Page 134 of Ominous: Part 1
Irritation rushes through me. “Why don’t you go back outside and fuck with Luna?” I snap, turning to focus on Eli, ignoring the girl he’s clutching the wrist of.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here—”
“Oh, I’ve done that enough this morning, don’t you think, baby girl?” He smoothly talks over her, and she makes a noise of annoyance, clucking her tongue, but says nothing else. Does he always control them this way? Is it what he’s trying to do tome?
The blood drains from my face. I feel unsteady, and I step closer to the island, gripping my cup so tightly I’m afraid the plastic is going to crack. If it does, I decide, maybe I’ll cut him with it.
“You are such an asshole,” Dominic mutters, his voice low.
“Says the asshole himself,” Luna snaps back.
“And you’re such a bitch.” Dom growls those words, and it almost makes me feel a little better, the tension clearly still between him and Luna.
“I’m going to go,” I say, trying to breathe. I don’t want to be in this fucked up triangle.
Eli is still smiling at me. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Indignation has me feeling dizzy, and the rum probably doesn’t help. “Excuse me?” I narrow my eyes, shaking my head, glancing at his tan fingers on Luna’s pale skin. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Dominic laughs and I whip my head toward him, my annoyance growing. “Don’t take it personally, Eden. Eli thinks the world bows at his feet. I’m surprised we’re able to fit in this room together with his fucking ego and Luna’s goddamn drama.” He snarls the last words. “Anyway, come on, let’s go back out. If you can’t leave, I can at least help you get through the day until you sober up. Fuck these two.” He doesn’t wait for Eli to react, which is a good thing, because Eli doesn’t.
“Fuck you, too,” Luna snaps, but I think I hear hurt in her words.
Eli just keeps staring at me, impassive, as Dominic drains his beer, leaves the bottle on the island, then walks around it, toward me, and loops his arm through mine, spinning me around, toward the door.
It’s only then, when Dominic touches me, I see the faintest flicker of emotion on Eli’s face.
His jaw tightens, his eyes narrow, and the slightest frown pulls on the corner of his lips as he drops his hand from Luna’s wrist.
But he doesn’t say anything, and together, me and Dominic head outside into the heat.
* * *
Doinglines in the pool house is probably not at all what Eric Addison had in mind when he invited Dom and his friends over to keep Eli company. But I wipe the back of my hand over my nose, tasting battery acid in my throat, and glance at Dominic’s bent head as he cleans up the table beside me, the coke disappearing into his nose.
He leans back, a smile on his flushed face, and offers me his fist.
I bump it, laughing as I drop my hand and my shoulder brushes Dom’s arm. Music is blaring from a speaker by Dominic’s hand, controlled by his phone, something sexy I don’t know, and I sway a little on the bench seat behind the table, glancing around the pool house. It’s a long, narrow building made mainly of glass windows. The walls are white, the ceiling fan overhead black, and the table a dark wood, big enough to seat six or so people. There’s a small day bed along the opposite wall, a soft gray with throw rugs and pillows, a beige rug on the floor.
At my back, there’s a door that leads to the bathroom, and a wall just to my left with a door cut in it which apparently gives way to an actual bedroom, according to Dominic, but I haven’t been in there.
“God, I needed that,” Dom says, speaking faster than he was. He snorts, brushing his hand over his nose and swallowing as he leans back, grabbing one of the bottles of water in front of us.
I smile up at him, my phone face down and under my palm, I just texted Mom and let her know I’d be home later tonight.
I’m not sure I meant it.
“It was a long night.”
I glance at the windows, noon sun high in the sky, hotter, too, it feels like. Maybe that’s just my temper, because Eli is surrounded by the girls and his cousin, all of them still drinking, Baca sitting under an umbrella, still on his phone.
I don’t know if Eli can feel my gaze on him or what, but he turns his head, his hair just over his eyes, and I know he’s looking at me.
Dominic keeps talking at my side, clearly oblivious, probably because he’s too busy smoking a cigarette, the scent of nicotine strong between us, smoke drifting into my vision, but I keep staring at Eli as Luna puts a hand on his chest, laughing. I wonder if she’s trying to piss Dom off, or if she’s in love with Eli.
“I don’t even know why the fuck I’m here.”
I can’t resist latching onto that one. “Makes two of us,” I say, eyes still on Eli. “You look like you should sleep.”
