Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
I half smiled, half wanted to cry at the incongruous image of Dominic holding mistletoe. He was such a Scrooge. He would never–
And then, as though my thoughts had brought him to life, he was there. Staring at me from the center of the dance floor. In the next instant, he was gone, eclipsed by a dancing couple. I blinked, wondering if I’d really seen him or if it had been a figment of my imagination. Was I hallucinating now? But no, there he was again, working his way determinedly through the pairs and groups of dancers. I stared in disbelief as he shouldered his way between one couple.
What is he doing here? My brain searched frantically for an explanation. Was this some terrible coincidence? Had he thought I would stay home, heartbroken, and therefore it was safe for him to come? No, that didn’t make sense. He didn’t like Christmas. This was the last place he would want to be.
Yet, there he was, rapidly approaching. Within seconds, he was standing right in front of me. He didn’t have a sprig of mistletoe in his hand, but everything else was the same as the fantasy.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
His silvery-gray eyes burned. “I came for you.” Two particularly wild revelers flew by, jostling his arm. He didn’t even look at them. “Is there somewhere we can go?”
I led him through the crowd and into the kitchen that had been blocked off from partygoers. On the other side was the morning room with its own covered terrace that we hadn’t included in the layout of the party because there was no access to it except through the kitchen. I was surprised to see it had still received the same treatment as the back patio. The railings were wrapped with thousands of lights that climbed the columns and swooped up into the pointed dome of the roof. There was even a light sprinkle of fake snow patterning down, landing lightly on our head and shoulders.
While Dominic closed the door, I took up position on the opposite side of the 10 x 10 space. The shock of his arrival was wearing off and an overwhelming confusion of emotions was setting in. Joy and hurt and a candy coating of anger.
“What are you doing here?” I repeated my question from the dance floor, but my voice was harder, and my arms were crossed over my heart, protecting it.
Dominic turned back to me, hearing the shift in my voice. “I came for you.” He repeated himself, too, and his voice was quieter. The lights gave him a golden glow. I almost couldn’t see the remote, wintry figure he’d been when we met.
I swallowed, afraid to tip into the mad, sweet longing that built in my chest at his words. The hurt and the anger were twined together, holding me back. “Why?”
Dominic crossed the space in two quick strides to stand over me. “Because you’re the only person who makes it feel like Christmas.”
Against my will, my eyes filled. The world became a golden blur for a moment until I blinked away the gathering tears. Dominic’s face twisted and he reached for me. “No,” I whispered, backing up another step. My back hit one of the columns. The bristles of the lights jabbed into the thin velvet of my dress, but I stayed where I was. I needed as much space between him and me as I could get.
Dominic’s face twisted in a different way when I evaded him. He shoved his hands in his pockets, but his eyes stayed fastened on mine. “I know I hurt you.”
A strange, unfunny laugh escaped my lips. “You didn’t hurt me, Dominic. You broke my heart. And I still don’t understand why exactly. Jake came to talk to me, and he wasn’t mad. I’m guessing he talked to you, too.”
He inclined his head. “He did, but it was about more than that, Selena. It’s complicated. For the past twenty years, I’ve been trying to keep this vow that I made when Jake’s dad died. I knew I could never be Bryan, but I could make sure Jake always had everything he needed and be the best uncle I could. I thought I’d broken that vow when he saw us together.”
“But he wasn’t mad,” I repeated.
Dominic’s jaw set. He was looking at me, but he wasn’t seeing me anymore. “You didn’t see how Marjorie fell apart when Bryan died. It’s the scariest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I thought I was going to have to raise Jake myself.”
I stayed quiet. I’d never seen grief like that. My parents loved each other politely, sometimes affectionately. They’d loved Christi and me the same way. I’d loved Jake the same way. Nothing compared to the all-consuming fire Dominic ignited in me. Nothing compared to the infinite love that coursed through me whenever I thought about the baby I was carrying. I tried to imagine losing either one, but my heart drew back, like the thought had scalded it. It was crippling.