44. His Sinner
Chapter forty-four
His Sinner
I stand there, rooted to the spot, feeling more lost than I ever have. He’s not even looking at me. Dominic’s so absorbed in his work, acting like I’m nothing more than an inconvenience he’s brushing off.
The words he threw at me—the ones that should have made me furious—just feel hollow now, echoing back with the bitterness I can’t ignore. He said I was his, he made me believe it, made me feel it in every touch, every word.
But right now? He looks like he couldn’t care less. Maybe I got it all wrong. Maybe this has all been in my head, just some twisted game I’ve let myself get dragged into.
I clench my fists, fighting against the wave of frustration, of hurt, that’s building in my chest.
This is the guy who once looked at me like I was the only thing keeping him breathing, the guy who tore through anyone who even dared to get near me. Now, he’s acting like I’m just… optional.
I know it’s my fault, so why can’t I just be honest with myself?
I clear my throat, hoping it’ll pull his attention, but he doesn’t so much as flinch. He just keeps working, wiping grease off his hands like I’m not standing here, feeling like my heart’s in a vice.
“You’re just going to ignore me?”
He pauses, glancing over his shoulder, his expression infuriatingly blank. “I already told you what you needed to know, Aria. What more do you want from me?”
The casualness in his voice, the way he tosses me aside like I don’t mean anything—it makes my stomach twist.
“Fine,” I bite out, taking a shaky breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’re right. I don’t know why I came here. I guess I thought… I thought you’d be different.”
He shrugs, turning back to his work. “Maybe you should stop expecting me to be someone I’m not.”
The words hit like a punch, and I can feel the last remnants of hope slipping away. This is who he is—cold, ruthless, unwilling to give even an inch. He’s told me as much before, but I was too stubborn, too damn hopeful, to listen.
I feel my throat tighten, a bitter taste settling in my mouth.
“Maybe this is what’s best for both of us,” he says, casually. “You’ve got your life, and I’ve got mine.”
I stand there, stunned. All this time, I thought… I don’t even know what I thought. That he’d somehow prove me wrong? Of course not. I’m the idiot who didn’t choose him. I’m the one who let him go.
“So that’s it?” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re just giving up?”
“Giving up? Are you fucking hearing yourself right now?” he growls. “You walked out of this, you gave up on us. Did you still expect me to wait around like a lost fucking puppy for you?”
I blanch. “Domin—”
“I’m fucking done putting my heart in the hands of someone who doesn’t want to hold it.”
The words slice through me, and I realize, with a sinking feeling, that he’s right. I’ve been pushing him away, terrified of what he makes me feel, of how much power he has over me. But standing here, seeing the hurt in his eyes, the frustration, I know that I’ve lost him.
“You’re right,” I finally say, my voice barely more than a whisper, the words feeling hollow, empty.
He doesn’t respond, doesn’t even look up, and the silence is worse than any words he could have thrown at me. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of something that’s about to swallow me whole, and he doesn’t even care.
Without another word, I turn, my heart pounding, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts, none of them making any sense. All I know is that I need to get out of here, away from him, away from the confusion and the hurt and the anger that’s tearing me apart.
This is what I wanted. This is for the best.
As I storm out of the garage, trying to hold myself together, I feel a strange mix of anger and emptiness twisting in my chest. It’s like he’s just carved out a piece of me and left it in that damn garage, and all I want to do is get as far away from him as possible.
I’m done. Done with his games, his cold, dismissive looks, his damn indifference that makes me feel like I was never anything to him at all.
I couldn’t even tell him I was going to leave Mason tonight.
I barely make it a few paces from the door when I hear footsteps behind me, heavy and fast, each one echoing in the silent night.
Before I can turn around, his hands are on me, pulling me back, spinning me around until I’m pressed against him, his arms locked around me, holding me in place.
I don’t have time to catch my breath, to even process what’s happening, because he’s already leaning down, his mouth crashing onto mine, hard, desperate, like he’s finally letting himself unravel.
The kiss is rough and possessive, everything I knew it would be if he ever let himself go. I can’t think, can’t breathe, can’t feel anything but him and the heat of his body pressed against mine.
He grips the side of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair, holding me so close I can feel his heartbeat pounding against mine. And it’s like I’m finally breathing again, like I’ve been suffocating all this time without him.
When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathing hard, his forehead resting against mine, his fingers still gripping the side of my head as if he’s afraid I’ll slip away. His pupils are blown black; eyes intense, wild, and there’s a look in them I’ve never seen before—desperation and something close to fear.
“You don’t get to walk away from me,” he murmurs, his voice unsteady. “Not again.”
I swallow, my breath shaky, my heart pounding so loud I can barely hear anything else. “You… you didn’t say anything. You just stood there,” I whisper, hating how broken I sound.
He shakes his head, his grip on me tightening. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me? You’re in my head, Aria. Every second of every fucking day. I can’t think straight, I can’t breathe without wanting you, without needing you and it’s driving me insane.”
“Then why… why did you act like you didn’t care?” I manage to ask, my voice barely a whisper.
He lets out a bitter laugh, his thumb brushing against my cheek, his gaze intense, unhinged. “I was giving you a chance. A chance to walk away, to forget about this. To live that nice, safe life you think you want.”
His eyes darken, his hand moving to the back of my neck, pulling me closer. “But here’s the thing, Little Sinner—I’m done pretending I can let you go. I’m done trying to be the better man. Because we both know I’m not.”
He leans in, his lips grazing my ear, his voice rough, unsteady. “Obsession or love, this is my fucked up version of it. And we both know it’s the only fucking way you want it.”
I shiver, his words sending a thrill through me, something dark and addictive, something I can’t seem to fight. I want to push him away, to tell him he’s wrong, that I don’t want this, that I don’t need him, but the words won’t come.
Because deep down, I know he’s right. Every part of me is tangled up in him; every breath, every heartbeat.
“You have three days, Aria. Three days to come to me, to give yourself to me, no more games. Because if you don’t…” His lips brush against my ear as he lets the threat hang in the air.
My heart skips a beat, a thrill of fear and excitement shooting through me, leaving me breathless. He pulls back just enough to look at me, his gaze possessive. “Understand?”
I nod, barely able to breathe, my mind spinning with his words, with the promise he’s just made. His words hang heavy between us, daring me, challenging me to take that step, to leave him standing here.
But my feet won’t move, my body refusing to listen. I’m trapped in the magnetic pull of him, in the raw, possessive way he’s looking at me, like he’d burn down the whole world just to keep me close.
“Three days,” he repeats, his voice softer now, almost tender, though the intensity never leaves his gaze. “And if you try to keep running… I’ll take you anyway. You know I will.”
His grip softens just slightly, his thumb brushing over my cheek, and for a moment, a glimmer of the Dominic I used to know, the one who looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.
He doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t wait for a response. He just steps back, his hand lingering on my arm for a moment, his touch burning, before he lets go, turning and disappearing back into the darkness of the garage.