pieces he left my heart in, and I just need more time.
“I can’t.”
45
Sloane
Now
Dominic: The first time I saw you, you took my breath away. Standing there in a white dress at a frat party, like an angel that came down to Earth for the sole purpose of claiming my heart. You succeeded. I won’t say those words to you now because they’re too important to put in a text message you won’t ever read, but I feel them, angel. I’ve always felt them.
It’s been three weeks since I’ve laid eyes on Dom, but I’ve heard from him every single day. Text messages I won’t allow myself to read. Notes that are always attached to flowers or other gifts he has delivered to my house. Voicemails and audio messages I have to force myself to delete because I know the moment I hear that smooth, dark rasp I’ll be a goner.
They started the day after I left him standing in my driveway and haven’t stopped since, and every time I get one, my resolve cracks a little more. Usually, I dismiss them as soon as they come in, but today is the opening for La Grand Nuit, and I miss him. Which is why the second his name popped up on my phone, I opened the message and ended up reading the most devastating one he’s sent so far.
And now that I’m in the thread, I can’t stop scrolling, reading every single thing he’s written to me over the last twenty-one days, and trying not to ruin my makeup.
Dominic: I did try to hate you, Sloane, but I never succeeded because hating you was even more impossible than loving you.
Dominic: Tried to get on a plane to California today, but I couldn’t do it.
Dominic: You were in my dreams last night. I wish I could have stayed asleep.
Dominic: They’re using a new crust on the double chocolate cheesecake at Twisted Sistas. Have you tried it yet?
Dominic: I just watched the episode of Grey’s where Meredith asks Derek to choose her. He was a bastard for walking away.
Some of the messages make me laugh, but mostly they make me want to cry. I turn my phone face down and pull in a few deep breaths through my nose, willing the tears to go away so I can finish getting dressed for the launch party. Mal and I spent the entire morning pampering ourselves. Getting our hair, nails, and makeup done before coming back to my house to get dressed.
She’s agreed to be my date, promising to stay by my side for the entire evening just like she has for the last month. We haven’t talked much about Dom over the past few weeks, but I know they still talk and see each other at Sunday dinners when I’m not there. And I’m honestly glad their relationship hasn’t suffered because of me. Dom needs all the family he can get, and Mal can’t afford to lose another brother.
Skipping a family dinner every now and then to keep things from being weird seems like a small sacrifice to make.
“Hey,” Mal calls as she walks into my bedroom. “I got something for you!”
There’s a large white box with a black bow in her hands, and she’s smiling wide as she sets it on the bed and gestures for me to come over. I eye the box warily as I walk over. Mal has never bought me anything that’s required an actual gift box before, and I don’t know what to expect.
“Mal, what is this?”
“Open it and see!”
I run my fingers over the bow and glance at her. She’s bouncing happily on her tiptoes, and her face is split into a wide grin that makes her dimples pop. The excited energy pouring off of her is contagious. I tug on the bow and it comes loose easily. Mal makes an excited little squeal in the back of her throat that has me laughing as I open the box to reveal a black dress with a sheer corset bodice and beaded straps.
“Wow.” I give her a puzzled look as I pull the dress out of the box completely and rub the tulle skirt between my fingers. “It’s beautiful, but you didn’t have to do this.”
“I know I didn’t, but you’ve been through a lot the last few weeks, and I wanted you to feel beautiful tonight.”
“Aww, Mal. That’s so sweet.”
She waves a dismissive hand at me. “Yeah, yeah. I’m the best sister in the world. We already know that. Now shut up and put it on!”
