What Breaks a Man?: Sensible Hearts Part 2
Page 22
I lean against the truck and text CJ to find out what he needs for his fourth of July barbecue this weekend. When I look up, she's standing there, forty feet away and my heart flips. She looks the same as I remember, her hair's a little longer though, but she's still refreshed and looks like home. The look on her face almost breaks my heart because she's looking around for her mom and I'm starting to see the panic as she gets closer. She's walking right toward my truck, but she doesn't notice me because I'm not who she's expecting. She pauses and looks back toward the building before looking into the parking lot again, taking a few more steps. I can't take her worry anymore. I was hoping she'd notice me but I don't want to wait anymore.
"Do you need a ride?" I call out and she glances my way, quickly looking back.
That smile I've been dreaming about for years hits her face and I start moving to meet her halfway. By the time she gets close enough, she's removed the smile.
"What are you doing here, Dom?"
"Picking up my girl from the pen." I smirk and she chuckles hiding her face.
"La," I say and she drops her hand, not moving to meet my hug I'm waiting for. "Christ, woman, I'm dying over here. Three steps, Nyla. One. Two. Three." I say moving in front of her with my arms out still.
"You shouldn't even be here right now."
Ignoring her, I yank her into a hug and close my eyes as she wraps her arms tight and folds into me.
"I didn't want you to come for me," she mutters into my chest.
"I kinda picked up on you not wanting to see me when I tried to come visit. So I waited until you didn't have a choice." I clasp her locket around her neck.
"You shouldn't have even wanted to see me."
"God, you're still a brat, La." I move so my arm's around her back and walk her toward my truck.
Opening her door, I wait for her to get in before jogging to the driver's side.
"I expected my mom. I was hoping to go into hiding for a while."
"That's fine. You can hide a few days. I got us a place."
"Us?" The tone of her voice makes me look over at her quirked eyebrow, and the expression on her face is intimidating.
"Did you go lesbian on me?"
"Dom!" she blurts and bursts into laughter.
"I didn't think so, and I know you weren't meeting any guys in there, so I'm kind of your only option, La."
Her fingers hold the locket around her neck as she says, "Why? Did an apocalypse happen when I was locked up? You're the only man left on earth?"
Touching her locket I tell her, "I'm the only man in your heart." I unbuckle and lean over the console with my hand pressed against her window so she can't move away from me. "I've been waiting way too fucking long not to get my happy ending, Nyla." I stare into her brown eyes freckled with green. "I bought us a house. I bought this truck with my own money. I have a rebuilt Camaro in the garage at our house that if you don't want to drive, I will and you can take this. Here's where real life begins and all the bullshit of our past ends."
"You're relentless."
"I'm in love," I counter.
"I'm surprised you remember me."
"You never forget a book that changes your life."
"Good and bad."
I glance away but pin my gaze on her again and say, "You've been both and I still can't do this without you."
"Do I get a say?" she asks with a waver to her voice that I think is more driven from lust than fear.
"Yes," I respond, still not moving my arm from the window because she's pinned between me and the seat, and I'm not backing down.
"Then in that case—"
"No." I finally pull my hand from the glass and put my finger over her lips. "I meant the only say you get is to say yes." I hold up the ring box and flick it open with my thumb like I've been practicing for months.
I was supposed to be on my knee at our new house where music is playing and flowers are waiting but she's making this hard.
"Dominic," she breathes my name, looking from the ring into my eyes.
"Say yes."
"You often propose to girls that just get out of prison?" she chuckles and it makes tears fall from her eyes.
"You've been the only girl I've been waiting for. Ten damn years. Think on it, La," I say when she doesn't seem to want to give me an answer.
"Dom." Her hands wrap to the back of my neck. "I never stopped loving you."
I hold my breath as my stomach flips waiting for the but.
"Dom," she says and her eyes glance around. "That's a yes. I never stopped loving you kind of means yes."
"Fuck, I thought there was going to be a but after that."
"Sorry, my conversation skills have dwindled."
"You probably should have allowed visitors, La."
"I probably should have done a lot of things different." Her fingers slide into my hair while she stares into my face like she's relearning it. "Like expected you'd never give up and you'd be here today. I might have actually brushed my hair."
"You're hair's beautiful. We should get back to this." I kiss her cheek and grab her hand from my shoulder to quickly slide the ring on, but she has other plans and her lips slam to mine, almost making me hit the dashboard.
Pulling back, she looks me in the eyes and puts her hand to my face, kissing my lips softly once more before saying, "We have so much time to make up for, and I'm sorry—"
"La—"
"Shh." Her fingers cover my lips. "Mainly that I didn't get super hot and muscular while in prison like you did. But also for all those blank pages."
Life almost broke me, but this woman will always be my book.
H.Q. Frost's other works
Life on Pause: http://amzn.to/1qok2Fp
UnPaused: http://amzn.to/1qokcwg
Destructive Gods: http://amzn.to/2575mO0
What Makes a Man?: http://amzn.to/1UEIrOZ
H.Q. Frost/M. Dauphin coauthored works
For3ver : http://amzn.to/1TRH0z5
BANG: http://amzn.to/1XvlbIl
Little Bird: http://amzn.to/1OswTwk