“Dom.”
He nips my ear, then whispers, “Stay.” He peppers soft kisses along my neck, teasing and tempting me with every delicate press of his lips.
“Dom, please.”
He sags against me with an exhale of breath, knowing that I’m pleading for him to stop his tender persuasion. “All right, Red. You win.” He squeezes me one final time, then steps away, lifting the bag from the bed.
With a heavy heart, I follow him to the car where he loads my boot with the bag and the bags I took from my dad’s hotel suite.
I walk around to the driver’s side with the keys in my hand. He follows. Wanting to give him another hug, I slip my arms around his waist and inhale the unique scent that’s only him mixed with his spicy aftershave and tobacco.
He kisses the top of my head. When I pull away, he presses his lips against my nose. “I don’t care how long you need. I’ll be waiting when you’re ready to come home. You need anything at all. Call me night or day. I’ll be wherever you need me to be.”
“Thank you.” I bend my body, getting into my Fiesta. The familiar feel of my car helps give me some of my independence back. It’s been so long since I drove my old car.
He rests his forearms on the door frame, dipping his head. “You should know I put a tracker in your lipstick.”
Of course he did. My lips lift on one side. “That’s how you knew where I was?”
“Yeah. It’s glued inside the lid. You’ll probably need a knife or something to prise it out.”
“Thanks for telling me.”
“No more secrets, remember?” His amber eyes convey all his truths and I believe he’s sincere. It only makes it harder to leave him.
“I’ll look at it.” My voice croaks as I fumble with the key, trying to slot it into the ignition.
“Wait. You forgot something. Give me one sec.” He runs back into the house, then seconds later, with heavy breaths, he holds the Catherine Cookson book I was reading through the car window. “You never finished your book.”
“I can’t take this, Dom. It belongs here on the shelf with your mother’s collection.”
“Well, you better look after it then, and bring it back when you’ve done.” His dull eyes plead with me to take it, just so I’ll have an excuse to return someday.
“Thank you. I’ll look after it.” I reach up and take the book, setting it down on the passenger seat beside me. The words, unsuitable match embossed in the cover, speak to me. Though Dom and I worked well together, if only the circumstances had been different.
“I guess I’ll see you around?” I say the words with a little hope that this isn’t a final goodbye.
Dom’s eyes glimmer with hope and a small smile curves his lips. “Not if I see you first.”
A smile pushes my cheeks up. Of course, he will probably stalk me, but the idea doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would.
“I put your old phone in the glove box. Take care of yourself, Red.”
“You too, Dom.” I pull the seatbelt over my chest and I start the engine. My old car sounds like she’s had a good service. I adjust the seat so I can reach the pedals, then put the old girl into gear. The quiet purr of the engine has never sounded so smooth as I drive off the bumpy dirt road.
Dom stands defeated next to his car, getting smaller and smaller in my rear-view mirror. My vision blurs as he becomes nothing but a dot in the distance. Tears drip from my eyes, clearing the fog. I wipe them away, then inhale, filling my lungs with the fresh pine air, not sure when I’ll get to smell them again.
The thought of driving back to the city fills me with dread. Being in the Lake District gave me some sort of peace. As I drive down the country lane, I pass the sign for the town where Dom took me when we went to the Black Crow. I remember the woman saying they were short staffed and how I thought I could work there.
With a heavy heart, I continue down the road, not knowing exactly where this will take me, but the more miles I put between me and Dom, the better. It’s too painful to stay near him and think about what could have been.
Despite him being perfect for me in every way, I have to do this for myself. I need to stand on my own two feet and put the last few weeks behind me.
After driving for over an hour with no idea where I’m heading but north, my fuel light flashes on the dash. I keep my eye out for the next service station and pull in when I see the big green welcoming sign.
Once parked at the pump, I check my bag for some cash I had in my purse before everything went to shit. Then I open the glove box, remembering Dom said he put my old phone in there.
My eyes widen when I see a wad of notes as well as my phone. Counting the notes, he’s left me with two bundles of five hundred quid and a written note.
