Pacing the length of the hotel room, my gaze remains fixed on the door, straining to catch any hint of approaching footsteps in the hallway without looking outside. Time slips away as I continue my restless pacing, each step making me more impatient. Suddenly, I hear the familiar beep before the door opens.
Zoe walks in, her body still wet, and she’s not wearing any shoes. As if she rushed from the pool area in a state of frenzy, worried I might chase after her. I bet a part of her would have fucking loved that. Throw her in a closet somewhere and have my way with her.
Not yet. Not like this.
Gasping for breath and with wide eyes, Zoe seems shocked to see me standing in the middle of the room.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just needed some air.”
“Stale air from the stairwell?” I arch a brow at her.
She glares at me, unimpressed. “Yes. Away from you.”
“Do you hate me that much?” I tease, but she doesn’t crack a smile.
“I can’t do this with you anymore.Wecan’t do this,” she yells, her hand waving between us. “You want me to forgive you? Fine. I forgive you. Now, please, for the love of God, leave me alone.”
“That’s not how this works,” I whisper.
“Why? Why do you care so much? Do you want to win? You have, okay? You won. I have nothing to give you, Dominik. I’m done.”
I advance toward her with deliberate steps, my heart pounding against my ribcage. On the outside, I’m forceful, but on the inside, I’m about to fall apart. The floodgates reverberateunder the weight of everything I’ve been holding back. Emotions surge through me, crashing against my walls, threatening to overflow and devour me entirely.
“Well, I’m not done, Zoe. I made a mistake, and I will apologize for the rest of my life if you’ll let me. And even if you don’t, I’ll still be here because I can’t let go. This isn’t an act, okay? I need so much more than your forgiveness. Please let me prove to you how sorry I am. Let me make it right.”
“There is nothing to make right. What’s done is done, and we can’t go back or move forward. We’re hopeless.”
“We’re not. Let me prove it to you, please,” I beg.
“No.”
“Why?” I take another step toward her, and she reacts to the small space between us.
“Because I fucking hate you,” she yells out.
“Say it again, but this time, keep your eyes on me.”
Zoe shakes her head, her expression filled with disappointment until it morphs into something else entirely. She doesn’t look at me once before disappearing into the bathroom and locking the door.
Goddamn.
“You can stay in there all night long. We’re not leaving until we settle this.”
I’ve never felt a stronger urge to forcibly break down a bathroom door in my entire life.
The sound of running water fills the room, giving me a moment to collect my thoughts while Zoe is in the shower. I feel lost, unsure of what to do, desperately searching for a way to mend the remaining shattered pieces of us. The weight of the situation is overwhelming as I realize how close I am to losing her forever.
I can’t allow that to happen. But every effort I make to fix things only seems to make the divide between us worse. I don’thave the answers, but I desperately want to repair everything that’s damaged between us.
Falling down on the edge of the bed, I cradle my head in my hands, going over every memory, when I hear the bathroom door open.
As I glance up, my breath catches in my throat.
As Zoe exits, the gentle bathroom light highlights her glistening, completely exposed skin. Her damp hair cascades in undulating waves, carrying the enticing scent of fresh shampoo. The sight of her perfectly peaked nipples sends a jolt of desire through me, causing me to clench my teeth and tightly grip the comforter, desperately attempting to ground myself to the bed.
“I changed my mind. I want to call a pause.” Her gaze fixes on me, and her posture is completely rigid, owning the entire room as if she’s in total control.
