Page 85 of Dominate
The corners of his mouth turn down as he fights emotions that swell inside of him from the three words I haven’t said to him in ages. I pull him in for a long, overdue hug. We hold onto each other, breathing in and out and allowing the natural labels of father and son return to where they belong, even if just for a moment.
Finally, he pulls back and squeezes my shoulders while staring hard into my eyes. “One thing about being a Harris that’s both a fault and a virtue is that when we fall, we fall hard. But it’s forever, son. That kind of love isn’t something that’s easy to walk away from.”
“Gareth?” Vi’s voice interrupts us, her eyes falling nervously around the room as she says, “There’s someone here to see you.”
She steps back, and my breath catches in my chest when I see Sloan standing in the doorway.
Sloan is here. In London. At my father’s house.
My eyes drink in the sight of her, realising it’s only been days but I’ve missed her more than I ever thought possible. She’s wearing a long black dress and heels with her hair tied back low on her head. Her eyes are downcast and sad like they were the night she came to my house broken and out of control. The time when she really did need me.
Her gaze lifts to mine, striking me through the heart with her golden, red-rimmed eyes. And that feeling—that overwhelming sense of wanting to both surrender and dominate—is present and potent all around us.
She exhales heavily and her voice is shaky when she asks, “Can we talk?”
Dad clears his throat and claps me on the back before striding out of the room, gently touching Sloan’s shoulder as he passes. Sloan tucks her hands behind her back and moves further into the room, her heels clicking on the hard wood as she walks the perimeter.
“Vi said this was your mother’s room?” she asks, looking around, the natural setting sunlight illuminating the space in a golden glow.
I nod. “When she was ill, yes.”
“A lot of bad memories in here then?”
I shrug. “Some good, too.”
Her steps are slow and steady. “Do you feel her presence in here?”
Her question causes an instant knot to form in my throat. “I think I do actually.”
Her sad eyes narrow thoughtfully. “What does it feel like?”
I move to the centre of the room, forcing air in and out of my lungs as I turn on my heel to watch her movements. “Like light…Like love.”
Sloan’s brows lift and she pauses to look out the window as I ask, “What are you doing here, Sloan?”
The corners of her mouth turn up as she peers over her shoulder at me. “I’m Sloan again?”
I shrug my shoulders helplessly. “Who do you want to be?”
She bites her lip for a second before replying, “I want to be many people, Gareth.”
She pauses to stare down at her feet, and I hate the sad expression on her face. I’m responsible for it this time. Not Callum, or Margaret, or her custody circumstances. Just me.
“Okay. So, who are you right now? Someone who came all this way to end things with me?”
Her eyes flash up to mine. “Is that what you want?”
“No,” I reply instantly. “But I understand if that’s what you need.”
She nods and bites her lip again. “I’m going to tell you what I need.”
I bite down on the inside of my cheek, fighting off the words I want to say in response.
“Callum thought that I needed Sophia under my roof at all times. He thought that would be all I’d need to take him back.” She lifts her shoulders and twines her fingers in front of herself. “It turns out he didn’t need me. He needed money. I found that out after I spoke to that Santino lawyer of yours.”
“You talked to Santino?” I ask, my tone hopeful.
“Yes,” she snaps back. “He called me, so I had him look over the papers I signed. Apparently, Margaret had a second trust fund set aside for Sophia that would go to Callum if he ever got back together with me. If he didn’t, it goes to Sophia.”
