Chapter 28: Chapter 28
Celeste curled herself into Dominic’s lap, the mug of now-cold coffee was forgotten beside the bed. Every breath took her deeper.
Dominic’s phone buzzed on the bedside table. He didn’t move to pick it up at first. But when it rang a second time, he sighed and reached over.
Celeste blinked, leaning slightly to glance at the screen.
"Are you going to take that?" she asked gently.
Dominic gave her a small nod, his expression was unreadable, as he answered the call.
Celeste stayed seated on his lap, with her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. Her cheek rested against his shoulder as he answered the call on speaker.
"Dominic," came the deep voice from the other end of the line. "I trust I’m not calling at a bad time."
Celeste rested her head back on his chest, unaware of what was about to unfold.
Dominic didn’t answer right away. His response was flat when he parted his lips. "Speak."
There was a short pause on Roman’s end. He cleared his throat, sounding somewhat uneasy.
"I, uh... I wanted to remind you about brunch today. At the manor. I assume you haven’t forgotten?"
Celeste’s fingers curled slightly around the ceramic mug in her hand. She tilted her face up to glance at Dominic.
"I haven’t," Dominic said curtly.
"I asked Lorraine to join us," Roman added carefully. "She’s eager to see you again. I told her you’d be there."
Celeste froze.
Lorraine?
Her pulse quickened, and she gently moved off his lap, setting the coffee mug aside. She didn’t say anything yet, but the air changed.
"Noted," Dominic replied.
"Good," Roman said with false cheer. "I hope you’ll behave. She’s important to—"
Dominic ended the call.
The silence became so loud after the call. Celeste stood up from the bed, and stood a few feet away, arms crossed. Her brows were furrowed.
"Lorraine?" she asked, voice low.
Dominic leaned forward. His elbows were on his knees. He stared away from her. "My brother likes to meddle."
"You didn’t tell me you had brunch plans with another woman."
"I didn’t think it mattered."
Celeste blinked, her heart sank further. "You didn’t think it mattered?"
Dominic finally met her gaze, and for the first time, there was something conflicted in his eyes.
"It’s just brunch. Politics."
"Don’t do that," Celeste whispered. "Don’t minimize it. Not after everything. Not after last night." She warned, taking a step back.
Dominic stood slowly, towering as always, his face now more guarded. His frowned when she took a step back.
"I didn’t invite her. Roman did."
"But you’re going," Celeste said, stepping away further. "You’re going anyway."
He didn’t respond. His silence said enough.
Celeste’s eyes brimmed, but she blinked it back.
"You made me feel like I meant something," she said softly. "Even just for a night. And now I’m just... a pause between appointments?"
"You’re not," Dominic said. He sounded so sure that it shook her entire world. "Don’t do that."
Her breath hitched. "Then why do I feel this way?"
Not giving Dominic a chance to speak, she picked up her things quickly. Her heart was pounding as she did. She needed to breathe. She needed space.
Dominic watched her gather her bag and jacket.
"Celeste—"
"No. Don’t."
She didn’t want another half-explanation. She didn’t want to hear about brunches with old flames or family politics or careful arrangements. She needed to go before her voice cracked and her dignity crumbled.
"I’ll return the bracelet," she said, brushing past him. "And the shirt."
Dominic didn’t stop her.
The door shut quietly behind her.
Dominic stayed calm for a second and the next, he threw his phone across the room, and let it scatter all through.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.
.....
Back in her dorm, Celeste paced. She was still wearing his shirt, and clinging to the scent of him even though it felt like a betrayal. Amara wasn’t in yet, thank God. Celeste sank onto her bed and pulled her knees to her chest.
She didn’t cry. But she wanted to.
She wanted to scream at herself for letting her guard down. For thinking he could be different. For believing even for a moment that someone like Dominic Cross could be hers.
"You’re not just a pause." His voice echoed in her head.
Then why did he stay on that call?
Why didn’t he say no to Lorraine?
Why didn’t he fight to keep her from walking out?
Her phone buzzed.
It was a text from him.
Dominic: You shouldn’t have left like that.
She stared at it for a long time.
Then typed.
Celeste: You shouldn’t have let me.
She didn’t hit send.
She deleted it. She hated the game he was playing. He lets her do what she wants, yet boss her around all the time.
Instead, she turned off her phone, curled deeper into bed, and let the ache settle in her chest like fog.
She just wasn’t sure if she could trust him again. Not after this. He knew about Landon, yet he kept Lorena, or whatever her name is away like it didn’t matter.
---
Meanwhile, at the manor, Dominic arrived in silence. He wore his black suit like armor. His expression was cold, and controlled.
Roman greeted him with a handshake and a too-bright smile.
"You’re late," Roman noted.
Dominic didn’t answer.
Lorraine was already there, sitting prettily by the fireplace, her smile too perfect, and her posture was too deliberate.
She stood as he walked in. "Dominic."
"Lorraine."
Roman cleared his throat. "Shall we eat?"
Dominic sat silently through most of brunch. He simply gave one-word replies that would have been better if he said nothing at all.
His mind was back in the penthouse. He hated how she left, and how his control couldn’t let him chase after her, or stop her.
The last thing he wanted was to make her feel crowded by his presence, or trapped by him. He didn’t want that. Yet, he’d need to if she keeps walking out of him this way, and he needed to keep on chasing her.
His mind was back on the soft kiss she’d pressed on his lips first. His mind was back on the way she looked at him like he could be more than his name.
And for the first time in years, he wasn’t sure what he wanted more:
To walk away from the world he was born into...
Or run back to her.