Chapter Twenty-Eight
Maria
Dom loved me.
Was that a dream, I wondered as I stirred from my slumber.
Then the memories from my trailer flooded me like a flash flood—suddenly and rapidly—and I realized that it was all, in fact, reality.
It was the kind of reality that had you crying and sweating all at once. Both a beautiful and terrifying reality.
The exact reasons why I’d pretty much froze when he’d told me. I mean, come on, to think that this wonderful, kind man who’d seen me at my worst, who knew my deepest and darkest secrets, who had brought me to the brink and pushed me over the edge, loved me. It was almost impossible to process.
All these years.
All the times we’d slept together.
All the times we’d laughed together.
Every moment in between.
I couldn’t help but wonder how long he’d felt this way.
And how the heck I’d missed it.
Now, in hindsight, there were so many things I wanted to say to him. But, in that moment, when he’d turned everything on its axis with those three little words, I couldn’t. Couldn’t say a single word.
The honest to God truth was that I wasn’t sure I could believe it. It had to be the sex that was confusing things. All the sex. That was exactly what I was sure triggered my own confusion of late, so it had to be that for him, too. Maybe my dating Paolo and us taking a break from this friends-with-benefits thing was exactly what we both needed to see clearly again. Like a reset.
So, Dom said he needed a break, and that was exactly what he was going to get.
I could give him time. It was the least I could do for us, for our friendship, so we could come out stronger on the other side.
But.
I.
Had.
To.
Tell.
Someone.
I picked up my phone and called the only other person in the world who I thought would understand—Jade.
Jade had a best friend, a childhood best friend no less. Surely, she’d understand what it felt like to be me right now. Not that she lost her friend in any way. No, they weren’t stupid enough to play with fire.
“Maria?” Jade called my name when I didn’t say anything.
“Yeah, sorry,” I huffed out. “Can you come over? I need to talk.”
Without hesitation, I heard a door slam shut and Jade answer, “Is everything okay?”
Where was I to begin? Nothing was okay. Not if I was being honest. Tears stung my eyes. “Dom loves me” was all I could say, as if that was explanation enough.
And on some level, it must’ve been because Jade said, “I’m on my way.” Man, the power of sisterhood—not even being half sisters could change that.
Then I couldn’t hold the tears at bay any longer, they came.
And came.
And came.
So many tears, it was a wonder I didn’t flood my house and have to evacuate by the time Jade arrived.