Even if, really, I’d eventually come to accept that maybe that judgment was only ever coming from myself.
I took a deep breath. “I am?”
“You kept him here, didn’t you? You’re putting in the effort.” She gave me a light smile as she reached out. “I know you’ve had a rough time in the relationship game, and when it comes to exes, I don’t know if we could all say that we wouldn’t have shown him the door and told him never to come back into our lives. Curse or not. You’re growing, Ana. You’re becoming something great even if you don’t notice it yet.”
“He had nowhere else to go, Gertie. It isn’t like I’m the saint here—please remind yourself of that. I ruined his life. I’m an awful person.”
“No. We are all horrible people in the right situation. You remember that,” she advised. It sounded similar to what Dom had tried to say the other night. “That being said, you can stay here tonight, if you’d like.”
I shook my head, already starting to dig myself out of my pillow mountain. “No. I have to get back.”
“I understand.”
I was glad that someone did because I wasn’t sure I ever would.
* * *
I droppedmy keys in the bowl before I realized that the apartment was dark. None of my lamps lit the dark space. In fact, nothing looked moved from when I had left.
Except for the body lying in my bed, cuddling a throw pillow.
My steps froze where I stood as I stared down at the man there, encompassing the mattress. One leg stuck out from underneath the top sheet. In the center, the blankets rose and fell. Dom breathed deep and steady. He must’ve been more than just a little exhausted, not even bothered by the entrance. My heart stung at the realization.
I made my way toward the bed. One at a time, I toed off my shoes as I took each step. The heel clacked against the floor before stumbling to its side.
Dom rolled over in the bed, shifting his head up from where he had been lying on his stomach. He blinked open his eyes, groggy with sleep. They remained half shut, lashes fluttering over his cheeks as he groaned.
“Hey. Did you just get back?” Dom asked, voice as heavy as the rest of him seemed.
I nodded, clearing my throat. “I just got back.”
Dom blinked a few more times, noticing the darkness of the room. The curtains were drawn, but it didn’t matter whether they were or not at this point. “Did I—”
“Yeah. Looks like you needed the sleep more than either of us thought,” I tried to tease, though the joke fell flat.
He hummed before he rolled over with another groan, stretching out his legs. The leg hanging over the side flexed, showcasing his cut calf and thigh before it snaked back underneath the duvet. “Let me get up.”
“No,” I interrupted before I could stop myself. I sighed, realizing exactly what I was going to do. I was tired too. I nudged the mattress with my foot. “Just go back to sleep.”
There was a pause.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“It was the flowers, wasn’t it?”
I didn’t answer, forcing myself not to look at the small gathering of them still on the table. I would try to keep them alive long enough to smell the fresh floral aroma catching in the small space. I took my time getting myself ready for bed. It was going to be a cozy night, but I was still going to be comfortable. Unbuttoning my jeans, I kicked them off and onto the floor.
“Or did you get bad news from your friends after finally going o ask for help with your tail between your legs?” His voice was still thick with sleep and scratchy. It was pretty sexy actually.
I wanted to slap myself for even thinking the thought, however true it was. Each word sank straight into me. I imagined how it would vibrate against my skin and felt tiny pinpricks pop up over my skin. “Do I need to repeat myself? Go back to sleep.”
He chuckled and shut his eyes.
I took off my jacket and let it flop onto the floor with my jeans. I glanced over my shoulder to see that Dom’s eyes were still closed, and before I thought better of it, I unclipped my bra and discreetly also let it join the pile of clothing, feeling instant relief.
“Did your friends have any ideas?” Dom asked after another minute. “You know, about us?”
