Chapter 27 ~
Alec ~
I listen to Alice shut Dom down over and over again.
I carefully rest my arm on the table and sigh.
My phone silently rings in my pocket but I don’t answer. Right now, Dom needs me.
John doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t offer his opinion—just reminds Dom when he’s getting too hot.
“What about when she picks one of you? Hmm? What happens then?” Alice clasps her hands in front of her.
“That’s not what a polygamous relationship is, Mama,” Dom says frustrated. “Rory doesn’t want to pick one of us. It’s like a normal relationship between two people but with seven.”
“What happens if you decide marriage is on the table?” John asks. “Or kids?”
That’s when I finally jump in. “If we decide in the future we want to get married, then we could do the whole ceremony thing with all of us but it would just be one of our names on the certificate. Rory would officially marry one of us but we would still all be in a loving relationship. Everyone would still have equal standing.” I glance at Dom who nods, looking thankful I took over.
“As for kids, it would be the same as any relationship. It wouldn’t matter who’s kid they are officially. They’d be all of ours,” I say softly, focusing on Dom. He smiles genuinely.
“That’s a nice fantasy but it would never last till marriage.” Alice shakes her head adamantly. “I thought you at least had some sense.” Alice points at me.
Taken back, I don’t respond. Alice has never spoken to me like that before.
“Mama,” Dom says sternly. “You’re allowed to disagree with us but please don’t say things like that—to Alec or Rory.”
The table falls silent again.
“Dad?” Dominic questions, resignation in his voice.
John glances briefly at Alice before answering, reluctantly. “I think Rory seems like a lovely girl and if you think that this will work then…it’s your call. But, I agree with your Mama that many things can go wrong,” John hedges.
Dom sighs, visibly relaxing. “Thank you, Dad.”
“You shouldn’t encourage this, John,” Alice scolds. She focuses back on Dom. “You just remember that I warned you. This relationship is destined to fail.”
Dom sits back in his chair and crosses his arms like he’s silently telling the universe to bring it on. I can’t help but admire Dom’s willingness to disappoint his parents for us and for Rory.
“What happened to her?” John questions as we clear the table. “She spooks easy,” he refers to when Red scared her.
“Life…hasn’t been easy,” Dom hedges. “She’s cautious with new people. She’ll tell you both when she’s ready.”
Alice doesn’t say anything as she puts the chicken and potatoes in a container. I take it from her hands and open the fridge.
I’m taken back by the amount of food in here. Dom steps up behind me and double takes.
“Mama?” Dom questions, pointing at the full fridge.
“I didn’t want you to have to cook when you just got here. Besides, you’d don’t have anything yet.” Alice gestures at the empty transparent glass cabinets.
“Thank you, Alice,” I say politely as Dom says, “thanks, Mama.”
Alice waves it off.
I’m glad Alice doesn’t bring up Dom and I again as we make conversation about the house and what’s left to do.
“It’s a beautiful and simple design,” Alice tells me. “I’m presuming you made most of the interior decisions.”
“Well, we know for damn sure it wasn’t our son.” John claps his hands onto Dom’s shoulders. Dom rolls his eyes.
“Everyone had a hand in something,” I smile, “even Dom.”
“Except Rory,” Alice throws in there, haughtily.
“Actually, including Rory,” I say defensively. “She designed the kitchen and living room to make it more open and her room which helped with planning the rest of the rooms.” Granted, she didn’t know that she was actually designing it but she came up with concepts we hadn’t even thought of.
Alice looks like she doesn’t know what to say to that. John seems impressed.
I think John’s going to be a lot more accepting of our relationship. He’s a lot more go-with-the-flow than Alice.
After a few more snide comments from Alice and John telling us he’ll be by tomorrow, we manage to push them out the door.
Dom flops onto the couch, throwing an arm over his eyes.
“You okay?” I sit down beside him. He just groans.
I check my phone and notice I missed a call from Kat. I forgot our session was today. I’ll have to call her back later.
Dom’s arm is still covering his face, seeming content on ignoring life. I lightly run my fingers up and down Dom’s side and he squirms beneath my fingertips. I pull his arm away from his face while he’s distracted.
He pouts at me and I smile at his stupidly handsome face.
“Come on, it could be worse,” I tell him.
“How?” Dom sighs, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
“Boots off,” I remind him. I didn’t say anything about the workers or Dom’s parents walking on our brand new hardwood floors with dirty boots on but the guys will not be doing that.
Dom gets up without complaint and puts his boots outside on the porch.
“They could have disowned you,” I say, quietly. “Or refused to have anything to do with us anymore.”
Dom slowly sits down, careful not to knock my arm. He throws his behind me on the back of the leather couch.
We wanted to keep the living room and kitchen sort of connected so we would watch a movie while cooking and stuff. With seven of us, it’s nice when we’re all in one space even when we’re doing different things.
“The house is perfect,” Dom changed the topic and I let him.
“Yeah.” My eyes roam over the kitchen. “Do you think Rory’s happy?” The thought pops into my head.
“With the house or me?” Dom raises an eyebrow in my direction.
“Rory’s not mad at you,” I tell him. “And I meant the house.”
“Yeah.” He shrugs, glancing around. “I mean, half the decisions made were hers.”
I think about that for a moment. “This isn’t normal, is it?” I say slowly.
Dom chuckles. “No, it isn’t.”
“It feels…right, though. Doesn’t it?” I turn to him. Knowingness grows in his dark chocolate irises.
“Yeah,” he says softly.
He studies my every expression as his hand reaches out to gently cup my face with the utmost tenderness. I hold my breath as he leans closer and…stops.
His eyes flick down to my lap, zeroing in on my phone.
“Is your phone hooked up to the speakers?” Dom questions.
“Uh, yeah,” I mutter. That’s all he wanted?
He takes my phone and fiddles with it for a moment while I sit there motionless.
A song comes on through the speakers but I don’t recognise it.
Dom stands and holds his hand out to me. I blink at it for a moment before putting my hand into his.
Dom leads me into an empty space between the counter and the dining room table. He conjoins our two hands, resting the other one on my hip.
I shouldn’t be surprised that he wants to have an impromptu dance in the kitchen. It’s very Dom like.
The second those rumbling words leave his mouth I sigh, feeling every bit of stress leave my body.
“Well, this ol' guitar in the spotlight; boy, if people only knew.
Said it's the same guitar I wrote a thousand songs on, nobody heard but you.
Baby, you were singin' it first 'fore anybody ever noticed.”
We slowly dance in the kitchen as I listen to Dom sing.
“And when my fifteen minutes ends,” Dom’s voice grows softer, “and the world loves me a little less. I hope you know that you're the only one I was trying to impress.”
I gaze up into those eyes. The ones I fell for—just a little bit.
“All I ever cared about, all I ever cared about, was your face in the crowd.”
I gently tug my hand from his. It travels up his back, under his shirt as I lay my head on his chest.
Dom’s hands are careful of my arm, settling on my waist.
“Yeah, this dream come true is a dream come true. It's a crazy ride we're on,” Dom croons.
I can’t help the soft laugher that bubbles out of me. There’s nothing more true than that.
“All I ever cared about—all I ever cared about, was your face in the crowd. Said all I ever cared about—all I ever cared about was your face in the crowd.” Dom continues our side to side sway long after the music stops.
Dom uses music to sort out and convey his emotions. I love listening to him sing. Occasionally, when he’s in the right mood, he writes his own stuff.
I’m the only one allowed to listen.
“Why are you scared of me?” Dom asks quietly, resigned. My heart breaks all over again.
“I’m not scared of you.” I shake my head slightly into his chest.
“You’re scared I’m going to hurt you,” Dom corrects.
“You did hurt me, Dom,” I tell him. Yet, I can’t find it in me to pull away. I lift my head, lowering my arms to my sides.
“You didn’t fight for us,” I sigh, deciding to be honest, “and it makes me think that if things get hard, in the future…”
“—that I won’t fight for you,” Dom finishes. “Fuck, Alec.” I feel the remorse in his voice.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying like hell not to break.
“Alec, I’m not going anywhere. I’m telling you now that I want to be with you. Whatever that looks like with Rory and everything,” Dom tells me, slowly pulling away. “We can take it slow, with or without labels—it doesn’t matter to me. I just want you back. Please.”
My heart pounds and my lips part, nothing coming out as he looks at me sadly before walking away.
Every step he takes makes the space between bigger—every step hurting like hell.
He’s saying he wants this. Wants me. He’s ready to fight for us.
But I’m not. Because I’m scared.
He was scared and now he’s afraid to lose me.
We’re all afraid. And I don’t want us to be afraid anymore.
Because I love him too much. No matter how much I don’t want to, it’s never going to change. He’s worked his way into my heart and it won’t forget him any time soon.
“Dom.”
And just like that, my resolve snaps like a flimsy rubber band.
He stops, one foot on the stairs ready to climb.
My body is tugged towards him like an invisible string and I grab into it with everything I have.
My hand shakes as I rest my hand on his back.