He seems to be okay with that.
But it can’t stay like this, no matter how much I want it to, and I know it’s going to hurt. I know it will, because even though I said I was fine, I don’t know that I am. And I curse her in my head for fucking with us one last time. For doing something to us yet again, even if she’s gone.
There’s another hand on my shoulder, and I know who it is, because I would always know.
He understands me almost as much as my brother does.
I let Tyson Thompson go, and he’s taking a step back, dark eyes bright. His skin is flushed, and he’s grinning at me. “Hey,” he says.
“Hey, yourself,” I say back.
And then I’m shoved out of the way so he can hug Otter too.
Dominic Miller stands at the bottom of the stairs, a soft smile on his face. A little version of him stands beside him, holding on to his big hand.
“Bear,” Dom says in that gravelly voice of his.
I walk down the steps and hug him too. He seems surprised but leans down a little to hug me back. Ben ignores us both.
“He’s going to need you, I think,” I mutter, no matter how much it pains me to say so. “Shit hit the fan.”
Dom tenses. “How?” He lifts his chin from my shoulder, and I know he’s looking up at Ty, who is talking excitedly with Otter.
“She’s dead.”
He doesn’t even ask who. “How?”
“Heart attack.”
“Isabelle?”
“Inside.”
He grunts and pulls away. “I’ll call Stacey. Have her pick up Ben.”
“I’m sorry.”
He arches an eyebrow at me. “For?”
“Bringing this on you. Again.”
He shakes his head. “I’d do almost anything for him. You know that.”
And yeah, I do. It’s taken me a long time to accept that, a long time to trust Dom and his place in Ty’s life. And maybe that’s been unfair on my part, but I couldn’t help it. For the longest time, Ty was the center of everything, and it hurt to see that someone else could care for him better than I could. Things changed, and they’re changing again.
“You’re a good guy,” I tell him.
He squints at me. “How many glasses of wine have you had?”
“Okay, Officer,” I growl. “Only two.”
“Uh-huh. Everyone inside?”
“Yeah.”
He nods before bending down to pick up Ben and settle him in the crook of his elbow. Ben yawns and lays his head down on his dad’s shoulder, watching me without speaking.
“Hey, Ben,” I say, smiling quietly.