Chapter 3
Love
“What did Josh tell you?” Dominik asks, putting his arm around my shoulder and leading me towards his car’s passenger side.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I tell Dominik, but I do want to talk about it, just not with him. I sit down and only notice I’m crying when Dominik wipes a tear from my cheek, lowering himself over my seat.
“I don’t want to see you this way, Cherry. Please talk to me,” Dominik pleads. I see in his eyes he’s desperate for a reply, his right hand shaking against the car’s open door, his eyebrows tensing.
“Josh demystified Declan to me. And he’s right. Damn him for always being right. He got all the smart genes-”
“You aren’t less smart than him. You care for people and see their actions through your eyes.
These people you think might care as deeply as you, might not.
I don’t know what he told you, but it is not your fault.
If it helps, Declan would fool anyone. He’s a narcissistic psychopath who knows exactly what to say and how to act to get his way forward,” Dominik says, and I keep cleaning my face and feel so embarrassed about it.
About being this way in front of Dominik again.
He has been the shoulder I cry on. I need to stop burdening him with my problems. Or I’ll lose him too.
“I need to-”
“Go to the mountains and jump? Sorry, can’t agree to that,” Dominik says and I look away. He closes my door and circles the car to the driver's seat, locking the car right after.
“Where are we going?” I ask Dominik when I see him drive in the opposite direction from the commercial side of town.
“I know just the place for moments like this,” Dominik says and my curiosity peaks.
“Where are we going?” I ask confused, as he drives to the limits of Cilinm to Caltin. Which is coincidentally the city he holds power over. He and his family, the Ricik’s lineage.
“You’ll see when we get there, trust me,” Dominik requests and I don’t second-guess it.
I trust Dominik with my life. If he’s going towards the mountains so we can jump, at least we’d fall down together.
If I didn’t manage to reason with him. I look at Dominik discreetly; his whiteish blonde hair is messy, some of its waves falling on his forehead, his clear green eyes slightly squinted as he looks at the road.
I look out the window by my side and see we’re leaving the city.
I keep looking out the window as Dominik drives us, only God knows where.
I keep wondering if Declan didn’t talk to me while in Caltin, so I wouldn’t find out about his girlfriend.
I feel the need to freak out at Rian and can’t contain myself, so I send him a quick text that might be out of line.
Me: How could you hide Declan’s second life from me? I thought we were best friends.
Rian: I couldn’t he made me swear I didn’t, my hands were tied. Sorry, princess. Where did you go? Need me to pick you up?
Me: I’m fine. I’m with Dominik. P.s. I’m mad at you, but do me a favour and don’t worry about it, it will pass.
Rian: Got it, cap.
As I end the conversation, Dominik stops his car in front of a huge building that looks like a rink of some sort.
“You did not,” I say, getting out of the car and being crushed by the cold breeze in the air.
“I did,” Dominik says, and I smile at him.
It’s an ice-skating rink. Dominik remembers everything I ever told him, remarkably.
Even the things I said without giving them importance.
From random to serious conversations, he knows everything I ever talked about with or near him.
We walk to the entrance, and a warm feeling fills my chest. “After you,” Dominik says, nodding at the security and opening the front door.
I pass by the door Dominik is holding still and go straight to the figure skates. I look back at Dominik, and he’s following me.
“Are we even allowed here? No one’s inside,” I ask Dominik concerned someone is going to arrest us or something.
“Of course we are. My city, my rules,” he states, and I smile, too genuinely for my liking. “Here,” Dominik says after opening a locker, and passes me some skates, my old skates.
“How do you have this?-”
“I’m a man of many wonders,” he says and laughs, I laugh along.
“I see,” is what I reply as I sit down to put on the skates. When I’m finished, I look at Dominik surprised he also put on skates, regular ones. “You can skate? Since when?”
“Since I learned how important it was to you,” Dominik says, and I don’t know what to feel or what to answer. So I just smile and head to the ice. When I first step onto the ice, it feels foreign. I haven’t been in a rink in ages, I can’t even remember the last time.
I slide on the ice and turn around, sliding backwards so I can be in front of Dominik, looking at him.
“That’s just being exhibitionist,” Dominik says and I turn around and go faster so I can really be it.
I slow down halfway to the end of the rink and spin on one leg. It’s more difficult than I remember; my legs are not nearly as strong as they were. As I try to hold on for as long as I can, my support leg fails me and I nearly fall, but Dominik catches me just before I hit the ground.
“Thank you,” I say embarrassed, my face heating, I curse how pale I am, because anyone would notice me blushing.
“Anytime. Don’t hurt yourself to impress me. I’m already impressed,” he says and I push him away. He falls on his butt, but pulls me from the arms to the ground with him.
“I wasn’t trying to impress you,” I whisper and help Dominik get back up.
“Excuse me then, must’ve misread it,” he says, but a smirk remains on his lips.
“What if I was?” I ask him, and he seems taken aback. “Forget I asked”
“No-”
“Please,” I reinforce, and walk out of the ice to the benches and sit on one of them. Dominik sits next to me.
“What scares you so much, Love?” Dominik asks, and I keep untying the skate laces, thinking about whether I want to respond or not. But since Dominik got out of his way for me, I feel obliged to answer him.
“You,” I reply.
“I scare you?” he asks puzzled, his hand reaches out for my arm, trying carefully to make me look at him.
“You scare me,” I admit and he’s even more confused. “On Christmas Eve, I was sure I was going to let Declan go”
“What changed?” Dominik asks and I get up and take a breath before replying.
“A conversation with my mother,” I admit.
“I see,” Dominik says getting up and starting to leave, and I’m not sure if I should follow him. “Why did you really call me?” Dominik asks and paces down the corridor back to my side. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just I- I was never fair with you I’m sorry,” I stutter, and try to leave, but Dominik holds my wrist before I get out of his reach.
“You weren’t fair? What’s this about? Declan? You always told me he was your deal; you made it clear from the beginning. If anything, I wasn’t fair to myself.”
“Still, I led you on,” I immediately reply to Dominik, and he sweeps me in his arms. I then realise I was shaking.
“Because I let you,” Dominik says, his warm minty breath on my cheek, I hold on to him when he walks down the entry’s stairs. And I’m more and more sure I need more distance or no distance from Dominik. One or the other, there’s no in between.
“What if Declan was never the deal?” I ask Dominik, his lips press into a fine line and his jaw clenches. “Forget I asked it, we should go shopping, or we’ll be late.”
“You can’t drop the bomb and run, Love. There’s no running from me. And believe me, you should’ve run from the beginning. I was quiet because I was trying not to be someone you regret choosing-”
“I won’t,” Dominik looks at me intently, his eyes burning my every cell. He quickly unlocks the car and drops me on the passenger seat.
“You’re right, we should get the last-minute arrangements,” he says as he enters the car and closes the doors.
The engine roars as he turns the ignition key.
He grabs the steering wheel, strongly tapping on it with his index finger several times, like he’s trying to control something. I look away when Dominik looks my way.
“Should I give you space?” I finally get the nerve to question as Dominik parks the car in the back of the mall. Dominik doesn’t respond, but his muscles tense up. “Dom, it’s fine, I’ll grab an Uber back, go home-”
I’m about to leave when Dominik holds me still in my seat by my right arm. He holds it tightly; it slightly hurts, and for some reason, that makes me tingle all over. His touch, even over layers of clothes.
“Don’t,” is all Dominik manages to say. “Remember when you asked me how I understood your brother and Declan so well?” Dominik asks, and all I manage is to nod as he looks me in the eyes.
“They’re different, you said. You were stunned by how fast I caught the vibe of the whole group.
I’m a quick learner and a good observer. One can identify others.”
“What I’m trying to say is, you don’t want to get too close to me. You’ve already dangerously caught my attention. Don’t make me act on it-”
“You’re not like Declan or Josh,” is all I can say before Dominik unlocks the car’s doors.
“I don’t seem to be, do I?” Dominik says and I get goosebumps, “You missed the signs because you see I care about you. Josh doesn’t have feelings, nor does Declan, right?
Wrong. We have feelings, they’re just dark, hollow and world-wrecking.
When Josh told you that, the last thing he wanted was for you to turn to me.
Believe me, you don’t want to follow this path.
It will destroy you. I don’t give warnings, Love.
But I do care. I care that you have a choice to run. Even if I won’t let you go.”
“Then I don’t have a choice?” I ask him.
“When you told me you won’t regret choosing me, won’t run, you sold your soul to the devil,” Dominik says before getting out of the car.
He looks at the clock on his arm and opens the door for me to get out.
I get up and try to cover that I’m shaking by walking faster after him.
“I won’t hurt you, Love,” Dominik says and I laugh, I’m not sure why.
“Unless I want you to, right?” I ask testing him, and by the look in his eyes as he looks back at me I made yet another poor choice.
“Don’t push,” he says and slows his pace so that I’m by his side. “What do we need to get?” Dominik says when we pass the mall’s doors.
“Sweets. Confetti. Ballons. And candles,” I add at the end. I’m really pushing it this time. I’m not sure what’s driving it, but maybe it’s the rush of adrenaline I feel in my veins.
“Candles?” Dominik asks, and I weigh if I really want to finish the provocation I started.
“If I’m selling my soul to the devil, might as well make it effective.
” It was supposed to be a joke, but Dominik’s eyes darkened in a way I’ve never seen.
I’m lying. I’ve seen it a few times. Mostly when boys tried to flirt with me at parties.
But I’ve never seen it directed at me. My heart races so strongly I can hear it beating in my ears.
“It’s 3pm, grab the things quickly, we need to get back before Josh thinks I kidnapped you,” Dominik says, with a slight smirk on his lips at the end. “Love move please,” he says and grabs my arm. He pulls me into the party section until I’m walking on my own.
“What scares you Dominik?” I ask him grabbing a basket and start throwing balloons of every possible colour inside it.
“I’m not scared. I’m concerned I may break you beyond repair,” he says, and I sigh handing him the basket and putting more things than we need in it.
“I may or may not care,” I whisper, but Dominik heard it, his eyes gleam, sparking back to life. Dominik stays silent until we pay for the things and he grabs the bags all by himself. Nothing is heavy, but there are a lot of bags.
“Kai?” I ask when I see my personal guard in the parking lot.
“Miss. Kane, is everything fine? You’re late,” Kai asks and I nod.
“Sorry, I kind of freaked out with Josh’s words and needed to catch some air,” I respond as honestly as I can.
“In Caltin?” Kai asks and Dominik is the one to reply.
“It’s my fault, Kai. I apologise, I took her skating.
I didn’t expect it to take this long. We were just getting home.
You’re free to follow my car,” Dominik says like the perfect gentleman.
I receive a message, and I let my phone fall when I read it.
Not only does my phone fall, but my whole world does.
“We need to get back now,” I scream to Dominik and Kai, entering Dominik’s car and looking at him with urgency. “Drive fast,” I say as soon as Dominik gets out of the parking lot.
He takes the fastest route home. And goes slightly over the speed limit and gets out of the car before I do.
“Your phone,” Dominik says, handing it to me. “Want to tell me what’s happening?” Dominik asks me and I shake my head. I take my phone and walk inside our house. I thank my father mentally for having a private condominium for us, before I get the hidden gun at the top of the stairs.
“Let go of Maya, Declan,” I whisper, entering my room and unlocking my gun, pointing it straight at his head, but I can’t get a clear shot yet. Maya’s own head is slightly in front of Declan’s.
“Why would I? She’s meaningless. Everything is meaningless,” Declan says and gets a better grip on the dagger straight against Maya’s neck. I calculate if I can shoot him before he stabs Maya, but it’s too risky.
“What do you mean?” I ask him, trying to reason with him. But he looks deeply out of his mind. “Declan, talk to me or I’ll scream,” I threaten and he sighs, he knows I’m not bluffing, good!
“Your father expelled Max and me from the condominium,” Declan says, and my mouth drops open, I close it almost immediately. “I know shocking, right?” Declan asks and someone knocks on my bedroom door. I lock it.
“Everything ok in there girls?” Josh asks, and I say “Everything perfect we’ll be out in ten,” I hear a faint “Ok” and steps down the staircase.
“What did you two do Declan?” I ask painfully aware I’m holding Maya’s and Sammy’s lives in my hands. Sammy’s brown eyes red from crying. Maya is trying to get loose from time to time but Declan is stronger than her.
“Max betrayed your father. I stood by him,” Declan says and I point at my door.
“Go away, Declan, before I blow your head off,” I say and he lets go of Maya now holding the knife to his own throat while moving towards me, towards the door.
I keep my gun pointed at him at all times, but he still chooses to lunge my way.
I shoot him in the shoulder, he grunts in pain and holds me against him, with the knife now to my throat.
I almost faint from the blood dripping on my shoulders and back.
“Declan let go of me, we can sort this out before it’s too late-”
“It’s already too late,” Declan says and I feel a striking pain in my head. For a moment, I think he stabbed me there. He wouldn’t, would he? How did he betray my father? It doesn’t matter. As everything gets dark, I fear it’s too late for me too.