“You’re not lying?” I ask Rian my world crumbling to pieces, Rian says “No” supporting me so that I don’t fall.
“Rian, you’re like my brother. And that won’t change. I want someone who only sees me. And you’ve been in love before while you knew me. I deserve better. And so do you. You deserve someone who chooses you not because you're the last option but because to her you’re the only option she sees,” I say and he hugs me.
“I’m sorry, Vee. I’m sorry for ruining Dominik for you. And I’m sorry for putting you in this situation!” heexclaims putting his arm around me and walking outside “Where’s Kai? Let’s go home. I don’t want you here”
“Can you call Martin? I need to go back to the hospital. I need to give Dominik a chance to explain himself,” I say referring to his personal guard, he nods and I smile at him before turning to Kai's car. “Sure you’ll be ok?”
“Yes. No one knows about Dominik other than the two of us. If you want him to stay alive, you better keep it that way,” he suggests and I nod entering the car. Rian mouths “Talk in private” and I tell Kai to drive me back to the hospital.
I can’t stop shaking for several reasons.
1, Spencer is still plotting against me and he may be the one who ordered these attacks.
2, Dominik may be a part of it.
3, Dominik might’ve never liked me but that doesn’t explain his two years of celibacy. That doesn’t explain why he bothered to be my friend and support me. That doesn’t explain the feelings I clearly felt he has for me.
If he ends up caring about me, the worst part isn’t that he is or was Spencer's spy, the worst part is that as my confidant, he didn’t tell me. I had to find it out from someone else.
Hurt. Broken. Lost. And hopeless. I walk through the front door of the hospital. Ask Damian to get me into Dominik’s room and thankfully there’s nobody there but him.
My father and brother are home. Damian is keeping an eye on Dominik, he and the three guards I somehow avoided. Thanks to Damian.
I thank Damian, saying “How can I ever repay you?” He says “Take care of Maya”. He says it in a tone that leads me to think he has some kind of interest in her, or at least in her well-being. Which is odd, since Damian made it clear everyone annoys him and no one seems nearly appealing, his words not mine.
“What are you doing here?” Dominik asks, his voice concerned, his face emotionless.
“Shouldn’t I be here?” I ask my once strong voice breaking.
“No. Not until I deal with Josh. Have you been crying-”
“I know about Spencer,” I say and Dominik starts tapping the bed with his index finger.
“I see,” Dominik says and surprisingly doesn’t reach out for me or explain himself.
“Care to explain?” I ask him sitting next to him, “Don’t touch me,” I say a little too loudly when his hand almost falls to my leg. As if speaking wasn’t enough I moved the chair farther from him.
“Spencer’s sister and I had an arranged marriage,” Dominik starts his voice low and hurt, “We were married for two years when her father personally asked me to enter Josh’s circle of trust,” Dominik continues I’m about to ask questions yet he interrupts my thoughts. “I was the one who suggested targeting you. What I didn’t know was that you were the real target. I thought I was getting to the weakest member. Most vulnerable, looking for support, feeling helpless, you were the perfect victim of my plans. But they all went downhill when I actually met you. And ever since it has been eating me inside that I couldn’t tell you,” I’m hooked on every word andstop myself from focusing so much on his lips and look at his eyes, but that was also a mistake.
“From the first night I set my eyes on you, in person. Something almost incinerated me there and then. And it consumed me further the more I got to know you. You know my personality but you don’t know much about me. I know everything about you. And I got to know you not because I had to, but because I wanted- no scratch that- craved to,” he says and opens his mouth to speak, no words exit it though.
“Did you like her?” I ask Dominik and think about how damned delusional I am. He just told me I was his target, he was supposed to use me to get to Josh, possibly to hurt or eliminate my family from the board. They play this game.
Josh, Dominik, Spencer, they play this game in their heads, a game where everyone ends up dead. They’re hunters, we’re prey. And if we’re ever in their way we can run, hide, pray to god for salvation, but all we find is hope for a quick end. We disappear, our family does so too, we’re erased from existence. And our space in their broad board game is replaced with different players they can toy around.
So when Dominik tells me I know nothing about him, I believe his words. Because he doesn’t feel like my Dom. He feels foreign. I’m scared but I won’t let him see me shake. I won’t bow to him or anyone else nor let Dominik endanger Josh.
“I never liked anyone before you. I told you-”
“You also told me I know nothing about you,” I whisper and Dominik says “my bad”.
“Does Josh know?” I ask Dominik and he shakes his head. “He can’t know. But you know what? It’s ‘my bad’ I trusted you,” I start Dominik tries to interject yet I stop him, “Don’t talk. I want you far away from Josh, Dominik. I mean it. You near him? You’re dead. You plot against him? You’re dead. You attack him? You’re going to wish you were dead. Because you know what, Dom? You don’t know me either. You saw behind my walls but they’re held up high. Try to break them and I’ll break you and everything you ever cared about”
“I’m not a threat, Love-”
“I won’t take any risks,” Dominik gets closer and I almost forget he’s the enemy. Almost.
“What about us?” Dominik asks and I laugh almost soundlessly.
