He said something that had Gabriella throwing her head back on a laugh. I took another swig of beer, praying this would be the sip that numbed the emotions churning in my stomach. Ones I’d experienced before, many times, but not in this context.
Jealousy.
Desire.
Heartache.
Fuck it. I didn’t need to stay here. Amy was occupied with Max. She wouldn’t know if I snuck out.
At the moment I came to that decision, Dominic’s attention finally shifted from the girl in his arms. I knew the exact second he spotted me. The instant his brain processed that I was mere feet away from him, casually sipping on a beer while he flirted with someone else.
How did I know?
It was easy. Kind of satisfying too, actually. His lips parted as he froze, the blood draining from his face.
Our eyes met and everything else faded away. It was just the two of us, staring at each other across the room, a million words we couldn’t bring ourselves to say trying to force their way to the surface.
Just the two of us, and the girl in his arms.
I lifted my bottle in a mock salute before draining it. Fuck this. I didn’t knowwhathad been going on between us, but it was done.
It was fucking done.
And so was I.
I didn’t look back as I strode for the door. There was a shout from behind me. I thought maybe it was my name, but there was no way. Dominic wouldn’t be calling after me.
Except he was.
I was halfway down the street when I heard it again. “Ryan! Stop. Wait.”
Nope. I was done listening to Dominic. Look where it had landed me. Sure, I might have friends now. The bullying had stopped. I’d even gained confidence. If you’d asked me a few weeks ago, I’d have told you this was all I’d ever wanted.
Now I knew different. I’d have given it all up if it meant I could give up these feelings too. The confusion that had me wanting to punch something hard. The lust that kept me awake night after night. The jealousy whenever Dominic’s attention was on anyone other than me. The fuckingyearninghe’d somehow unlocked in me.
The cracking in my chest. Fractures I wasn’t sure would ever seal over.
I’d give it all up in a heartbeat. What I was feeling wasn’t worth it.
I turned into an alley, praying he’d just leave me alone.
I should’ve known better.
“Shadow, stop.” He grabbed my bicep roughly, dragging me to a halt. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” I was aiming for breezy but missed it by several thousand miles. “Let me go, Dominic.”
“Not until you let me explain. Please.”
“There’s nothing to explain.” I yanked my arm out of his grip and turned to face him.
That was a mistake. I could’ve lived quite happily without ever seeing this look on Dominic’s face. It was some brutal combination of guilt and sorrow. There was vulnerability there too.
I squeezed my eyes shut so I couldn’t see it. I wasn’t being dragged back into this…whatever it was. “You don’t have to explain anything because we’re just friends.”
“Friends,” Dominic repeated hollowly. “Are we? Because half the time you look at me like you can’t stand me.”
My eyes flew open at that. “Can you blame me? I swear you drive me crazy on purpose.”
