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“Dom.”

He looked up. Gavin was looking at him over Lucia’s head, his eyes red around the edges.

“I’m sorry.” Gavin’s voice was filled with exhaustion and a faint tremor that made Dom’s chest tighten. “I’m so fucking sorry. For leaving. For not answering you. For all of it. You asked me what was happening between us, and I let you sit here without an answer.” Gavin swallowed. “I read your messages. I knew you were worried, and I still didn’t call.”

Dom put the bottle on the counter between them and waited. Lucia grabbed at Gavin’s mouth, twisting his bottom lip until Gavin winced and looked at her.

“Ouch, baby girl.” Gavin pried her fingers loose and kissed her hand while she looked at him like she had questions.

Dom had a few of his own.

“I owe you so many apologies,” Gavin said.

“Yeah,” Dom said. “You do.”

Gavin nodded, his gaze dropping briefly to Lucia before returning to Dom. When he spoke, his voice was low and rough, and he had to clear his throat before he continued.

“I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry I stood there and let you keep trying to explain something I’d already decided I understood. You were asking me to listen, and I wouldn’t.”

Dom pressed his lips together. It should have felt better to hear Gavin admit it, but all he felt was the same anger and frustration he had when trying to get through to someone who refused to hear him.

“You wouldn’t even give me a minute.”

“No.” Gavin swallowed. “And you shouldn’t have had to beg for one, but I put you in a spot where you felt like you did.”

Dom looked away. He had begged. Maybe he hadn’t used that word, but he’d followed Gavin to the door, tried over and over to get him to stay, thought that if he could just get him to stop moving, he would get through to him.

“I was right there,” Dom said. “I was standing right in front of you, telling you I wanted you and nothing was happening with Talia.”

“And I treated you like you didn’t know what you were talking about.”

Lucia let out a sharp, disgruntled squawk, twisting toward him as if to remind them both that apologies were great, but she had been waiting long enough for food. Gavin glanced down at her, startled, then shifted her to rest against his chest.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I know you’re hungry.”

Dom slid the bottle closer to him, and Gavin settled Lucia into the crook of his arm and brushed the nipple against her lips, and her impatient complaints quieted as she began to drink. Gavin watched her for a few seconds, then turned his gaze back to Dom. His eyes were wet now, and Dom could see the effort it was taking for Gavin to keep it together.

Gavin’s voice caught, and he cleared his throat again. “I made everything worse. You called, and I didn’t answer. You texted, and I kept driving. I knew you would be upset or worried, but I⁠—”

“I thought something had happened to you.” Dom hadn’t meant for the words to come out so sharply, and he clenched his jaw.

“I know.”

“No. It’s my turn.” Dom lifted a hand when Gavin started to speak again. “I heard your apology, and now you need to listen to what actually happened.”

Gavin closed his mouth.

“I kept calling. And every time it went to voicemail, I didn’t know if you were ignoring me or if you couldn’t answer.” Dom pressed his hands flat against the counter. “I was so fucking pissed at you. We promised we wouldn’t run away and that we would talk. And I know I did it first. I know that. But we promised. So then I kept hoping you would pick up so I could tell you exactly how fucking unfair you were being.”

He paused, breathing through his nose while he glared at Gavin. “Then it got later, and I started thinking about how upset you’d been when you left. I couldn’t stop wondering if you’d had an accident and if someone would call me and tell me you were in a hospital somewhere. If someone would even know to tell me.”

Gavin’s lips parted, but he caught himself.

“I kept checking the volume on my phone, like maybe I’d turned it down by accident and had just missed your call.” Dom dragged a hand over his mouth, then dropped it. “I felt like a fucking idiot, checking the same thing over and over, but I didn’t know what else to do. And I was so fucking angry with you, and then I’d feel bad for being angry because what if you really were hurt somewhere?”

His volume had started to rise, and he made himself stop until he could get it back under control.

Gavin lowered his eyes.