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He shifts closer. His abdomen pushes against my knees, and my leg gives a little jerk.
Dominic immediately leans away, his hands moving to my thighs as he looks down at the tear in my jeans on my right knee.
“Did someone push you?”
“No.” Another whispered admission. “I tripped over a stroller.”
He looks back up at me, careful to avoid my knee. “Are you okay?”
I nod. A few more tears break free at his tender tone.
“Why are you crying, Wife?” He slides his hands up my legs until he’s gripping me under my jacket, holding my hips.
“I—” I lower my eyes to my lap. “I thought maybe you left me.”
“Left you?”
I press my fingertips onto my thighs, wishing I had something to hold.
“I thought…” I stop to take a breath. “I was buying that bowl”—I gesture to it—“while your mom went to get a pretzel, but when I tried to find her after, she was gone. And then I couldn’t find her. And I tried to find you.” My voice hitches, and I feel so stupid, but I can’t help it. “You said there were so many of your people here, but I couldn’t spot anyone.” His thumbs rub circles on my hips. “I thought you left me.”
“Angel.” Dom shifts closer, carefully nudging my hurt knee aside. “I’m not going to leave you.”
My shoulders lift in the smallest shrug. “I know.”
“Valentine.” He waits for my gaze to meet his. “I’d choose you. You know that, right?”
I move my head from side to side, not understanding him.
Dom cups my cheek with his warm palm. “If there was no Alliance—never was—I’d still choose you.”
Those words…
My eyes close, then open, and he’s still there. Still before me.
“You make me feel special,” I tell him, my voice so full of emotion it spills between us.
He glides his thumb across my cheek. “Good.”
Someone carrying a bag of jingle bells walks past, the noise high and light. And I inhale, needing to tell him this one last thing. “My mom killed herself on Christmas Day.”
CHAPTER62
Dom
I rise,scooping Valentine into my arms, then I sit on the bench where she just was.
“You should’ve told me,” I say with my lips against her soft hat. “We didn’t need to come here. You should’ve told me.”
“I want to like Christmas.” Her words are so quiet they make me hold her tighter.
My wife… The shit she’s been through. All by herself.
“You’ll never be alone, Angel. Not on holidays. Not ever,” I swear to her.
“I’m okay,” she says with her head against my chest.
“We’ll get the bowl fixed,” I promise.
