Page 73 of Hat Trick
He nods to my door. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
Dom follows behind me as I nervously unlock my front door and usher us inside. As soon as we’re both standing in my living room I turn to him. “So?”
His eyes dance between mine as he takes a deep breath, running his hand over his cropped dark hair. Taking a deep breath he says, “I called Mom the other day.”
I nod in understanding. “Okay.”
“And I went to her standing therapy appointment on Wednesday.”
My eyes momentarily widen in shock, but I try to school my expression. “Okay,” I repeat.
“And then again yesterday. And this morning.”
“Okay,” I say for the third time.
Realizing I’m not going to say much until he does, he continues. “And between Mom and Dr. Miller, I-I learned a few things.”
“And what did you learn?”
He takes in a deep breath. I watch as he clasps his shaky hands in front of him to nervously rub his palms together. I so badly want to reach out and grab them, but I stop myself, giving him the spaceto do this. “I learned that my dad dying shouldn’t be the most important thing that happens in my life. I learned that he would want me to fill my life with love, and happiness, and laughter. I learned that pretending to be happy all the time, while I’m terrified on the inside, isn’t healthy. I learned that there are better ways to deal with his loss, and I’m learning how to do that. All of this you probably already knew.” He looks to me for confirmation.
“I did.”
“Right. Well, there’s one thing you may not know. Actually, you probably do, but I’ve definitely never said it to you.”
He takes a large step toward me, and I swallow the ball in my throat. “And—” I clear my throat. “And what’s that?”
“I figured this one out all on my own actually.” His voice is softer now. Gentler. “I learned that I wouldn’t have ran away if I didn’t already know the truth.”
Tears sting my eyes as I ask, “The truth?”
He takes two more steps forward so he’s now standing toe-to-toe with me. I can feel his chest brush against mine each time one of us takes a breath. Tilting my head up ever so slightly, I look him in the eye as he says, “The truth is that I am so deeply and irrevocably in love with you, Emerson Baker.” I can’t help it. A broken sob spills from my lips, because I was starting to worry I’d never hear those words from him. “I have loved you for years,” he continues. “You have become my person in every sense of the word. But now… now you are part of me. Forever embedded in my soul. And I’m so sorry I ran out on you. I’m so sorry I tried to throw this all away because I was afraid.” He raises his hands and holds my face between them, brushing away the stray tears that have fallen.Fuck, I’ve turned into such a softy. “I’m still afraid, if I’m being honest. But how fucking lucky am I to be afraid of loving and losing. But I won’t be the reason I lose you, Emerson. I fucking love you, baby.”
I don’t lecture him. I don’t scold him for leaving me. I don’t force him to drag his apology out for any longer. Because I don’t fucking care. Speaking those words doesn’t interest me. The only thing I want to say to this man is, “I love you, Dominic. I love you with every part of me.” He releases a deep breath and drops his forehead to mine. “Don’t ever leave me again,” I say softly.
He gently shakes his head. “Never again.” The moment those two words come out of his mouth his lips are on mine. Dominic kisses me as if I’m breathing life back into him for the first time in days. I’m part of his soul now, and it’s a place I always want to be.
We kiss one another in the middle of my living room for what feels like an eternity until he finally pulls his mouth from mine. “I’m so proud of you,” I tell him.
“I’m proud of myself too,” he answers. “Can we go get my girl back now?”
I smile ear to ear. “Ourgirl?”
“Our girl,” he repeats
I place one more quick kiss on his lips. “Let’s go.”
Twenty minutes later we’re standing in Lil’s hallway, pounding on her front door. I’m about to yell her name again when the door next to us opens. “If the two of you don’t shut the fuck up, I swear to god. Charlie issleeping.”
“Shit. Sorry, G,” Dom says quietly.
“Hey, do you know where Lil is?” I ask her.
She rolls her eyes dramatically and looks at Dom. “She left foryourapartment ten minutes ago. Probably to rip you a new asshole if I have to guess.”
Dom and I both smile.
That’s our girl.
