Page 25 of Dominate
Even in death, friendship still gives us breath,
as it lives on in our hearts and souls.
Our tight little hugs and soft, cosy clothes.
In our weak, frail bones, and our aching, broken hearts.
Friendship…has no age.
I finish, turning my head into my shoulder to hide the tears that have welled up in my eyes. Clearly, this was written by his mother when she was ill. It’s almost too heartbreaking to handle, but I steel myself to be strong. I look over at Gareth to see the pain I feel reflected back at me.
He clears his throat and reaches out to grab the poem out of my hand. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
“It’s okay,” I reply as he tucks the paper back into his wallet. “That poem is beautiful, Gareth. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you to lose her.”
He nods stiffly, his jaw muscle ticking as he looks out the window. “I think I was too busy to ever have a chance to actually miss her. My siblings really needed me a lot back then, and I guess distractions are good for avoiding grief.”
“I guess,” I reply half-heartedly, hurting for the little boy who had to take on so much.
“How do you manage your days without Sophia? I’m sure you miss her a great deal when she’s with your ex.”
A sad smile lifts my face. “Surprisingly enough, nothing has worked as well as you.”
My answer surprises him. He crosses his arms over his chest and stares thoughtfully back at me. “So I guess I was right.”
“About what?” I ask, puzzling over the weird expression on his face.
He inhales deeply and replies, “With great risk comes great reward.”
I drop my head back against the seat cushion and shake my head in surrender. “Where do we go from here?”
Our attention is diverted toward the ceiling when the seatbelt light clicks off in the cabin. Without pause, Gareth undoes his buckle and moves over to the seat next to me. He grabs my hand and holds it between his own, squeezing my fingers tightly as he looks straight into my eyes.
“I hope that in between the moments of craziness with my family these next few days, you and I get a chance to reconnect and see what we could be together without boundaries. Without restrictions. I want to pick up where we left off, and I want you to stop being nervous and stop seeing this as less than it is.
“You played it safe with your ex, but being with me requires you to be brave. And, for the first time in my life, I want someone by my side. Someone to share the stuff that I’ve kept bottled up for fucking years.I want that with you.I need you to know that I’m all in, Sloan. And I’m not the kind of man who jumps out of airplanes for a rush. I’m the kind of man who stands on the ground, waiting to catch you.”
My breath whooshes out of my mouth from his last words. I feel myself nodding over and over, my eyes never leaving his, even for a second. Honestly, we could stay like this for the entire six-hour flight and I wouldn’t notice. Space and time don’t seem to exist when I’m staring into the eyes of Gareth Harris.
Six hours later, we arrive at the resort on the island of Sal. The landscape has a desert oasis feel to it, with palm trees sprouted up all over the place. The hotel we’re staying at looks like the palace inAladdinplopped right on the beach. Inside the hotel are domed ceilings and arched windows. Dark wood furnishings, sprawling Indian rugs, and employees wearing crisp, white uniforms and carrying platters full of drinks. If this is how famous soccer players live, I could definitely get used to it.
Before we reach the check-in counter, I see Gareth’s sister out of the corner of my eye, walking up from the beach. On one side of her is a handsome, copper blonde-haired man whom I assume is her fiancé based on how he’s holding her hand. On the other side is Vaughn, who’s holding a stunning little girl on his hip. They’re all decked out in swim gear with overflowing bags of water toys tucked under their arms. They look sun-kissed, wind-whipped, and like a family on the perfect vacation.
“You made it!” Vi peals, ditching her man and rushing through the entrance of the resort. Her flip-flops clap loudly on the marble floor as she hurries over to pull Gareth into a hug.
“Hiya, Vi,” Gareth replies, clasping her back and watching over her shoulder as the two men approach.
As soon as Gareth’s dad reaches us, Gareth breaks away from his sister and steals the little girl right out of Vaughn’s hands. Vaughn doesn’t seem fazed at all, only smiling at his son who’s now doting over his granddaughter.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the hot guy with a baby show when Vaughn shocks me with a tight hug as well. “Sloan, it’s so good of you to come,” he says, pulling away and smiling.
The hug takes both Gareth and Vi by surprise as they stare at their father like he’s committed a felony.
“Thanks for having me,” I manage to reply, my tongue feeling stroppy in my mouth.
“This is my daughter, Adrienne,” Vi interjects with an affectionate smile. “Everyone calls her Rocky, though.”
Gareth turns a proud smile to me as he shows off his niece.
