MILLION PIECES

**Rebecca’s story**

It was the first time I had heard such a word. It sounded more like... a woman’s name. Still, I was curious. And I felt so helpless I couldn’t see them.
“Well? What is a Luna?” I insisted, sensing the tension that had risen between the two of them. I could almost see them looking at each other, wondering who should speak first. Eventually, it was Dominic’s friend Megan who did it.
“My dear, first of all, it is a pleasure to meet you and I am sorry to do so under such circumstances. I would have liked to have met you over coffee. But, to answer your question, Luna...is a kind of nickname...that Dominic here...uses with...his friends. Women, especially. He would not use that kind of name for a man, was he?” Megan’s explanation was a bit forced, but I would not push it either. If I was honest with myself, I didn’t really care about that right now. All I wanted to do was recover and get on with my life. I had a lot of contracts on standby and I either had to honor them or cancel them with a notice that I had to release as soon as possible.
“Ladies, you’ll have to excuse me. I have a business meeting outside of New York. I’m meeting with my agent to discuss the next role I’ll have to accept,” Dominic spoke up, and I could already hear him taking his car keys and after greeting us one last time, he stepped out.

I still didn’t get what was happening here and why Megan had to come all the way here. Somehow, I realized I was under that man’s enchantment and couldn’t think for myself right now. Something was definitely happening to me when he was around. As for Megan, from the tone of her voice, she seemed like a charming lady. And another thing, I was certain of. Dominic was very fond of her, and vice versa.

“Okay, now I’m going to need you to tell me who you are and why Dominic has requested you here?” I began a conversation that couldn’t be put off any longer, anyway. I could have sworn we were going to spend the whole day together.
“Honey, I’m one of Dominic’s alter egos, his inner voice, or whatever you like to call me. He invited me here because he feels he can’t deal with you”
My wonderment was so deep and I could swear I could have witnessed Megan’s grimace. Because I bet she was actually grinning just now. But to be honest, no one prepared me for her further statement. “Darling, if you would ask me, I think he likes you and doesn’t know what to do about it. So he called for help. Me!” I would have liked this sentence to never exist.
It was neither the time nor the place to joke about such a thing. And suddenly I was afraid. What if he wasn’t who he claimed he was and brought me here to hurt me? Before the attack, I was a tough woman who didn’t give up on anything. Now I was helpless, unable to do anything to defend myself.
“What do you mean, he likes me?” And my voice had lost one more tone.
“That is, to get fond of you, to think you’re beautiful and fall in love with you, the usual kind of stuff”
“How could he fall in love with me if he only met me today?” I was getting more and more on my guard.
“You would be so surprised, darling...you would be so surprised”
I may have been blind and paralyzed, but I wasn’t deaf.
“What did you say?”
“Oh...just that... Knowing Dominic as I do, all this time you’ve been in the hospital, he’s made a habit of coming to visit you.” She was so certain about what she said that I dropped it.
“You really think so?”
“I know he did!” She resumed her earlier statement and changed her position on the couch.
“So he really is Dominic Stone...” The thought shouldn’t have left my mind, but still...
“God, you couldn’t believe who he is?”
The thought shouldn’t have left my mind, but still...
“My God, you really didn’t believe him, did you?”
“I still can’t” I had to admit just what my mind had already accepted.
“Honey, Dominic has no reason to lie to you. But neither can he make you believe what you can’t see. I know it is hard for you, but eventually you will see for yourself that he really is who he says he is. Give it some time for things to return to normal”
Dominic Stone was the other person who was sure of this. Suddenly, Megan changed the subject. “Would you like some coffee, Miss Rebecca? I can assure you I am an expert in making it!”
“Yes, please... thank you” I returned the answer as I needed that liquor.
“Don’t tell me, with cream! You seem that kind of woman who drinks it that way,” Was I that obvious to her?
“With cream... of course...”
“Lovely way to have your coffee. Dominic likes espresso black. Remember that!”
I didn’t see the relevance of what Megan said, yet I answered her.
“Okay, um... I will remember that”
“So, what do you do for a living?” I knew this question sounded as normal as could be, but at the moment, not for me. As much as I wanted to keep something going for some time, I couldn’t.
A tinge of sorrow washed over my face as I learned the things I used to do and I didn’t anymore. I used to hold a job. A job that even I was sure I was going back to after this still saddened me.
“Apparently, I suffer from local amnesia as a result of the attack I had. I remember nothing from the night of the attack,” Maybe my voice sounded a bit depressed and miserable.
“Just the attack? Before it, do you remember anything?” became Megan curious as I heard her pour coffee into cups.
“It seems like I do. The doctor who treated me told me it’s some sort of defense mechanism in my mind that deliberately stops those traumas. If they’d all come avalanching, I’d be... going crazy...” I still couldn’t imagine myself believing that.
“I’m so sorry, my darling. Just be a little patient and it will all come back to you. You will see, in no time,” she tried to reinforce my beliefs in happening just that.
As soon as I had a few sips of coffee, I felt myself relaxing. It was like I had been staying in this man’s house for a long time. And then, considering all of my fears and the fact that Megan had been his friend for so long, maybe I could have been closer to her. To find out more about Dominic Stone.
“How long have you known Dominic?” But her answer was by far the one I expected and was prepared for.
“Long enough to know and feel that you are not indifferent to him.”
For the moment, I cringed at her words and didn’t know if she said that out of pure play or if it was the first thought that came to her mind. But her silence gave me more answers than I could carry.
“I don’t even dare ask what you meant by that?”
“You have such expressive eyes, Rebecca. May I call you that?” I knew her mouth arched into a smile.
“Becca. You can call me Becca.”
“Okay, Becca. And because I know Dominic so well, I can tell when someone is stealing his heart. And now that’s exactly what happened.”
Those were words to think about, but Megan was wrong in one aspect. I was certainly not falling in love with this man. Or was I? Okay, he rescued me, took me into his home and cared for me, but from his kindness to his love was a long way.
And besides, he had never shown signs he might be in love with me. There was that closeness between us, to be honest, but for obvious reasons, for helping me. I felt his warm breath on my neck. And then there were his fingers trying to zip up my blouse, but involuntarily touched my back. And also when I thought he was going to go away and just walk away from me, when I almost got out of my wheelchair, but he came over so fast that I didn’t fall and he grabbed me in his arms. And what if I felt the warmth of his body? And what if I felt as his lips came closer to mine? Definitely not signs that he wanted to kiss me so desperately.
I didn’t ask to be here, but now that I was, I had to have rules and boundaries. I didn’t know how this man felt about me or even how I felt. One thing I knew, this man named Dominic Stone was irresistible in the way he behaved, the way he spoke, the way he touched and in every way I could think of.
And if he really was that Dominic Stone, what were the chances of him falling in love with me? He had so many female admirers. I was certain of his status. He was not a single man. And right now I remembered something I used to say... I shouldn’t dream too high, because if the dream would break, I would break along with it into a million pieces.