Chapter 27 #2
He stops talking, flinching at my harsh words. I’m pissed at Dom, mostly for being busy and not acknowledging whatever this is between us, and I’m taking it out on him. That’s not fair to anyone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. It’s been a long day.”
His smile is showstopping but sad all the same. There was always something behind his eyes, like he could haunt you in your sleep. The only time the sadness disappeared was when he was with Lilly. Same with her—always in a good mood when near him.
Oh my God. Riley, you genius child. “Hey Griffin?”
“Yeah?” He eyes me suspiciously, placing his hand on my upper back, always so respectful towards everyone.
This man has the reputation of being the town’s bad boy when we all know that’s not true.
Griffin is just a sweetie boy trapped in a rough life, which I hope has only gotten better for him through the years.
“Are you working right now?”
He shrugs, not answering beyond that. This is even better.
“You know…camp starts Monday, and we need extra hands. Maybe you could come over and do some things?”
Griffin visually stiffens, searching the bar until his eyes land on a now very tipsy Lilly. Of course she’s tipsy. And she drove here. It’s going to be a bitch finding a ride home this late.
“I don’t think I’m welcome at the ranch,” he replies. Oh shit, I was in the middle of a conversation. Focus, Riley, focus.
“Oh please, it’s all water under the bridge. We need extra hands, and we could use you. Just come, and we can talk more.”
“Riley…” he hesitates. “I don’t know.”
I shrug. “If you don’t want to, that's fine.”
We continue moving, as if this conversation didn’t come to a stop. The music starts drifting, as he dips me, and brings me back to say, “I’ll think about it, okay?”
“Thank you.” He squeezes my arm, holding my hand to guide me out of the dance floor, when a hand touches my lower back, making my skin break into goosebumps.
“Can I borrow Riley for a second?” someone says over the music, making it hard to recognize the voice, but the minute my eyes clash with ocean blue ones, I tense.
Hawke guides me back to the dance floor, but where Griffin was all respectful and kind, this man smiles like he’s getting laid tonight. I really, really wish he knew he’s getting closer to getting kicked in the balls.
“One dance,” I spit out, and he nods.
We start dancing like a well-oiled machine, just like we did so many times when I was a teenager. I hate that I can still follow along, even if I don’t want to.
“How long are you back for?” he asks, straight to the point.
How do I even answer that? I want to be back for good, I think. I feel better when I’m here. I can’t believe I went from I can’t wait to get out of this forsaken town and see the world to my soul feels better here than anywhere else.
“I’m not sure.”
“Have you seen Saylor?” How dare he ask about her when he knows he’s a big reason as to why we don’t talk anymore?
“Yes.”
“Have you guys talked?”
I shake my head. “She won’t hear me out, and I don’t blame her. We really hurt her.”
You really hurt me, is what I want to say, but I don’t. No matter how much it did back then, I’m over it and him. What I am sorry about is how much we hurt Saylor when she was already down.
“You know.” His demeanor changes from the confident, cocky asshole he usually is to something somber, almost apologetic. “I am sorry things went down the way they did. I wasn’t trying to use you, but looking back, that’s what I did, and for that, I am sorry.”
This must be a joke. It has to be. So now he’s older and aware? Who would’ve thought.
“It’s okay. We’re both adults now, and it’s fine. We didn’t know what we were doing.”
“I did. That’s why I’m apologizing. I’m not that person anymore, and I just wanted you to know. I know I go back to my ways of flirting every time I see you. I can’t help it, and I promise it’s innocent, but I can tell how uncomfortable it makes you, so I’ll stop.”
“Wow,” I mutter.
“Therapy, Riles. Therapy does that to a man.”
I offer him a partial smile, one he clocks immediately.
“I’ll talk to Saylor. She deserves to know the truth, and you two should try to mend your relationship.”
“Thanks. That’d be nice.”
“Least I can do, seeing as you reminded me of what an asshole I used to be.”
I smile. “On that, we can both agree.”
We keep dancing while memories of that year flood my mind.
My dad’s death, Saylor struggling with her time and needing me to practice with her, but I was unable to be around horses and not think of Dad.
Then Hawke happened, she saw, and everything blew up.
A million little things piled up until a big mess was made before I even realized I was in the middle of it.
I was young and grieving and made the wrong calls, but I never meant to hurt anyone, certainly not Saylor. Not when she was always there for me. In her darkest times, though, I pushed her away.
“You really should talk to her,” he repeats, dropping a kiss on the top of my head, rendering me shocked. He disappears behind the bar, so I walk, half defeated, to Lilly, but dark almond eyes find me instead.
Eyes with an expression that matches the fingers drawn into tight fists and shoulders that could carry a town, broad and tense, as if he’s ready to fight. Why the fuck does Dominic look like he could murder someone right now?
I all but skip towards him, twirling as I go, smiling wide when I’m in front of him. A smile he doesn’t return. If eyes could speak, though…that would be a different story.
“Like what you see?” I tease, roaming my hands down my body as he follows the same path with his eyes.
He coughs, not saying a word when I notice Lilly is standing next to him. She must have missed my dancing with Griffin, or she would’ve said something for sure. “I can’t drive, so I called him. We should go. I’m falling asleep in this bar.”
Of course she is. I throw her arm over my shoulders. She immediately pulls away and snakes through mine instead. “I can walk. Let’s just go.”
“I can take her,” Dom says, and I shake my head. He won’t talk to me in front of my sister, as if I’m not good enough for him to be seen around with.
“I’ve got her. Let’s go.”