60
The anger I felt was like fire—scalding, uncontainable, and ready to burn everything in its path. My chest heaved with every breath, my vision tinged red as the heat rushed to my face. I was trembling, my body practically vibrating with the fury coursing through me. Dominic noticed. Of course, he noticed. He always did when it was too late to fix anything.
He stepped forward, his hand reaching for my shoulder, a pitiful attempt to calm me. I recoiled, slapping his hand away as if it burned.
“No,” I snapped, my voice sharp and cutting. “Don’t touch me.”
He froze, his hand lingering in the air for a second before falling to his side. I wasn’t going to let him soften me. Not this time.
“I have questions,” I said, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. “And I need answers. Now.”
Dominic’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. But I didn’t give him a chance to respond.
“The night Vaughn attacked,” I started, my words like venom, “at the party—where were you?”
The question hit him like a physical blow. His face paled, his eyes wide with shock, like he hadn’t expected me to go there. But I didn’t care.
“When I heard the first gunshot,” I pressed on, stepping closer, “I looked for you. I ran down the hallways, calling your name. I checked every room. I heard your father yelling for you, looking for you.” My finger jabbed into his chest, hard and unrelenting. “But you weren’t there, Dominic. So, tell me—where the hell were you?”
He let out a shaky sigh, running a hand through his hair, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I saw them,” he said finally, his voice low. “Vaughn’s men. They were already there before the party even started. Alaric—he was attacked outside. He told me to run.”
“To run?” I repeated, my voice rising with disbelief and fury. “You saw them. You could’ve raised the alarm, told your father, told mine! We could’ve prepared! But no, you ran.”
“I was sixteen, Eleanor!” he shot back, his voice cracking with frustration. “I was defenseless!”
“Defenseless?” I spat, stepping closer again. “You’ve always been defenseless, Dominic. You’ve always run. Every time there’s a problem, you’re the first to disappear.” My finger jabbed his chest again, harder this time. Once. Twice. Three times. My vision blurred with tears I refused to let fall. “You’ve been running your whole life, haven’t you? When we were kids, you ran. Every single time you got scared, instead of standing up for yourself, you ran!”
“I—”
“Coward!” I screamed, cutting him off. “You’re a coward, Dominic! Always have been. Always will be.”
He flinched at the word, like it physically hurt him. Good.
“You could’ve saved us,” I hissed, my voice shaking now. “If you’d raised the alarm that night, if you’d told someone, our families might still be alive. But instead, you ran and hid. And because of you, they’re dead.”
“Eleanor, I—”
“Coward!” I shouted again, the word ripping from my throat.
I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. The anger, the pain—it was too much. My fists pounded against his chest, shoving him back with every hit. “It’s your fault!” I cried, my voice breaking. “It’s all your fault! Ten years ago, you left me. You left me pregnant and alone. And now, because of you, our child is up for adoption. Our child doesn’t even know who I am because of you!”
“Eleanor, stop,” he begged, his hands coming up to grab my wrists.
I struggled against his grip, my body shaking with the force of my emotions. “You left me!” I screamed, tears streaming down my face now. “You left me to deal with everything while you went off and fell in love with Adeline!”
At that, his grip tightened, his expression crumbling into something raw and broken. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a loud, continuous banging on the door made us both freeze.
“Keep it down!” Adeline’s voice cut through the silence, muffled but clear. “I can hear every word you’re saying. I’d rather not be reminded of my past with that asshole!”
The room fell silent except for the sound of my ragged breathing. Dominic let go of my wrists, his hands falling limp at his sides. I stared at him, the weight of everything we’d said hanging heavy in the air.
And for the first time, I saw it, he wasn’t just broken. He was shattered. But I didn’t care. Not anymore.
I walked past him, my chest heaving as I crossed the room and threw the door open. Adeline leaned across the hallway, against the wall, arms folded, a smug smile atop her lips like she just enjoyed listening to us yell at each other. Her hair was pulled tight into a pony tail, sleek, give her a face lift and accentuating her features. Her plump lips, tanned olive skin, her eyes which dropped almost sleepily from time to time.I couldn’t deny the fact that she was beautiful. The kind of beauty that made you feel inadequate no matter how much you told yourself otherwise. And knowing Dominic had once fallen for her—had cared for her—made my chest ache. It was like we were two sides of the same coin, hurt by the same man, carrying the same scars.
Folding my arms, I turned to Dominic. “Why exactly is she kicking us out?”
Before he could answer, Adeline’s voice drifted in from the doorway. “Oh, I’m standing right here. You can ask me directly.”
I glanced over at her, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. She leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed, a small, smug smile tugging at her lips. The air between us shifted, crackling with tension.
“Fine,” I said, my tone sharp. “Why are you kicking us out?”
Adeline’s smile widened, but there was nothing warm about it. “Well, sweetheart, you’re here because of him,” she said, nodding toward Dominic. “And he’s here because he’s Dominic. Isn’t that reason enough?”
“That’s not an answer,” I shot back, my arms tightening across my chest.
Adeline’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Oh, but it is. You’re just too stubborn to accept it.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but she cut me off, her voice laced with mock sympathy. “You should really learn to ask fewer questions, darling. It’s a bad habit.”
“And you should really learn to give straight answers,” I countered, tilting my head. “It’s called common courtesy.”
“Oh, I’d love to be courteous, but I save that for guests I actually like,” she said, her voice saccharine-sweet.
Dominic groaned softly, running a hand through his hair. “Ladies—”
“Stay out of it,” we said in unison, glaring at him before turning back to each other.
Adeline’s gaze flicked over me, her smirk deepening as if she’d just noticed something amusing. “At least Dominic has the decency to take something worthwhile when he’s stealing,” she said, her tone dripping with faux amusement.
I blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Excuse me?”
She motioned toward the shirt I was wearing. “That’s mine, by the way. Vintage. Looks better on me.”
A flush crept up my neck, but I refused to give her the satisfaction. “Maybe you should keep better track of your closet.”
She smirked. “Maybe you should keep better track of your dignity.”
“Oh, I have plenty of that,” I said sweetly. “But thanks for your concern.”
Adeline leaned forward slightly, her expression mockingly earnest. “Oh, don’t mention it. Really. I’m always happy to help out someone less fortunate.”
The words were a slap wrapped in honey, and I stepped closer, refusing to back down. “Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you. You know, since you’re clearly not over him.”
Her eyes narrowed, the playful edge in her expression sharpening. “I’m not over him?” she repeated with a laugh. “Sweetie, if I wanted him back, I’d have him. Let’s not pretend he’s here for you.”
“Right,” I said, my voice calm but pointed. “That’s why he’s standing next to me and not you. You know, where he belongs.”
Dominic groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t drag me into this.”
“Shut up, Dominic,” we said at the same time, neither of us looking at him.
Adeline crossed her arms, tilting her head as she assessed me. “It’s cute how you think you’re winning. Really. But I’m not the one walking around in someone else’s clothes.”
“No,” I said, flashing her a saccharine smile. “You’re just the one walking around with someone else’s ex.”
Adeline’s jaw twitched, her polished facade slipping just slightly. “Careful,” she said softly, her voice dripping with warning. “It’s a long walk to the curb, and I’d hate for you to trip.”
I smiled, stepping past Dominic to stand toe-to-toe with her. “Don’t worry,” I said lightly. “I’d hate for you to strain yourself holding the door open.”
The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and Dominic finally stepped between us, holding up his hands. “Alright, that’s enough. Both of you.”
We ignored him entirely.
“Try not to miss me too much,” Adeline said as I turned toward the door, her voice laced with mock cheerfulness.
“Oh, don’t worry,” I called back over my shoulder. “I’ll think of you every time I need a reason to feel better about myself.”
Adeline’s laughter followed me down the hall. “Take care of my shirt! It’s worth more than your whole wardrobe!”
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