Page 82 of Between Love & Ruin

“You have already ruined his life once,” she spits out, and I take a step back. “I won’t let you do it again.”

“What—”

“What are you guys doing here?” Dominic’s voice makes me stop mid-sentence. But I can’t stop myself from repeating her words in my mind.

What did she mean by ruining his life? The more she speaks to me, the less sense her words make.

“Nothing,” Myra says, her voice clipped. “I was just chit-chatting with Sienna.”

He raises an eyebrow in question and looks at me. His eyes soften momentarily before they go back to Myra.

“Are you okay, Sienna?” he asks me, just to be sure, and my heart warms up at his constant need to make sure I am okay.

His presence makes me feel calmer than before, and I know if he is here, everything will be okay. What Myra said doesn’t make sense, and I won’t let it affect my growing relationship with Dominic, but I do want to know why she would even say something as hurtful like that.

Because even though I don’t know Myra a lot, I do know that she doesn’t go around saying stuff just for the sake of speaking.

“Yes,” I reassure him with a smile. “I am fine. Are you done with your meeting?”

The way he looks at me makes me feel like he doesn’t believe that I am okay. But he chooses to let it go.

“Don’t you have work, Myra?” He cuts a sharp glare to her, who keeps listening to our conversation like she has any business here.

The way Dominic talks to her and everyone else makes me realize how different he is in every way with me. I have not once heard him talk to me in a harsh tone. Not even when we weren’t together. Not even when we were just meant to work together.

“Don’t we need to discuss the file?” she says, and I feel like an outsider listening to this conversation.

“No,” he says, cutting her off. “It’s personal.”

She stays silent for a bit, and from the way she glares at me I can tell she doesn’t like whatever just happened.

She nods at him and leaves, and Dominic finally looks at me. His shoulders drop slightly as he pulls me towards him, and I look around to check if there are any employees here.

While the cafeteria is almost deserted, the few people here don’t dare look at us. Or if they do, they manage to hide it well.

“Let me hold you for a few minutes, please,” he says before burying his face in my neck. I smile and wrap my arms around his neck and lean up slightly.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, rubbing a soothing arm on his back, momentarily forgetting the question lingering in my mind.

He nods, but something tells me that he wants to say something but is holding himself back.

“You can talk to me,” I whisper softly.

He presses a kiss on my neck before pulling away, but his arms stay low on my waist.

“I know,” he tells me before pressing a kiss on my forehead, and I close my eyes.

I don’t think I have ever felt as peaceful as I do with him. I don’t think I have even known what real happiness feels like before him.

I know he thinks I am the best thing that has ever happened to him. He has told me the same multiple times. But the truth is—he’s the best thing that could ever happen to me. If anything, I am the lucky one, and I don’t take that for granted for one second.

And because I am no less selfish, I will make sure to protect us from each and everything coming our way. No matter what.

“I have something to tell you, but before that I need to go somewhere with Roy,” he tells me. “Will you be okay?”

“Of course,” I tell him. “I was going to leave anyways. I need to see Aisha.”

I do not. But the lie rolls off my tongue easily. The truth is—I just don’t want to go back to an empty home.