37

He grabbed the shirt from the bed and handed it to me. I slipped it over my head—his shirt, oversized and soft, smelling faintly of rain and pine. It fell to mid-thigh, covering just enough to leave me feeling both daring and comforted. Dominic himself didn’t bother dressing. Barefoot and bare-chested, he strode toward the door, the muscles in his back rippling as he moved. He glanced over his shoulder, beckoning me silently, a wicked grin on his lips.

The moment we stepped out the house, the rain began to fall, heavy and deliberate, each drop prickling against my skin like tiny pinpricks of ice. It wasn’t the lazy drizzle of an autumn shower; this was a full-on downpour, the kind that soaked you to the bone within seconds. The ground beneath my bare feet was cool and soft, the earth giving way slightly as we left the stone path and raced toward the woods.

The world around us blurred in the downpour. Trees loomed on either side, their darkened forms swaying in the wind, their leaves rustling like whispers. The rain cascaded in thick sheets, drenching my hair and plastering Dominic’s golden strands to his forehead. He didn’t look back as he ran, his laughter cutting through the storm like a burst of light. 

“Come on!” he shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of rain and thunder. His feet pounded against the muddy earth, and I chased after him, the cool wetness splashing up my legs with every step. 

The woods came alive around us, the scent of wet earth and pine filling my senses. Branches brushed against my skin as I darted past them, the prickling sensation oddly exhilarating. My breaths came fast, the cold air biting at my lungs, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Dominic was ahead of me, his silhouette just visible through the rain-soaked haze, and the sheer joy radiating from him was magnetic.

The trees began to thin, and the distant roar of water grew louder. The lake came into view—a shimmering expanse of gray and silver, its surface dimpled with the relentless barrage of rain. Dominic didn’t slow down; he reached the water’s edge and plunged in without hesitation, his body cutting through the surface with a splash. 

I skidded to a halt at the edge, my chest heaving, my shirt clinging to me like a second skin. The water looked freezing, the ripples glinting like shards of broken glass. Dominic resurfaced a few feet from the shore, shaking his head like a dog and laughing, his voice deep and unrestrained.

“What are you waiting for?” he called, his arms spreading wide. “Live, remember?”

I took a step forward, the wet earth squelching beneath my toes. The rain was relentless, streaming down my face, mingling with the heat of my skin. I hesitated only for a moment longer before diving in, the icy shock of the water stealing the breath from my lungs. 

The cold was bracing, almost painful, but it woke something up inside me—a spark, a pulse of something raw and undeniable. When I surfaced, gasping and laughing despite myself, Dominic was there, his arms circling my waist and pulling me close.

“See?” he said, his voice soft but triumphant. “One step at a time.” 

And for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt alive.

The water was cold, sharp enough to bite, but it didn’t matter. Laughter bubbled up in my chest as I swam after Dominic, the rain drumming against the surface of the lake in a symphony of chaos. He was just ahead, his powerful strokes carving through the water effortlessly. 

“Catch me if you can!” he taunted, diving under before I could respond. 

I kicked harder, chasing his shadow as it darted beneath the surface. When I came up for air, gasping and laughing, I saw him emerge a few feet away, shaking his head with a grin. The golden strands of his hair, darkened and slick with water, clung to his face. His laughter was infectious, and I found myself laughing too as I splashed a wave of water at him.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he teased, retaliating with a splash that hit me square in the face. I sputtered, grinning as I lunged toward him, but he dove under again, disappearing like a phantom. 

We played like that for what felt like hours, diving and surfacing, the icy water numbing our skin but filling us with an electric vitality. When we broke the surface together, our laughter blended with the storm. The woods were alive with the rhythmic hum of rain, the air thick with the scent of wet pine and earth. 

But then, something changed.

I had surfaced after a dive, my hair whipping across my face as I blinked through the water dripping from my lashes. The lake seemed quieter somehow, the rain muffled, the world too still. My laughter died on my lips when I looked around and didn’t see Dominic. 

“Dominic?” I called, my voice shaky, swallowed by the vastness of the lake.

I treaded water, scanning the surface for any sign of him. Nothing. Anxiety bloomed in my chest as I sucked in a breath and dove back under. The cold water closed around me like a vice, but there was no shadow of him beneath the surface, no shape, no movement. Just murky nothingness. 

When I came up again, gasping, my breath hitched. “Dominic!” I shouted, louder this time, my voice raw with fear. The rain felt heavier now, pounding against my head, blurring my vision. My heart thudded wildly as I turned in circles, searching.

That’s when I saw it—a figure. A man. Standing in the woods, just beyond the edge of the lake. He was tall, his outline barely visible through the curtain of rain. My breath caught in my throat. He didn’t move, didn’t flinch, just stood there, watching. 

“Who’s there?” I yelled, the tremor in my voice betraying my fear.

I wiped my face, blinking furiously, and when I looked again, the figure was gone. Nothing but the swaying shadows of the trees. 

My stomach churned, my pulse racing as I turned back to the water. That’s when I saw it—the lake's surface darkening, the rain creating ripples through something thick and crimson. Blood. The water was turning to blood. 

“Dominic!” I screamed, panic clawing at my throat as I scrambled to get to shore. The water clung to me, sluggish and heavy, my limbs feeling like lead. My hands slapped against the surface, desperate to pull myself free.

And then I saw him.

His body floated a few feet away, face up, his lifeless eyes staring into the stormy sky. A knife protruded from his chest, the hilt grotesquely black against his pale, blood-drenched skin. My scream was guttural, raw, torn from my very soul as I froze, unable to move, my entire body shaking violently. 

“Dominic—oh my God—Dominic!” I wailed, the words breaking as I choked on tears. I turned, clawing at the water, desperate to get to shore, desperate to escape the horror. 

But then, something cold and unyielding wrapped around my ankle. 

I screamed, thrashing wildly, but the grip tightened, pulling me under. Water rushed into my mouth and nose as I fought, my lungs burning as I kicked and clawed. My arms flailed, the world around me dissolving into darkness, blood, and suffocating water.

“Let me go!” I screamed, or at least I tried. The words were lost in a garbled underwater cry. 

The hand dragged me deeper, the lake swallowing me whole, and just as I felt the last sliver of air leave my lungs—

I woke up.

My body jolted upright in bed, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The room was dark, save for the faint glow of lightning outside the window. The sheets were twisted around my hips, damp with sweat, clinging to my overheated skin. My hair was stuck to the side of my face, and my heart hammered so hard it felt like it would break free from my chest.

It was a dream. Just a dream.

But my body didn’t believe it. I was shaking, trembling uncontrollably, my skin burning with a feverish heat. The sound of thunder rolled in the distance, but all I could hear was the echo of my scream, the haunting image of crimson water and Dominic’s lifeless eyes burned into my mind.

The door burst open with a sudden force, startling me out of my stupor. My heart leapt in my chest, and I whipped my head toward the sound, terrified. There, standing in the doorway, was Dominic. His chest was heaving, his eyes wide with concern as they scanned the room, finally landing on me. 

“Why the hell were you screaming?” His voice was sharp, urgent, but laced with an edge of confusion. His gaze flicked over me, taking in my trembling form, the sheets twisted around my body.

I could barely make sense of his words, let alone respond. Fear gripped me, cold and paralyzing, and I couldn't shake the image of the blood, the knife, Dominic’s lifeless body from my mind. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. A sob wracked my chest, my body trembling so violently that I couldn’t even sit up straight. The fever was burning through me, making everything feel impossibly heavy, like my skin was on fire. 

Dominic didn't seem to hesitate. His gaze softened for a split second, his brow furrowing in that way that always made my heart ache, but it was gone just as quickly. His long strides took him to the edge of the bed. Without a word, he reached down, gripping the edge of the sheet, pulling it away from me, not at all concerned that I was completely naked beneath it.

I froze. My body tensed, but there was no time to react before his fingers brushed against my skin, a brief but scorching touch that made my breath hitch.

“Shit, Eleanor,” Dominic muttered under his breath, his voice low and filled with disbelief. “You're burning up.” His hand hovered over my skin, feeling my forehead before it moved down the side of my neck, then my arms, then my sides, each touch sending a shockwave of awareness through my feverish body. 

I could barely think, the heat coursing through me, clouding my mind. But his touch was grounding. His fingers were cool against my overheated skin, and the contact, despite its urgency, sent ripples of something else—something unfamiliar, something raw—through me. 

He didn’t hesitate for a second. He tugged me upright with ease, ignoring the fact that I was still trembling and naked beneath the sheets. I gasped as I tried to steady myself, gripping his arm for support, but the fever raged on, making my movements clumsy and uncoordinated. 

“Easy,” Dominic murmured as he scooped me into his arms, cradling me against him without a second thought. His voice was thick with worry, his gaze flicking over me with a growing concern. 

“Only shit, Eleanor... You’re on fire. What the hell happened to you?”