Releasing a breath to control my urges, a hand grips my arm, pulling me into another corridor.
“Who is he?” Dominic’s nostrils are flaring like a crazed bull behind the gate, ready to attack. He lets go of my hand and rests it against the wall, purposely blocking my exit. The muscles on his face have tightened, a side to him I have never seen before. If I didn’t know better, someone is jealous.
“Noah? He’s my fr…” I think about using the word ‘friend’ but what does it all matter, anyway? Dominic has Allegra, and our personal lives are just that—personal. “Someone very close to me. We go way back.”
He runs his hands through his hair recklessly, ruining the perfect style he sported only moments ago. “Is he fucking you?”
His tone is anything but calm—forceful with urgency as his eyes flare with anger like this is a problem. I don’t care for the possessive stance, not when my life never posed a question until now. And how dare he be allowed to spew this volatile assumption thinking I’m some sort of whore.
The word is unnerving. It’s unforgiving with its meaning when used against us women. Maybe that’s who I have become. I didn’t seem to care he was married, nor that he could be sleeping with other women. I used him for my own selfish sexual needs, so it paints an incredibly clear picture. I’ve created a monster and fallen victim as his prey.
“I’m not answering that because it’s irrelevant.” My tone remains controlled, refusing to feed into his jealous outburst. “What exactly do you want, Dominic? I thought we made the rules very clear.”
The corridor is small and dimly lit. There’s an emergency exit plus an unmarked door. In the tight area, he paces back and forth with fists clenched beside his thighs.
“I don’t like you here with him,” he almost spits.
“Excuse me? You don’t like me here with him?” I repeat, tilting my head. “Where exactly would you like me to be?”
He stops mid-step, the skin bunching around his eyes with a pained stare. “I’m leaving Allegra.”
“Dominic, I—”
His body falls flush with mine, pinning me up against the wall with a shallow breath only inches away. My armor stands tall, refusing to let him break me.
Goddammit, why do men have to be such assholes!
“I’ll be in Paris on Monday. Please meet me so we can talk.”
“About what?” I cry.
“Us.”
My hands fall onto his chest to push him away. When he’s finally not crowding me, I cross my arms in defiance, ready to go to war. “There is no us! Jesus Christ, Dominic. You wanted us to be exactly how you set us up to be. I don’t understand why you suddenly want to talk?”
There’s the sound of people coming toward us, laughing and giggling, then they disappear into the restroom.
“Monday, please
?” He begs with his eyes. “Look, we’re both angry right now. No good will come of this.”
“I need to get out of here,” I mutter, avoiding eye contact with him until he cups my chin and raises it to meet his gaze. His persuasive stare crumbles my tough exterior, the walls falling to pieces with a surge of pain following. “I’m serious. I need to go.”
I push him aside, taking steps to walk away. He calls my name, unwillingly forcing me to stop. Taking a deep breath, I turn around and wait for him to revert to normal, tell me he drank too much, or apologize for his momentary lapse of judgment, but instead, he moves quickly to me and crashes his lips against mine with force. A moan escapes me, more of a desperate plea for him to back off as heat rises in my body. Pressing my hands back on his chest, I push him away, out of breath.
“To quote your partner, the one who got away, but now she’s mine.” He breathes so close to my mouth, I can almost taste him again. “You never could break away from me, Kate, so perhaps you’ve been mine all along.”
He walks away with a satisfied smile, but not before leaving me standing alone with his careless thoughts. I hate the truth behind his words. Perhaps, throughout our forbidden affair, I always came back because I can’t let go.
And in just one night, all my worlds have come crashing down again.
I’m back to three years ago, fighting my feelings for a man so unattainable and equally trying to maintain a friendship with someone else.
They say you’re supposed to be wiser with age. I’ll argue that in a heartbeat, I’m back in the same old mess. The only way to solve the problem for tonight would be to enjoy the free liquor—the answer to everything.
But denial will only get me so far. I’ve protected myself for as long as I can and created this untouchable side to me, which no one can reach. And deep down inside, I know my time will run out.
Heartbreak is imminent.