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“Are you going to be weird about it?” I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow.
“What? No. What you do with your body and your career is none of my business. I just wasn’t sure if it’s something I shouldn’t talk about in front of Rosie.”
We lapse into an awkward silence. I wasn’t expecting him to have that kind of reaction, and I genuinely don’t know what to say.
“Look, Jade, if you ever need someone to watch her, I can. So she doesn’t have to be here alone.”
Fuck. Why is he so goddamned considerate?
“Thanks. I’ll let you know if I ever need you.”
He nods before reaching out again, like he’s about to run his hand through my hair. But then, just like last time, he stops himself. “I should go so you can get some sleep.” He steps back. “Don’t forget to lock the door after me. Night, Jade.”
“Night, grumpy.”
And then he’s gone, out of the kitchen and around the corner toward the front of the house. I hear the front door open and close before I can even process all that just happened.
Shaking my head, I move into the entryway to lock the door. As I do, I realize Dominic is standing on the sidewalk by the front porch steps. When I slide the deadbolt into the place, he gives me a little wave, and then he turns and starts walking down the driveway.
As I watch him, I’m left with an unsettling feeling. But it’s a nice feeling, too. Because it’s been years since I’ve let anyone in emotionally. In some ways, I guess, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be cared for. And it’s really fucking nice.
While Dominic crosses the dark street, I let myself imagine what it would be like to have someone look after me. To havehimlook after me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about being in a long-term relationship with a man, but Dominic feels like the type of guy I’d go for. Especially since he seems to care about Rosie so much.
I tear my eyes away from Dominic’s form and trudge upstairs, typing out a text to Ashley as I do.
Jade:Hope your mom is okay!
Ash:Thanks. At the hospital, thankfully it looks like she didn’t break anything. Sorry I had to leave.
Jade:Don’t worry about it.
Since she woke up, Rosie will probably sleep in a little tomorrow, but not enough for me to get a good amount of sleep. Which means my body won’t get enough rest to recover fully, so I’ll wake up in pain instead of having a couple hours of reprieve in the morning.
Fuck.It’s always like this in the summers. When she’s in school, I’m able to rest more during the day, which helps.
Upstairs, I take a quick shower, and then I collapse into bed. It doesn’t even take me more than five minutes before I fall asleep.
Normally, my dreams are a mix of stressful scenarios that involve losing Rosie, David learning about my plans, or being back in Chicago working for my dad. But tonight, my dream is... nice.
I’m walking into a room that looks like a fancy office. Everything is wood and dark colors, with a desk on one side, a lit fireplace on the other, and a sitting area with two leather couches in the center.
Sitting on one of those couches is Dominic. He’s facing away from me, staring out the bay windows, which overlook a well-trimmed lawn and a garden.
It’s peaceful. Safe.
No one knows where we are. I’m out of David’s grasp.
I don’t question why Dom is here. Instead, I round the couch and take him in.
He’s still dressed for work, his charcoal gray suit jacket draped over the back of the couch. He’s rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and undone a couple of the top buttons, revealing the tattoos creeping up his chest and along his arms.
I’ve always thought Dom was attractive, but I’ve never let myselfbeattracted to him. Now? Now I can do whatever I want.
When his gaze lands on me, Dom smiles. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen him fully smile at me before. At Rosie? Absolutely. She pulls smiles from people like it’s nothing. But right now, he’s smiling atme,and I’m pretty sure I could bask in it all evening.
“Come lie down, Jade.”
