Page 5 of You're The One
But Dominic talks right over him. “Seriously, what do you have against me? I’m dying to know… Can you even tell me?”
“The list is too long.”
“I’ve got time.”
He asked for it.
“Well, for starters, you get everything you want handed to you on a silver platter?—”
“That doesn’t sound so different from you,” he cuts in.
“Pfft. It’s not the same.”
I ignore his raised brows and push on. “You’re too happy. No one isthathappy…”
That only makes him beam. I point accusingly at his dimples. “See!”
He chuckles, enjoying getting a rise out of me.
“You make everything about you,” I add.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I should pay more attention to you, pip.” He tries to rest his elbow on my head, but I see it coming and duck out of the way. “Sometimes, I forget about you down there.”
“You’re not funny. I don’t know why people think you are. I think it’s more of a laughing-at-you thing.” I only feelslightlybad as the words leave my mouth.
He shrugs. “At least I’m making people happy, right? Everyone except you. Is that it? Is this a cry for attention, darling?”
“Donotcall me darling. Or pip. Or any other cutesy nicknames, Dominic,” I practically snarl, the flush spreading from my neck to my chest. “And don’t touch me. You probably have a venereal disease. Seriously… when is being a hotshot playboy going to get old? Are you aiming to be the next Hugh Hefner?”
“I mean… Wait, did you just call me hot?”
“Ugh! Can you at least try to have the decency to not wake me up nightly with your dalliances?”
“My what?!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, was that too big a word for you?”
“No, I think you’ve been watching too much Bridgerton?—”
“Enough!” Ryan shouts.
We both scowl at him, which is when I realize we’re practically nose to nose. Or as close as we can be, given our height difference. I take a quick step back.
Hannah appears by his side, but unlike Ryan’s furious expression, hers is filled with amusement. “Hey, what happened to this being your summer of love? I thought it was ‘in the air,’” she asks Dominic.
“This one”—he jerks his elbow in my direction—“is like a wildfire sucking up all the oxygen.”
I scoop up Freddie’s ball and launch it at Dominic’s head. He dodges it, of course, so I admit defeat—for now—and retreat inside, the patio door slamming shut behind me.
“Aw, come on, pip! Don’t go getting all sensitive on me now,” Dominic calls after me.
I stomp through the brownstone and up the stairs, where the excited yaps of foster dogs drown out his voice.
I can’t spend the whole summer stuck in this loop.
This was supposed to be a relaxing break. A fun escape. Just another distraction.
Another stop along my endlessly winding path.
