I was impressed. My mother was a hot mess when she cooked. We always made sure there was a fire extinguisher close at hand for holiday disasters. Sofia’s kitchen was as clean as it always was, though. She was also showered and dressed with makeup on. It was the complete opposite at my house. I loved my mother dearly, but Martha Stewart, she was not.
Dom handed each of us a glass of wine. He stepped beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. I leaned in closer and Sofia sighed in happiness as she looked at us.
“You two are going to give me beautiful grandbabies.”
I stifled a giggle.
Dom’s mouth dropped open. “Mom!”
She shrugged innocently. “What? I speak the truth.”
Yeah, I had nothing to worry about coming here.
***
I was so comfortable and stuffed full of food I was surprised I was still awake. After dinner Dom had pulled me onto the couch and cuddled us together. My head rested on his chest, and his arms wrapped around me possessively. It was unnerving how quickly we’d adjusted to being more intimate with each other. Matthew and Raquel were sitting on the opposite couch, almost as relaxed as us.
Sofia, Raquel, and I had cleaned the kitchen after dinner. Raquel took advantage of the fact I was stuck there to ask me a million questions about my relationship with Dom. I noted that while Sofia wasn’t asking, she sure didn’t tell Raquel to stop. The most prying of her questions being when I thought we would get married. I’d almost choked on my wine with that one. It took me a few seconds to stammer out a non-committal response. To my relief, Dom came in shortly after that and told his little sister to mind her own business and leave me alone. Now we were here fighting sleep and spending the rest of the evening with his family.
I never expected the transition to happen so easily. Just thinking about where we were a few months ago made me emotional. We’d almost given this up.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Dom cocked his head so he could talk to me.
I wrapped my arms around him tighter. “Nothing. I’m just happy that I’m here.”
The smile he rewarded me with made my insides all gooey.
“Will you two stop it? It’s bad enough that I have to hear you at the apartment. Now I have to see it too?” Matt teased. “I’ve started sleeping with earplugs. You two are so loud.”
I blushed so hard I could feel the roots of my hair turning red.
Dominic laughed. “Says the manwhore who brought home a girl two weeks ago that the cops got called on.”
I started laughing. “Where was I for that one?”
“Girls’ night. You were at your apartment.”
Linc shook his head and fought back a grin. “I thought I raised you both better than that.”
Dom raised an eyebrow. “If I had a nickel for every time I walked in on you and Mom in some inappropriate way, I’d be a rich man. You two have no room to talk.”
Raquel groaned and waved her hand around like she was trying to clear images from her head. “It’s even worse now that you two are gone. I’ve started making noise any time I leave my room so I don’t go blind by walking in on something.” She shivered dramatically. “I’m incredibly excited to go to college next year.”
It was refreshing seeing two people so openly affectionate. My parents had a much more sedate love. Not that they didn’t love one another, but the passion had left long ago. There was no chance of me or Josh walking in on them making out on the couch. Or worse. The idea made me a little queasy.
“I think it’s sweet.”
Dom, Matt, and Raquel groaned.
“Don’t encourage them,” Matt said, running a hand down his face. “Just wait until you go to get a piece of pie and catch Dad’s hand on Mom’s ass.”
I laughed as Matt kept ranting.
Dom leaned down to whisper in my ear. “We’ll be the ones that our kids catch in the act in a few years.”
My mouth parted. Dominic Torres talking about kids.
I stared up at him, and his lips quirked. He was fighting off a grin. The bastard liked leaving me speechless.
Dom’s dad stood up. “I think it’s time for that pie Matt talked about.”
Sofia jumped out of her seat. “I’ll help you, honey.”
We watched them go into the kitchen, but none of the kids followed. Laughter flowed from the other room and a hissed stop it, the kids are going to see, then we’ve scared them enough. I could only imagine what was going on in there. Dom grinned into my neck. I loved this family.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dominic
Somehow we made it through finals. I wasn’t sure how, but I’d managed to get A’s in every class. There was hope yet I’d graduate summa cum laude. Brooke’s constant nagging for me to study probably helped more than anything. We hadn’t been together for all that long, but because of our friendship, we were closer than we would’ve been otherwise. There was no awkward getting to know you period. We just were.
Our friends had been better than I expected at the change in status of our friendship. They’d all done a wonderful job of convincing Brooke not to run like she normally did. I hadn’t noticed a single panic attack in months. We were making it happen.
Our trip to North Carolina was amazing. I’d already met Brooke’s parents several times over the years, but going to their home was completely different. Her mom had wrapped me up in a hug at the airport and told me how happy they were that we’d ended up together. She’d winked over Brooke’s shoulder as she hugged her hello too. That had set the tone for our entire visit. Owen and Ella had included me as part of the family without question.
Brooke dragged me all over her hometown, introducing me to her friends, showing me her favorite spots, and making me fall even deeper in love with her. I never thought the beach in wintertime would be one of my new favorite spots in the world, but Brooke made me see the beauty. We must’ve walked for miles. There was a calmness I found there I’d never found anywhere else. When I told her that, she smiled and curled in tighter to my side. She didn’t say it, but I could tell she felt the same way.
Josh and I had spent a lot of time talking over the past few months. It had taken some doing, but he finally realized why I’d kept my feelings for Brooke from him. He’d proposed to Riley during the Christmas break and allowed me to help with some of the planning. She was totally surprised. Tears had happened from both of them when he popped the question, and I was the one who got to capture it all on camera. Brooke had helped too, but mainly in keeping Riley busy while we set up and making sure her nails were done. Apparently those things were important to girls.
The flight home had been interesting with three sets of couples flying home together. Liam had made the trip home with Caroline and I had a feeling he’d be asking some important questions of his own soon. Brooke kept asking me why I grinned every time I looked at them, but I wouldn’t give away any of Liam’s secrets.
We weren’t far away from Mount Bonnell. Brooke was leaned back in her seat, singing along softly to the radio. Every second I got to spend with this woman was amazing. I couldn’t believe we’d finally reached a place where everything was so perfect. She had no clue I was going to propose on New Year’s. Her dad gave me his blessing while we were drinking whisky one night, and her mom had helped me pick out the ring the next day.
All I was waiting for now was the ball to drop.
I smiled at Brooke, threading her fingers through mine as I drove. Her sweet smile made my heart race. Neither of us wanted to waste any more time than we already had. I loved this girl so much, and after going through hell and back to get us to where we were, I wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not that I thought she’d turn me down. If I’d learned anything over the past year, it was that Brooke Caldwell loved me as much as I loved her.
“I love you, baby.”
The gorgeous smile on her face made my heart beat faster in my chest. “I love you too.”
Those words w
ere perfect. Everything I wanted.
We wanted to spend a few hours at our spot before the semester started up next week. It was harder to come out and relax with our busy schedules. With this being my last semester before medical school, I was going to be busier than ever.
I grinned at Brooke and focused on the road ahead of me, my hand draped loosely over the wheel. I saw the car coming around the corner in our lane, but I couldn’t react fast enough. Seconds later I slammed on the brakes, trying to avoid the impending fallout. I dropped Brooke’s hand and jerked on the wheel before the car went airborne. Things moved in slow motion. I lost count how many times we rolled, but I grabbed onto Brooke’s hand and held on until I couldn’t anymore. Her screams pierced the interior of the car until the windows shattered. Glass hit my face and shoulder, scratching deep cuts into my skin each time I brushed against something.
My head hit the steering wheel and blood streamed down into my eyes. The pain was blinding, stealing my breath and making me lose consciousness for a second. All I wanted to do was make sure that Brooke knew how much I loved her. I had to. I coughed and my chest felt like it was on fire. The pull of the seatbelt made something metal dig further into my side. I could feel blood starting to soak through my shirt. Blackness tinged the edges of consciousness, but I heard Brooke calling out my name.
I fought to answer her. Damn it, I tried. But the only thing I could do was squeeze her hand and pray that I lived through this. I wanted her to know that I intended to spend the rest of my life with her. She was everything to me and until I met her my life was empty--meaningless. Brooke gave my life meaning. She gave me everything I didn’t know I needed. I wanted her to know.
Please, God, let me be able to tell her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brooke
It took three days for the doctors to allow me to visit Dom’s room. I had a long way to go to recovery, mainly because of the deep gash in my side from metal that had cut into me during the accident. Amazingly it had missed all my vital organs, but the doctors were still concerned about infection. Their concern hadn’t stopped me from begging to go see Dom every time they walked into my room.
He’d been rushed to emergency surgery as soon as we arrived at the hospital. When the truck rolled over, his chest had hit the steering wheel hard. No one would tell me the extent of his injuries, probably because it was terrifying enough to hear that he was in critical condition. I choked back another sob as I held on to his hand. Every time I thought about being trapped in the truck, I couldn’t hold back the trembles that took over my body. The only thing that would make me feel better was having Dom’s arms wrapped around me.
I clutched at his hand tighter and prayed we’d get answers soon because Dom being like this was torture. He was always so vibrant and full of life. The pale color of his skin wasn’t natural, and it was all too easy to imagine him not making it through this. Seeing him lifeless, lying in a bed with tubes and machines all around, was a pain worse than death, but at least it allowed me to know he wasn’t actually gone.
Sofia laid her hand on my back. She’d been oddly quiet today, but she was never far from his side. Since she was only an hour away, she’d beaten my parents to the hospital. When I woke, she was the one who told me the extent of Dom’s injuries. She’d held me, and we cried together while we waited to hear news about Dom’s condition.
“Brooke, the police brought in Dom’s backpack from the crash. Apparently it was still there from over Christmas break. Would you mind going through it and seeing if there’s anything else you can think of that might be in the car? Matt volunteered to go down to the salvage yard, but I don’t want him to if he doesn’t have to.”
I swallowed hard before answering. As painful as it was, I needed to do it because I knew his schedule the best. “Of course.”
I took the bag and walked out to the waiting room. The last thing I wanted to do was start crying in front of Sofia again. Going through Dom’s things, it was bound to happen. My fingers shook as I unfastened the zipper and started pulling each book out individually. When I came to his sketchbook, I smiled. He was constantly showing me small pieces he worked on. I flipped through quickly and pushed it back in the bag.
I looked down at a weathered piece of paper that had fallen out of his book. It took me all of two seconds to realize this was something important—something Dom might not want me to see—but it didn’t matter. My fingers trailed over the soft creases and shook slightly as I saw what he’d drawn. Dom was a talented artist, but he’d outdone himself. An incredibly detailed version of my own face stared back at me. In the sketch, my eyes were slightly narrowed and my mouth was parted—I looked happy. Thrilled even. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one else had seen the drawing. It seemed even more personal now that I knew what was on the paper.
How old is this drawing?
The corners were well worn, and the paper looked like it had been opened and shut a hundred times. Tears pricked at my eyes, and the knot in my throat made it difficult to swallow. Why Dominic? I asked God this over and over again. The unfairness made me want to scream and throw things across the room and rip everything apart so the destruction I left behind was even a drop of what I felt inside.
Instead, I sat next to Dom every day.
Waiting for a change.
Waiting for my other half to wake up.
Because there was no way I could do this without him. I’d already tried once, and I was a complete mess. He was the love of my life. Dominic made me a better person because he challenged me. He knew my limitations, but he made me want more for myself. How did someone get over losing their other half? I couldn’t do it.
My fingers clutched the paper tighter, and I let the tears fall. Crying was supposed to be cathartic, but every tear that ran down my cheek was just another reminder of what I was missing. A memory I’d never get back. Long minutes ran into hours that I was losing with him.
Matthew was the one who found me. His strong arms wrapped around me, and it reminded me of Dominic. I let myself pretend for a few minutes while he whispered into my hair. Guilt wrapped itself around my heart, but if I was going to make it through this, I needed to clutch onto any hope possible.
***
As I walked into Dom’s room, Sofia shoved something behind her back and looked at me guiltily. She shared a look with my mother and edged around the bed, further into the room so she could sit down next to the head of Dom’s bed. God, what was it now? I couldn’t take the constant roller coaster of emotions today. One more thing and I was going to lose my mind.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Sofia said quickly. “Nothing at all.”
I walked over to Dom and ran my hands down his arms gently. This whole day had me weary that something else bad might happen. Looking through Dom’s belongings was tough, but watching him lay here each day was worse. I wanted him to open up his gorgeous brown eyes and tell me this was all going to be a bad memory one day. Sofia sighed and I glanced over. She had a small black box in her hands, obviously not aware of the fact that she wasn’t hiding it anymore. I gasped and she yanked her hand back.
“Brooke--”
“Sofia, tell me what that is.”
Her head dropped and I could tell she was holding back tears. “You know what it is, mija.”
My own tears blurred my vision. “No,” I whispered. “Absolutely not.”
She nodded and choked back a sob. “Dom was going to ask you on New Years Eve while you were at Mount Bonnell. He said he wanted to start his new year off perfectly with you by his side. He didn’t care if you waited to plan the wedding, but he wanted a ring on your finger so everyone would know you were his.”
I turned to look at my mom. “Momma?”
Her cheeks were damp with tears and she smiled sadly. “I’m so sorry, baby. When you guys were visiting--” She sucked in a sharp breath. “He asked your Daddy for his blessing. He told him how much he loves you and--�
�
My entire world crumpled in on itself. God this wasn’t fair. Dominic and I had fought so hard to get where we were and now I didn’t even know if I could keep him. I fell down to my knees and curled into a ball. My sobs echoed through the room and bounced down the halls of this god-forsaken hospital. This place where good people came to die because life wasn’t fair. Nothing about this was remotely okay.
Strong arms picked me up and cradled me against his chest. I rubbed away the tears long enough to realize it was Matthew. He was saving me again. It wasn’t hard to realize he was just like his brother--always the constant, strong, willing to help wherever he could. I dug my face into his soft t-shirt and tried to pretend it was Dom’s arms wrapped around me. It wasn’t too hard. They were both built the same and wore the same cologne. I closed my eyes tight.
“What am I going to do if he dies?”
I whimpered, fighting back a new onslaught of tears.
Matthew kissed my forehead. “That’s not going to happen, B. He’s a fighter and I sure as hell know he’s going to fight to get back to you.”
My mom had stepped closer to Sofia and wrapped her arms around her side. Raquel had her hand over her mouth, silently sobbing on the other side of the room. I nuzzled into Matthew’s shirt, hoping that I could sleep for a few hours in his arms. He was so much like Dominic, but at the same time completely different. I just needed to pretend for a few seconds that everything wasn’t so screwed up.
***
No one pushed me to talk about what had happened, and for that, I was thankful. They stood by me, taking care of me when all I could do was take care of Dom. This was the first time I’d been alone with him in a few days. The steady, even pace of the beeping monitors helped calm me. Between me, our friends, and his family, Dom was never alone for long. I’d finally convinced Sofia, Linc and Raquel to go back to Dom’s apartment and get some sleep. They had slept or taken showers since the accident.
Keeping Dominic (The Golden Boy Series Book 1) Page 19