AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is that what you think of me? That I feel like the world revolves around me? Fuck, maybe you never knew me at all. I’ve spent my life trying to shield people I love from more hurt. In the end, it all backfired. Everything I did just made you hurt more. I stayed with Gabby because of a promise I made. I pushed her to be the one to hurt you, so I didn’t. Yet, I selfishly let it go on so long because I felt trapped. I swear, though, T. I didn’t know she was playing you just like she was me. I had no idea. If I had, I would have told you sooner. None of the decisions I made were because I thought everything was about me, or fuck, maybe it was. I was determined not to make the mistakes our old man made, and yet here I am.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“I shielded you from that, too. You never had to hear the arguments Mom and Dad had. You didn’t even know why Mom moved us to Crusher and Aunt Dani’s for a while. Maybe I was being selfish not telling you everything back then, too,” I mock, knowing damn well that in this situation ignorance was bliss. No seven-year-old should stay awake at night hearing his mother cry and his parents fighting. No one at that age should see their hero fall from their pedestal. No one.
“W-what are you talking about?”
“This was a mistake. You obviously have the brother you want now. You don’t need me either,” I mutter more to myself than to T. It seems I’m on the outside looking in with my dad and with T. I stand up and turn to the door. T stops me by grabbing my shoulder.
“W-What the fuck?”
“You could have told me King was our brother. If I keep secrets, so do you, T. You could have reached out. I needed you. Although, I guess that’s all about me, too. I guess I’m selfish, expecting my brother to have my back. Then again, you had reason to want to give me payback. Didn’t you?”
“D-Dom…”
“You may not think I deserve Thea. Hell, I know you’re right. I don’t deserve her. The thing is, I love her. I’m in love with her to the point that I can’t breathe without her. Maybe that makes me a selfish asshole, and I’m only thinking about myself, but I don’t give a fuck. My whole life I worried about Mom, Gabby, you, and not making empty promises and mistakes like Dad made. I’m sick of it. With Thea, I’m going to be selfish. I will figure out how to get her back and I’m never letting her go, even if she deserves someone better. I’m who she gets. As for the rest of you, don’t worry. I’ve gotten the message. I’m expendable.”
“T-That’s not what I s-s-said,” T argues. “It was K-K-King’s secret to-to-to tell.”
“Funny. You would have been the first one I’d have told if the roles were reversed. This was a mistake,” I sigh, scrubbing my face with my hand, feeling damn tired. “I came here looking for advice and maybe some support. I also felt I owed it to you to find out from me what was going on. Regardless of how you feel about me since the shit with Gabby came out, T, I love you. I’ve always loved you. I know I fucked up royally, but I miss you in my life.”
“Dom—”
“It’s okay. Just know that no matter what I have to do, I’m not giving Thea up. I’d set the world on fire for her and rejoice as it burned down around us—as long as she was in my arms.”
I walk to the door of his office and open it when his voice stops me. “Dom?”
“Yeah?”
“Thea will come around. D-Don’t give up on her.”
“I can’t,” I tell him.
“G-G-Gabby lies. Be c-caref-ful.”
“I know. Dad and the boys are helping there, too. Take care of yourself, T.”
“Y-Y-You’re right. Should have t-t-told you about King.”
“It’s all good. I mostly knew already. I’ve been expecting him to show up since I was seven. I was just hoping I was wrong.”
“I m-miss you too, Dom.”
“I get Thea back, maybe you will come back to Kentucky with Lyla and Tamsin here and there? I’d like to…get to know my brother. You’re different now.”
“You are, too,” he says, and he’s right. I am. So, I nod and walk away. I know eventually T and I will be okay, but I’m not sure we’ll ever be as close as we once were. Maybe the blame of that lies at my feet solely—maybe the two of us have just changed. I won’t pretend it doesn’t hurt that my little brother is probably closer to King these days. I have no idea what to do with any of it, so I push it to the back of my mind. I need to concentrate on Thea. I’m going to fight to get her back. I can’t let her go.
I won’t.
Chapter 45
Thea
Two Weeks Later
God, I miss him.
I close my eyes and lay back on my pillow. I’m in my childhood room and it’s a place that always brought me comfort. It isn’t doing that now. I’m miserable. Mom and Dad are both trying to talk to me. Oddly enough, my mom thinks I should forget about Dom, and my dad is urging me to talk to him. I would have totally thought it would be the other way around.
