Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Dom
He signs off with his phone number, and I read the letter for the third time, looking for any kind of hidden meaning.
I carry the note to the porch. I’m not ready to go in and face my mother, so I sit down on the steps and pull out my phone.
I type in Dom’s phone number and then type out a text. I change it three times before I finally have something I feel like I should send.
Thank you for my car.
Bubbles appear, and I know he’s typing me back. There’s a tug in my belly as I wait for his message. When it pops up, I can’t read it fast enough.
You’re welcome.
I wait for more, and when nothing else comes, I type another text.
How did you get home?
I walked.
My mouth drops.
Dom, it’s like five miles.
He’s quick to correct me.
Three. I’m just now getting back to the apartment. It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I enjoy walking.
As soon as I read the text, it makes me think about the past and how much time we spent walking the track around the park. Dom never liked being stuck inside, and every chance he got, he was always finding something for us to do outside. Before I can talk myself out of it, I type,
I remember.
The bubbles appear again, and I wait for the message, but just as quickly, they disappear. The phone is gripped tightly in my hand, and when he doesn’t send another message, I feel a deep sadness hit me.
I pull my legs up and wrap my arms around my knees. I should go to bed. I should worry about getting my shit together, handling my business, and dealing with Ray. But all I can think about is Dom. I know I need to talk to him. For years, it’s been weighing on me, and I don’t think I’ll ever be free unless I finally get some closure.
With a decision made, I get up to go inside. Thinking I’ll be able to sneak off to my bedroom, my mom stops me as soon as I get inside the door. “Honey, is that you? Ray called.”
My mom is hollering from the other room, and for just a second, I debate that maybe I’ll just keep walking to my room, acting like I didn’t hear her, but then she appears from around the corner. “He said he’s sorry and he wants to talk to you.”
I bend over to remove my shoes. “He can talk to my attorney, Mother.”
“But—” she starts, and usually I humor her, but not tonight. Tonight, I can’t listen to all the reasons why I should give Ray a second chance.
“Mom, I’m not getting back with Ray. Truth be told, I never loved him and should never have agreed to marry him.”
I raise up after putting my shoes away and look my mother in the eye. “But besides all that, he hit me, Mom.” She opens her mouth, but I hold my hand up. “And yes it was only one time and yes he apologized, but I would never stay with someone like that, so you should give up on the thought that Ray and I are getting back together. The only thing I want is my part of the business.”
She just stares back at me. I would give anything for her to be on my side. Hell, if she hugged me and told me everything was going to be okay, it would be amazing. But when she doesn’t do any of that, I walk past her. “I’m going to bed. Good night, Mom.”
She doesn’t try to stop me, and as soon as I get into my bedroom, I shut the door behind me. Exhaustion takes over, and I strip off my clothes, curl into bed, and try to clear my head of a certain brown-haired man that I shouldn’t be thinking about.
8
DOMINIC
Fuck!
My mind is on Luciana instead of the head gasket that I’m working on. I pull my hand back, and there’s a gash with blood pouring from it. I mutter curses, one right after another, letting the frustration out.
I’m wrapping my hand in a shop towel when Luciana walks into the garage and I forget all about my hand. Damn, she’s beautiful.
“Hey, Lucky.”
She’s walking toward me with determination, but she falters when she sees me holding my hand and the blood that is already seeping through the towel. Her mouth drops, and she rushes the last few steps toward me. “What happened?”
Before I can answer her, she wraps her hands around mine and starts pushing me to the back of the garage. She’s looking around my office. “Where’s the first aid kit?”
Normally, I’d wave her off. I’m not accustomed to being fussed over, but there’s no way I’m going to stop her now. This is the closest I’ve been to her, and I’ll let her do whatever she wants to me. “It’s in the bathroom,” I tell her, nodding to the door on the other side of the office.