For some reason, I decided to humour him. “Do share.”
Dom hummed. “It’s based around a metaphor about holding up a ceiling. About how you can do it for so long alone, but after a while, your arms become tired. That’s when your partner steps in and holds it for you. When they grow tired, you take the weight back. By working together,by being there for one another, you can keep the house standing.”
“I don’t get what you’re saying,” I lied.
“Yes, you do.” Dom stroked my cheek with a finger. “Because I’m willing to bet you did tell Kate you were sick. Not only did she not drop everything to be here, she hasn’t bothered to check in on you. What kind of partner does that?”
Heat flashed through me before turning to ice. I stepped back from Dom’s touch. “You have no fucking right to judge her, Dom. You left me once too.”
“I did, but there wasn’t anything wrong then.”
“Nothing wrong?” My voice rose to a shout as my temper hit flashpoint. Pain ripped at my throat—evidently I wasn’t completely better—but it didn’t stop me. “Dominic, you broke my fucking heart. I wasdevastated. Trust me, you couldn’t have left me in a weaker or more painful moment. In fact, if it hadn’t been for?—”
I cut myself off before I could reveal the night I was most ashamed of. When I’d tried to drink away my problems and landed myself in hospital.
Pain glimmered in Dom’s eyes. “If it hadn’t been for what?”
“Nothing,” I said quietly. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does if it still upsets you.”
I chuckled tiredly. “You can’t pick and choose when to be here for me, Dominic. That’s not what I want.”
“And you can’t hold the past against me forever. I get why you’re doing it, I do. I wasn’t there for you. I hurt you. Deeply. I don’t deserve your forgiveness and I know I’ve got a damned long path ahead of me before I earn back your trust. But I’m not leaving this time, Shadow. I’m here for all the ups and downs. The highs and lows. I’ll haveyour back through all of it because I love you. That’s never changed, and it never will.”
“And if I don’t want that?”
Dom smiled bleakly. “Then I’ll wait until you do.”
10
Ryan
Once Dom left, I wasted no time in calling Kate. When my third phone call went unanswered, I started to panic. Dom might think the worst of her, but that was because he didn’t know her like I did. She was a wonderful person. If she hadn’t been in touch, there had to be a good reason for it.
After my fourth attempt to get hold of her, my phone buzzed with a message.
KATE
Can’t answer now, sorry. Everything okay?
The initial relief I felt was quickly replaced by confusion.
RYAN
Haven’t heard from you since Monday so I panicked that something might be wrong, sorry.
KATE
I’ve just been busy.
Sorry.
Figured you wouldn’t mind since I haven’t heard from you either.
Okay, now I was irritated.
RYAN
