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I walked through the garage door and into the house I’d grown up in. Two pizza boxes sat on top of the kitchen counter, and I shook my head. I knew he hadn’t cooked! The man hadn’t used anything other than the microwave since I’d moved out.
Opening up the cupboard, I pulled out two plates and set them on the table, where I’d moved the pizzas to as well. I was almost shocked the man still had any dishes left in the house. He was always eating off of paper plates or out of those horrible microwave meal containers.
My dad walked in and shook his head in my direction. “Car’s all clean.”
That was a relief, but not really unexpected. Pinging my phone had been the smarter move on Trevor’s part. My phone was always with me, in my pocket or in my purse, and I didn’t always take my car when I went places. Sometimes, I actually walked.
“Thank you for checking.”
“Anytime, sweet pea,” he said as he sat down at the table. “You pulled out the real plates, huh?”
“Yes. And you’ll like it.”
“You’re washing them.”
“Oh, washing two plates will be super challenging. Probably take me all night,” I mocked.
“Don’t sass me.” He pointed a finger in my direction, but his mouth couldn’t hide the grin that started forming.
I loved this man. Would do anything to protect him, and honestly, I wasn’t even mad at him for putting me in this position. I could have been. Had every right to blame him for my predicament, but something inside me wouldn’t allow it. It downright refused.
The scent of cheese and olive oil–baked crust hit my nose, and my stomach actually growled. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d allowed myself to pig out on pizza. And it wasn’t because I was trying to look svelte in my wedding dress. I couldn’t care less what the hell I looked like on that day. It would be a miracle if my legs held me up at the altar if I wasn’t standing next to Dominic. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they gave out and refused to work when it came right down to it. My mind could do its best to resist, but my body refused to betray him.
I’d barely had an appetite since breaking up with Dominic. I had to force myself to eat on a daily basis. Every bite was a struggle, each swallow threatening to give it all back before it even hit my empty stomach. Dominic had noticed the weight loss. I had seen him take every inch of me in with his eyes, the look on his face not happy.
“I had an unexpected visitor at the station today,” my dad said, bringing my thoughts back to the present.
“Oh yeah? Who?” I asked.
“Dominic.”
I had not been prepared for his answer even though I should have expected it, and I started choking. Had to reach for my glass of water and down the entire thing. How many times had I choked today? This was becoming an annoying trend.
“What did he want?” I tried to ask with as little emotion in my voice as possible, but it was a futile attempt at best.
“Well, he told me something interesting.” He reached for a napkin and wiped at the corners of his mouth.
What could Dominic have said?I wondered as my body tensed. “What did he tell you?”
“You see, sweet pea, I always thought this wholeyou and Trevorthing was bullshit,” he started, and I let out a gasp as he continued. “But I figured there was a reason you were going along with it. A reason I couldn’t help with or talk you out of. Otherwise, you would have asked me.”
He was getting too close. If my dad figured out why I was doing what I was, he wouldn’t allow it. Bob Tryst always put me first even if it was to his detriment, and this would be no exception. I couldn’t have him turning himself in and still be expected to live with myself after.
I started shaking my head vehemently. I needed him to stop asking questions. “No. It’s not like that. Maybe you don’t know Dominic as well as you think you do. Maybe he’s not a good guy. Maybe he did something horrible to me and hurt me. Do you think I’d tell you if he had?”
Lies. Lies. Lies. They tasted so sour and vile in my mouth, and I wanted to spit them out and stomp all over them until they couldn’t ever be spoken again.
“I can see that you’re not ready to tell me the truth. But how am I supposed to stand by and watch you marry this guy when I know you don’t want to?”
My dad had initially questioned it all when I first told him that I was engaged to Trevor. Granted, the dating, engagement, and wedding date all happened incredibly quickly. Trevor had said he had to rush it or else we’d be giving Dominic too much time to figure out a way to save me even though he hinted that doing so was impossible. Trevor was still worried. Dominic had always been too big of a threat to him.
Trevor had told everyone else, “When you know who you are meant to be with, you don’t see the sense in waiting to make them yours.”
It was a slight at my and Dominic’s courtship. From the outside, looking in, no one could understand why we weren’t married already—or at least engaged. But neither one of us understood how a piece of paper was supposed to change anything between us. We weren’t in a rush. We were committed and both focusing on growing our businesses. I wasn’t ready to have kids yet.
Soon… but not quite yet.
If only we’d known what was headed straight for us, we would have rushed to the justice of the peace and made my marrying someone else not an option.
