"He doesn't need to be up here. It's cute of you to worry, but I'm okay. Promise."
His eyes sweep over my face before he dips down, capturing my lips again.
Humming contentedly as his tongue sweeps across mine, I lift myself onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing him back with fever.
As he plants his hands on my hips, the elevator dings, and he groans, nipping at my lip in frustration as he reluctantly pulls away from me.
"We'll continue this later," he says, pecking me on the cheek before lifting me off his lap. He slides out from beneath me just as Leo walks into the living room with Jellybean in his arms.
Leo shoots me a smile as he walks over and hands me Jellybean, who immediately curls up into a ball on my lap. He glances at Dom, nods, and walks back out.
"What was that about?" I ask, looking over at Dom as he slides a pair of trainers on and then stands from the sofa.
"What was what about?"
I arch a brow. "Don't play dumb. Why'd he nod at you?"
He shrugs, ducks down to press a kiss against my forehead, and then walks around the sofa and out of the room.
Once he's gone, I settle back on the sofa, trying to focus on my programme, but the surrounding silence and the absence of his presence have me reaching for my phone instead, and I dial my sister's number.
"Hey, what's up?" she says as soon as she answers the call, a hint of worry in her voice.
"I'm moping around. Dom's just left the apartment for the first time in two days, and it's too quiet here. I don't like it. Needed some company," I tell her, moving from the sofa and walking through to the kitchen to make myself a drink.
"Oh, okay, good. I was worried something else had happened."
"No. Everything's all good. I still haven't left the apartment, so there's nothing new to catch you up on. Apart from the fact Dom has started to enjoy watchingCriminal Minds, but I don't think you have any interest in that, do you?"
"Unfortunately, I don't. I could pass the phone over to Miguel if you'd like. I'm sure he'd sit there and gush over Spencer and Derek for hours," she says, the pair of us laughing at her statement because of how true it is.
Almost an hour later, after speaking to my sister for a while, and baking cookies to keep myself busy, I finally hear the elevator jump to life again. I'm seated back on the sofa, and I pause the TV, looking over my shoulder, waiting for Dom to walk through the doorway.
When he comes in, he has his hands stuffed in his pockets, a smug smile on his face, and a suspicious glint in his eyes. He bends over the back of the sofa and dips down to give me a quick kiss.
"Sorry, I took a little longer than I planned to, but I promise it was worth it," he tells me, rounding the sofa and coming to sit down next to me. Moving one arm around the back of my shoulders, he keeps his other at his side, his hand still in his pocket.
Glancing at him with narrowed eyes, I raise my brows.
"What are you hiding from me?"
"Well…" He shuffles closer to me, removes his hand from his pocket, and places it in my lap. His fingers are curled over, covering whatever it is he's hiding, though. "I have a surprise for you."
He worries his lip between his teeth as my eyes dart between his face and his hand.
Reaching forward, I slowly slide my fingers beneath his and uncurl them, moving them out of the way to reveal a thick silver chain with my heart locket attached to the end of it.
My jaw slackens, and I carefully take hold of the chain, lifting it from his palm. I inspect the intricate design, moving it around as I stare at it in wonder through blurred vision.
Opening it up, I'm met with the picture I'd told him about, and the tears instantly drop from my eyes.
Even though the chain isn't the original one, the picture and locket are.
Swallowing, I turn to face him, swiping the tears off my cheeks.
"You got it back for me?"
He nods. "When I saw how upset you were when you realised you'd lost it, it made me realise how much you cherished it, and I knew instantly I had to get it back for you. I asked Leo who had cleaned up the scene, and then messaged them and told them to hold onto everything until I could go through all the bags of stuff."
