Char relaxes visibly even if her skin is pebbled with goosebumps. “Oh, that. Yeah, I did. It was sweet.”
I turn away from her, shaking my head. “Why would he put it like that? Why would he say that? Sayinghisgirlneeds him? Oh my god.” I rake my fingers through my hair, my scalp feeling ten sizes too small. “What are people going to think?”
“Think of what?” Char tries to hold onto my arms but I wiggle out of her grasp. She watches me pace the balcony with a puzzled expression on her face. “Babes, why are you so upset?”
I turn to her with a loud sigh. “Because how does that make me look? How does that make us look? Sitting together at the football, going out for dinner, and now he’s posting about ‘hisgirl’ and looking after me? People already think I drove Archie away, and now-”
“No one is going to think that.” Char shakes her head slowly. “Everyone just saw a man looking after his daughter-in-law.” She tilts her head, narrowing her eyes slightly. “It’s made you feel a certain way though, and I think that’s why you’re freaking out.”
I inhale sharply through my nose. “I’m not freaking out.”
Char laughs lightly. “Mia, I can recognise one of your freak-outs.”
“I-I… I just…” I don’t even know. I can’t explain why this has thrown me, why I’m so terrified of what people will read into that stupid post.
“Come on,” Char says, linking her arm through mine. “Let’s go enjoy the party, and file this away for later, hmm?”
I let her guide me back inside, my brain still whirring and my heart thumping against my rib cage. Jordan looks at me questioningly, but doesn’t say anything, bless him. I pull my mask into place, smiling and milling about with all the familiar faces. I make small talk with a few people, heat prickling at the back of my neck as I wonder if they can feel the shame radiating from my face.
What is wrong with you?
I excuse myself from a conversation to go and find Char, and run straight into a wall.
No, not a wall.
Dominic sodding Graves. He looks dapper in a grey suit with a light blue tie, the white shirt making his bronzed skin glow. He smiles down at me, and I want the ground to swallow me up.
“Hello, love. Feeling better then?”
“Yeah, fine.” I tear my eyes away from his. “Took a few days, but I’m fine now.”
He dips his head a little, trying to catch my gaze. “Did I do something wrong?”
I shake my head, still not looking at him. “No, what would you have done?”
“Sorry I didn’t pop round,” he says, lifting his hand as though to touch me, but pulling back. “I wanted to leave you in peace to recover.”
My gaze snaps back up to his, and I can’t explain why I’m angry. Am I angry? What is this feeling? It’s just turmoil, and terror, and fear, all mixed in together, because I can’t explain what I feel when I look into his deep blue eyes.
“Why did you make that post on instagram?” I hiss, and Dom’s eyebrows shoot up.
“What post?”
“The one in my kitchen.My girl needs me.”
Dom laughs and rolls his eyes. “Oh that one. I just wanted to make sure no one gave us any guff over missing the football game, y’know?” His smile falters when he looks at my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you know how that made us look?” I dare quick glances to either side of us, making sure no one can hear what we’re saying. “Calling meyour girl. What do you think people are going to say?”
“They’re going to say that I care about you.”
“But as what, Dom?”
We stare at each other for what feels like minutes, but it’s probably only a few seconds. Dom slowly raises his hand to my shoulder, cupping it and stroking it ever so gently with his thumb. So gently that no one would see.
“You know as what, Mia.” His gaze is intense, and for all my worry about what that stupid post would make people think, standing here staring at each other with his hand on me is going to make everything so much worse.
I take a step back from him, out of his grasp, and fumble with the latch on my bag to take my phone out.
