Chapter Seventeen
Tessa stood looking out the back door of Dominik’s house. She was no longer in danger since Pierce had been put away. Now, she had to deal with the situation with Dominik.
Since the day she’d been attacked at the hospital, Dominik had gotten quieter and quieter. She’d tried to talk to him a few times, but he had just changed the subject.
The only thing she could think of was that he wanted her to be gone but was afraid to say anything to her. She knew she’d have to take the first step, but she was terrified of losing him.
She sighed, opened the door, and walked out into the backyard. She sat in one of the loungers and hugged her legs to her chest. She prayed for the strength to do the right thing, but it was so hard. She’d never wanted anything the way she wanted him, and she knew the pain of losing him would cut deeper than anything else.
“Hey,” he said behind her, making her jump.
She hadn’t known he was home. She cleared her throat and put on a smile before she turned to him. “Hi, how was work?”
He studied her before walking toward her. “What’s going on, Angel?”
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. “Not much.”
Dominik slipped his hands into his pocket. “You look sad.”
“I … it’s just that I have to decide what to do with my house.”
She saw the curious and concerned expression fade on Dominik’s face. “What about it?”
Tessa felt her nails dig into the palms of her hands. “I-I thought it was time I moved back.”
She hated the hard look in his eyes. “You know I came here so you could protect me, and now that Pierce is in jail, there’s no reason to stay, is there?”
Her stomach tightened. Oh, please, please, please ask me to stay. The seconds ticked by, and he just stood there. She had to clench her jaw to prevent her cry of pain.
Tessa moved off the lounge and started walking toward the house. “Well, okay. I guess I’ll start to pack my things.”
She didn’t hear anything behind her and couldn’t prevent the whimper of agony from escaping her mouth. She needed to get to the bathroom because she couldn’t hold her tears in anymore.
The door closed behind her, and she slid down to the floor after grabbing a towel. She pressed her face into it and sobbed. She drew her knees up because the pain in her gut was more than she could take.
She had no idea how long she cried, but this bout of misery drained her, leaving her numb. She pulled herself to her feet and cringed at the first glance of her face. There was no way she’d be able to hide this from him. But then, he might not care enough to say goodbye.
After washing her face and blowing her nose, Tessa started to gather her things and pile them on the counter. When she thought she had everything, she opened the door and stopped short when she saw Dominik sitting on the side of the bed with his head bowed and his hands clenched together.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll go faster to get out of your hair.”
His head snapped up. “Don’t you dare put this on me.”
Her brows pinched together. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not the one asking to leave, you are.”
“Are you saying you want me to stay?” She was afraid to hope.
“I certainly didn’t ask you to leave,” he snapped.
Her shoulders drooped. She didn’t know what he wanted from her. “But you didn’t ask me to stay either.” She turned and walked into the closet and carried out one of her suitcases, setting it on the bed next to him.
“How can you not know I want you to stay?” he asked.
She looked at him. “When I came here, you talked about it being for my protection and the bed being bigger. In the months I’ve been here, you haven’t said anything about what would happen after Pierce was caught. You never talked about a future together or how you felt about me.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me?” he asked.
“Because you’ve done so much for me already that I didn’t want to put you on the spot or make you feel guilty.” She angrily wiped a tear that escaped her cheek. He still didn’t ask her to stay or have a future with her.
She turned abruptly and couldn’t prevent the whimper she tried to hold back and went to the closet for some clothing. She came out and dumped the clothes into the suitcase.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
She hated to hear the anguish in his tone, but she couldn’t comfort him when she was barely holding on.
She stood in front of him with her head bowed. “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. I’d never do that to you because I lo … care too much for you.”
“Look at me, Angel.”
She couldn’t help but flinch at the nickname he’d given her, but she raised her head.
“I don’t want us to end,” he said.
“I don’t either.”
Silence filled the room.
“We can still see each other, Dominik. I can’t see my life without you.”
“Then why the fuck are you leaving?” he burst out.
“Because you haven’t asked me to stay!” she yelled.
She wrapped her arms around her waist and waited. More silence. She couldn’t take much more.
“So, I guess I’ll keep packing,” she said and turned from him.
“I want you to stay.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “I don’t think I believe you. This is what I was afraid of.”
“What?” he asked, confused.
“Of pushing you into doing something you don’t want but think you have to.”
“You’re not making me do anything, Angel. I want you to stay.”
“Then why haven’t you said anything sooner? Why wait for me to pack to ask?”
“I didn’t think I’d have to say anything. I thought you knew.”
She threw her arms out. “How?”
“You know I love you…”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
His brows snapped together. “I say it all the time.”
She looked at him in shock. “Dominik, you’ve never told me you love me or that you want me to stay.”
He looked confused. “Bull, I know I have said it.”
She shook her head again. “Think about it.”
She watched as he thought about what she was saying. She knew the instant he realized she was right.
“Fuck, Angel, I swear I feel like I say it twenty times a day.”
“Maybe in your head, but I’ve never heard the words,” she said.
He reached for her and pulled her into the spot between his widespread legs and then cupped her face in his hands. “Tessa, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you in the bar, and it’s only grown deeper.”
A tear slid down her face, and her hands gripped his wrists. “I love you, too. I knew that you were the other half of me the first time I saw you. I wanted so badly to crawl onto your lap and never get up.”
He yanked her against his chest and held onto her tightly. They stood there in each other’s arms for what felt like hours before he tipped his head back. “Angel, I love you, and I want you to live here for the rest of your life. I want you to sell your house because you’ll never need it again. Is there anything else I need to say?”
She shed tears but smiled as she shook her head. “No. I love you too and never want to leave you.”
“Hold on a second,” he said, stood, and walked out of the room. He was back within a minute and sat back down. “I bought this the day after I first saw you, even though I didn’t think we’d be together, and I fought it.” He lifted the lid on the small velvet box and showed her a two-carrot, square-cut diamond. “Will you marry me?”
She stared at the ring in shock. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. “Yes. Yes, I will absolutely marry you.”
She watched him smile for the first time all day, take the ring out, and slide it on her finger.
“It fits perfectly,” he said.
He was right. She felt almost dizzy going from one extreme emotion to the other, but she couldn’t be happier. She hugged him tightly. “You are my world.”
His hands slid up and down her back. “And you are mine.”