Page 15 of Graves

“I could eat too, I suppose,” he says with a slight twitch to his lips.

I shake my head as I toss my hands at my sides.

“I’m sorry. I know you’re trying to be nice, but what the fuck?”

“Excuse me?” he asks.

“You’re confusing. One minute, you’re showing up at my work every day, watching me like a hawk. Then you beat someone half to death just for touching me. Then you kissed me like the earth around us was shattering, and then you ghost me. I mean, the ghosting thing is whatever, but now here you are showing up like a savior, ready to whisk me away to lunch? So, yeah, I repeat, what the fuck?”

He opens his mouth like he’s going to speak before he closes it and shakes his head.

“I’m sorry that I’ve upset you. It wasn’t my intention.”

“I’m not upset,” I practically snap, clearly contradicting my words. “I’m just confused.”

Dominic nods but doesn’t say anything in his defense. I’m ready to just sayfuck itand walk home when he speaks.

“That night, it took me by surprise. I haven’t felt so…connected to someone in a long time, ever maybe.”

I cross my arms over my chest as I look up at him.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Yes,” he says flatly.

My eyebrows knit together at that before I nod.

“C’mon, let me take you to lunch. It’s the least I can do.”

“What about my groceries? They’re going to spoil if I leave them all day,” I say.

He glances toward my car before pulling out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen as he speaks.

“I’ll have him put them into the shop fridge when they get your car back there.”

I frown at that. “You have that much pull?”

He shrugs his shoulders but doesn’t respond. I tilt my head to the side, assessing as I speak again.

“Why now? Is it okay to be around me because you don’t feel connected anymore, or…?” I hedge.

“I’ve recently decided a little bad isn’t always bad for you.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re super fucking cryptic?”

A surprised laugh bubbles out of his chest. It’s deep and throaty and it’s the most joyous sound I’ve ever heard comeout of someone. Or maybe it just sounds that way because I’ve never heard anything like it come out of him. I can’t help but smile that I made him do that.

“Okay, where are you taking me?”

Dominic endedup taking us to a really good Thai restaurant on the other side of town. They had the best shrimp chips I’ve ever had, and I may or may not have shoved the rest of them in my purse, wrapped in a napkin, obviously.

We talked about where both of us grew up, me in Chicago and him in Seattle. He’s an only child, just like me, and unfortunately, just like me, his parents died when he was young. Now he owns a few businesses around the city that he mostly oversees, which I’m pretty sure is code forI’m so rich I don’t have to work, I have people work for me.

When we get to the mechanic shop, I see three open bays, all with cars on the lifts. One of them is my piece of shit with two guys underneath it and parts scattered everywhere.

“Uh, what are they doing?” I ask as Dominic puts his Lexus into park.

He glances over to where I’m looking.