Page 68 of Monster

It became like a game.

I hoped Dominic would think of me when he received his credit card bill and realized just how much useless shit I’d bought.

My hands came to a stop on a pale pink silk scarf. There was no price tag. But we were in a nice little boutique that didn’t have price tags on any of their things.

I shot Lucy a small smile and grabbed the scarf. I would never have a chance to wear it, since I didn’t know where I might go that would be appropriate for me to wear it, but it was soft, I liked the color, and at this moment, I hated Dominic Madden with everything in me.

* * *

Unlike last night,Dominic didn’t come home early.

I didn’t know if he was coming home tonight at all. If something had happened to prevent him from coming home…

I should wish for him to get hurt. Wish for something to stop him from coming back home to me. Instead, the thought of it made it almost hard for me to breathe.

I took a deep inhale and let it out slowly as I lay back down on the bed and turned off the lamp in Dominic’s room.

I debated whether I should sleep in the room I had been in before, but what would be the point if he would just carry me back to his room in the end?

So now I was lying on his bed in his room, in one of his shirts and a pair of boxers, because despite the shopping trip, I didn’t think to buy any sleep clothes.

The shirt smelled like him.

Everything in this place smelled like him.

I looked out the window and stared at the streetlight I had been so fascinated with since day one, wondering how the hell I was supposed to fall asleep when my mind seemed to run a million miles an hour.

I was alone in a big house that wasn’t mine, in clothes that weren’t mine, and here I was, worrying—

I jumped when I heard the front door open.

He was home.

The weight on my chest lifted as I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs. The door to the room slowly opened, revealing a huge shadow in the doorway.

I could only make out some of his features, but I could tell his eyes were on me.

“Are you asleep, wildcat?”

I didn’t answer him right away. I didn’t know if I should pretend I was asleep or not.

“Yes,” I said.

A small laugh escaped, and he fumbled with the light switch and turned it on.

I blinked against the intrusion of light.

He was in a black leather jacket over a plain white T-shirt that I knew from memory molded against his muscular form perfectly, fitted dark blue jeans that looked well worn, and black boots.

He brought with him the scent of grass, outdoors, and cigarettes.

I didn’t think Dominic smoked since I hadn’t seen any cigarettes or ashtrays around the house or in his room, but someone was smoking wherever he had just been.

It wasn’t an unpleasant smell.

I blinked up at him again, and something strange flashed over his eyes as he gazed at me lying on his bed.

He walked over and slowly reached for me, as if he was afraid of scaring me off. He set me in a sitting position and tucked a strand of my dark hair behind my ear.

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