Don’t squander it.
I sighed and put my phone down. Dom’s eyes flicked over. “Everything okay?”
I let out a disbelieving laugh. “No, everything’s not okay, Dom. I was meant to be getting a week away from…whatever this is. Instead, I’ve got you here.”
He wasn’t offended. “Cute that you think you would’ve been able to forget about me if I wasn’t here.”
“I’m used to doing it.”
“See, I think you’re trying to put me off,” Dom said easily. “But it’s having the opposite effect.”
“How?”
“Because you had totryto forget me. If I was easy to forget, you wouldn’t have needed to try. That tells me all I need to know.”
“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”
“That you still have feelings for me. That right there is the only important thing. The rest…it’s just details for us to work out.”
I closed my eyes. “Feelings were never the issue, Dom.”
“I know.” He squeezed my knee and my eyes flew open to find his gaze on me. “But feelings are the one thing that can’t be worked on. Everything else? That can.”
“You’re on a whole other level.” I nudged his hand off my knee. Didn’t make a difference—my skin was seared where he’d touched it, even with denim between us. “This is a terrible idea, Dom.”
“We’re a string of terrible ideas. Why change it now?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and counted to ten. “I swear you do this shit to annoy me.”
“No, I do it because I’m in love with you.”
I jolted. “You can’t say things like that, Dom.”
“Really? Because I thought I just did.”
I blew out a breath. “This is so fucked up.”
“Stop overthinking. We’ve got a long drive ahead, so why don’t you find us some music to listen to?”
I grumbled as I picked up my phone again, opening it to the playlist I’d been building for me and Frank. A genius idea occurred to me. Dom thought feelings were important?Well, perhaps it was time I showed him exactly how he’d made me feel.
“Who knewthere were that many songs about heartbreak and betrayal?” Dom said as we pulled into the services two hours later. “Some seriously angsty shit too. Is that really what you’re into?”
“Being trapped in a car with you inspired me,” I said sweetly. We fell into step as we headed to the services. “Especially with all your talk aboutfeelings. Thought I’d remind you that there aremanyI experience when I think about you.”
To my surprise, Dominic just laughed. “Good.”
I stumbled to a stop. “Good?”
“Yep.” Dom stepped close, cupping the back of my neck and squeezing lightly. “It’s good that your feelings are complex and multifaceted. Mine are for you.”
My nostrils flared. “So you’re happy I suffered?”
His smile faded. “No, of course I’m fucking not, Shadow. But am I glad that you felt deeply enough for me that it felt like part of you was missing for years? Yes. I am. Because, selfishly, it tells me I still have a chance.”
“Stop saying that,” I snapped, shoving his arm away and putting a healthy amount of space between us. “We aren’t anything, Dom.”
“See, you keep saying that, but you’re forgetting something.”
