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Feeling groggy, I wake up to the sound of laughter coming from the living room. I roll over and look at the clock. I slept for over two hours! Jess is so dead. She didn’t wake me up like she promised.
The scene that greets me as I yank open my bedroom door brings me to a quick halt. Dominic and Jess are sitting on the sofa. Their heads are close together, playfully smiling at each other. Dominic is using his finger to wipe the sauce off Jess’s lip. When they hear the door, they both jump apart as though they were just caught by an angry parent.
“Did you two eat all of the pizza?” I ask simply.
“Lana! You’re awake!” Jess jumps up from the couch. “You looked so tired when you came home that I decided to let you sleep. We must have lost track of the time.”
“Looks like you kept Dominic entertained while I was asleep,” I say dryly.
“Oh yeah, Jessica is great. We’ve been eating pizza and watching a movie,” Dominic says, not noticing my dry tone and questioning stare.
I look back and forth between the two of them. They sure seem all innocent now after looking all cozy on the couch. Not that I’m jealous, because I’m not. Dominic and I aren’t even a thing. And my plan tonight was to tell him I won’t be dating him anyway. So, even if they were interested in each other, then whatever.
It’s not like me to jump to conclusions like this. The stress is really getting to me. It’s not like Jess would ever date Dominic. She has someone that she’s been dating off and on for a year now.
I’ve officially hit a new low.
Shaking off my crazy thoughts, I realize that I’m starving.
“I’m hungry,” I say finally. “Did you leave me any pizza?”
Dominic jumps up to get me a slice, and the three of us settle down on the couch. I laugh when I finally see the classic romantic comedy that is paused on the screen.
“Jess, are we watching thisagain? How about we watch something from this decade?”
“No way!” she replies. “You know that I’m obsessed with Vivian. I want to make sure she gets her man. Sit! We’re at the part where they are about to get into his Lotus.”
I roll my eyes at her. “I’m pretty sure she’ll get her man whether or not we watch it for the fiftieth time.”
“I gave Dominic the option to watch something else, but he said he’s never seen it. Can you even believe that?” Jessica shivers in pretend revulsion.
We all settle in silence to watch the movie. But I can’t stay focused. My thoughts are so jumbled and confused right now. How dideverything get so complicated? It feels as though my life has become nothing but a mess of tangled branches. Trying to untangle those branches will lead to them all breaking—one by one. And I will be left to hold all of the broken pieces. The load is getting too hard to bear.
Things can’t continue to go on this way.
First, I need to talk to Dominic. I’ve been stringing him along too long. My heart hurts for how I’ve been treating him.
Then, I need to figure out what can be done about my uncle’s business. I will talk to Jess. I hope that she can help me figure out what to do. Because I don’t know what to do. The thought of those files sitting in my bag isn’t sitting well with me.
And last, I need to make it clear to Jake that he and I will never have a repeat of the hotel or the office. My heart squeezes a little at that thought. Despite all of the turmoil of the last month, I really do like him. If I’m honest with myself, I more than like him. But Jake will never be allowed to see how I really feel.
Chapter Eleven
Lana
The park is quiet and peaceful. The weather is perfect; birds are singing. Kids are playing on the swings and slides, not a care in the world. Across the street is an adorable little coffee shop with patrons walking in and out. But none of this brings me the inner peace that I’d hoped would come. Dominic is on his way to meet me here. I purposely asked him to meet me during our lunch break because it provides a finite amount of time. Breaking up with someone on their lunch break is probably the most cowardly and selfish thing I could do, but I’m going to do it anyway.
I’m leaning forward on the park bench, my elbows resting on my knees. My body is tense as I wait for Dominic to get here. I’m impatiently tapping my toes on the concrete when I see Dominic walking toward me, a smile on his handsome face. I jump up and walk over to meet him halfway.
“Hi,” I tell him, uncertainty written all over my face.
In response, Dominic puts his arms around my waist tightly, lifts me up, and kisses my cheek. Then, he swings me around in a circle before placing me back on my feet. I’m a bit dazed when he puts me back down. Dominic is not usually one to show so much affection in public. When he looks down at me, I see such adoration shining in his eyes that it shakes my confidence in what I’m about to do.
“Hey you!” he says exuberantly. “I was so happy when I got your text. You usually don’t want to take time off work to meet me for lunch. Do you want to grab a bite to eat at that café over there?”
Dominic points to a little French bistro across the street. There is a cute older couple, holding hands, coming out of the restaurant. They are looking up into each other’s eyes with the biggest smiles. I long for that happiness to come to me one day. I could possibly have that happiness with Dominic. Not for the first time, I wonder if I’m making a mistake by letting him go. I try to picture us as an older couple, like the one across the street. I loved him once; he would be so easy to love again. He’s a good man.
But he’s not the man for me. I wish it was different.
