*Hey guys! So yeah, this whole no-actor fic thing is striking me as a
little moronic as well, but what can you do? I'm really glad you're all so
interested in the fate of my story, though, because I have to admit I don't
have a clue what to do other than rush to finish this story by the deadline
(I completely agree Princess Destiny Babe, I don't want to sacrifice the
quality of it)…so to all of you who have made suggestions, thanks so much!
Callie, if you know an address I would definitely check it out, but I have
to admit I'm not the best at all this website posting stuff, so I could
definitely use your help in that department if you know of someplace…or
else, thanks to a suggestion by Unicorn Lady, I would be willing to email
future chapters to those of you who are interested…anyway, on with it! (Oh,
but first, I know I keep saying it, but thank you SO MUCH for the reviews…I
love seeing 80 reviews for a Dom story…my goal is to break 100! It's been
nice to see some new names on the list the past few chapters! And to those
of you who have been reviewing me from the beginning – Callie,
FictionHobbit, Quinn, Jenn, etc – I'm glad I've kept you with me the whole
way! Oh, and to Katy my faithful reviewer, you crack me up! Ok, that's
enough, on with the antics!*
(p.s. Dom and the boys aren't mine, but who'd believe me if I said they were anyway? And I know nothing about this whole time-share business except that Orlando and the hobbits were thinking of doing it…so I'm going with that they did!)
Chapter 19: Way More Than 40 Days & 40 Nights!
"Yeaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!" Reilly shrieked excitedly, jumping around like an idiot as Billy opened the door to the house he, Dom, Elijah, and Orlando had all gone in on in New Zealand. Behind her, Emma rolled her eyes and adjusted the sunglasses on top of her head.
"How old are you again, Ri?" she demanded, mock-snobbily, and Reilly responded by sticking out her tongue.
"Actually, Em, I believe I am a fully legal American adult, while you are still a youngin in the eyes of the law!" she retorted.
"Not that any of those laws apply here!" Tricia jumped in, winking at Emma who was muttering about how being 20 was such a tease. She broke into a smile at Tricia's statement, however, and threw her arm around Reilly's shoulders.
"True, true…have I mentioned how convenient it is come spring break to be best friends with Ms. Reilly Scott, a regular in New Zealand Hobbit circles?" Reilly laughed, as Orlando cleared his throat behind them and made an insulted face. Reilly leaned over to whisper something in Emma's ear, and the taller girl giggled, then turned to face Orlando.
"Oh excuse my ignorance! How could I have forgotten that a superior race was among us…make that Ms. Reilly Scott, regular in New Zealand Hobbit Circles AND friend of the most sought-after elf in all of Middle-Earth and beyond!" Emma corrected herself, and Reilly laughed delightedly at her best friend's obvious comfort around the guys. Orli laughed as well, taking Emma's hand and charmingly kissing it.
"At your service, my lady," he winked, and Emma blushed, turning away and quickly following Billy and Elijah inside. Reilly rolled her eyes and playfully elbowed Orli in his side.
"Flirt," she muttered, smiling, and he raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, and you're one to talk…little tease!" he joked, and she gasped, pretending to be insulted, and went to lightly whack his arm, but her caught her first and swung her over her shoulder, carrying her inside as she protested laughingly.
"Wow…" the three girls breathed in unison as Orli set Reilly back down inside. The house was gorgeous. It was nothing too grand, just the ultimate in island villas, neat and cozy with plenty of rooms and a huge backyard with beautiful gardens and a big pool.
"Can we go to the beach??? Pleeeaaaasssse????" Tricia begged Elijah, tugging on his arm and leaning against him. Reilly and Emma shared a smile. Those two were really cute together. Elijah pretended to think, while Billy laughed.
"What, no jetlag for you three? We were just on a plane for about 112 hours!" he exclaimed, dumbfounded by their energy. Reilly grabbed his hand and shook her head.
"Billy! You know you're not supposed to sleep right away, otherwise you'll never get over it…besides, it's spring break and we want to go to the beach!" she pouted, looking at him with wide, imploring eyes, and he shrugged, giving in. The girls grabbed their bags triumphantly and followed Orli and Elijah to their rooms.
"Come in!" Reilly and Emma responded in unison to the knock on the door of the room they were sharing, and Tricia entered. Reilly grinned at her. "So, how's the room you won't be sleeping in?" she winked, and Emma laughed. Tricia made a face, but couldn't hold it. Everyone knew she'd be sleeping in Lij's room.
"Well, whatever," she retorted, and turned to Emma. "You'd better be prepared to duck out of here if this one starts going at it with Dom!" Reilly nearly choked and dropped the ties to her halter bikini top.
"WHAT?!" she cried, stunned. "Where did that come from?!" Emma and Tricia burst out laughing at her expression and shared a knowing look. Reilly tied her halter, then stood with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side. "Well?" she demanded. Emma rolled her eyes at her best friend.
"Oh come on Reilly! Don't try to hide it from us! You two are head- over-heels crazy about eachother!" she announced, as Tricia nodded vehemently. Reilly's jaw dropped.
"Dom and I?" she repeated. "No, no, no…it's not like that!" she insisted.
"Riiight…" Tricia said. "So you don't think he's hot then?" she asked. Reilly looked at the ground.
"Well, of course I think he's hot, just look at him! But I think plenty of people are hot!" she added quickly.
"Uh-huh…and so he's not the absolute sweetest, most considerate, not to mention absolutely hilarious, intelligent, and all-around wonderful guy you've ever known?" Emma asked innocently. Reilly glared, starting to get annoyed.
"Yes, yes! He is all of those things! But that doesn't mean we'd ever be more than friends! I mean…who falls in love with their best friend?" she demanded, and a little shadow clouded her eyes as she thought of Tristan. Emma noticed, and stood up to put her arm around her friend.
"Everyone in those perfect, seemingly-to-good-to-be-true relationships…haven't you ever heard that cliché that everyone falls for their best friend, but for a precious few it happens at the right time when the feeling is mutual?" she was serious as she searched Reilly's eyes. Reilly shrugged, and smiled slightly.
"Yeah," Tricia agreed. "Besides, you two can't keep your hands off eachother! And let's face it, Ri…you have gone WAY past the 40 Days & 40 Nights mark! And you are not one to like it that way!" she teased her roommate. Reilly laughed.
"Well, good point there Trish, but you two are still way off on the Dom thing! But," her eyes sparkled devilishly. "If you can arrange for Josh Hartnett – and no I DO NOT mean Tristan - to show up for a little beachside action…" she trailed off as Tricia threw a pillow at her.
* * * * * * * * * *
Reilly resurfaced from a dive and wiped the salt water from her eyes, looking around her. She was in paradise…the sun shone blindingly down upon the endless strip of white sand and glittered radiantly off the brilliant blue waves. "Paradise," she repeated quietly to herself. "And with all my favorite people," she smiled. Well, except one. Dominic wouldn't be there until the next morning, he had some things to do before leaving and had decided it would be best for him to take a later flight. Reilly marveled at how much she missed him, and it had only been a couple of days since she'd last seen him. She was counting the hours til he joined them…and that fact plus the conversation she'd had with Emma and Tricia were clouding up her mind. Chill, Ri, she told herself as she closed her eyes and floated on her back. You're letting them put ideas in your head!
"Whhapppffffff!" She jerked upright, sputtering and choking, after a clearly man-made wave splashed over her in her peaceful state. "Orlando Bloom!" she yelled threateningly, jumping at him as he laughed at her.
"Oooh, the full name treatment!" he waved his hands in mock-terror, catching her easily and then tossing her back down into the water. He wasn't prepared for the cling-on mode she resorted to, and quickly found himself dragged down with her. Resurfacing, he spit out a mouthful of water and glared at Reilly, who smiled innocently, putting her arms around his neck as they floated together in the gentle waves.
"And what was that move, love?" he demanded, a smile breaking his attempt at a stern countenance. She's beautiful when she's devious, he thought to himself, looking appreciatively at the dewy glow that the sun was already bringing out on her cheeks, and letting his eyes trail over her in her navy-and-white hibiscus flower print bikini. He was glad she wasn't wearing the black one from…that night. Not that he didn't like that one, but, well you know. And anyway, this one was more revealing…Stop it Orli! He ordered himself. No more of that trouble!
"That's what comes from being a girl who always manages to get herself in situations like that," she replied, referencing his attack. "You gotta have the mindset, ok, he might take me down, but I'm not going it alone!" Orlando laughed at this theory, then tugged at the halter tie at her neck. He couldn't resist.
"What happens if I untie this?" he asked mischievously. Reilly's eyes widened and she shook her head.
"You wouldn't!" she replied, and his eyebrows raised and his hand made its way back up.
"Nothing dishonest going on over here, is there? I think I'll just rescue the pretty young thing from your dishonorable intentions now, Orli!" Billy popped up between them, shielding Reilly protectively. She giggled and jumped on his back.
"You're my hero, Billy!" she announced. "Rescuing me from this..." she tried to come up with something witty, but the idea of any girl wanting to be rescued from Orlando Bloom was too hysterical, and she cracked up laughing before she could think of anything. Orli looked pleased.
"Yeah that's right! She's speechless, see?" he told Billy. Billy shrugged.
"Yeah, but whose got her now?" he retorted with a mocking grin, and Reilly peeked over his shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Orli, resulting in a fresh water fight.
On the beach, Emma and Tricia sat together and laughed. "Oh yeah," Tricia announced. "She totally needs to get some! And could she be any more impossible? Hi, we all know where she wants it from too!" Emma nodded in agreement. It didn't take much to see that Dom and Reilly were clearly meant to be more than just friends…unfortunately it seemed that the two of them must have been legally blind, cause they were so damned oblivious!
"Um, hello?" The two girls looked up, startled by a female, English accented voice, and looked up to see a petite blonde standing above them. "Oh, Tricia!" she smiled in recognition.
"Oh…hi Sam," Tricia responded, surprised, and introduced the girl to Emma. What is she doing here? She thought to herself, and Reilly vocalized the same question as she and the boys emerged from the water.
"Oh, Peter's been asking me to come to see him for a while now, to go over some things, and when I heard you all were going to be down this week, I thought, what better time! It'll be wonderful to see Dominic and everyone," Sam replied, stripping down to a pale pink bikini. "Hi Orli," she added, her eyes downcast flirtatiously. Reilly fumed internally. Oh yeah, wicked, she thought to herself. So glad you're here. She was briefly disappointed by these sarcastic thoughts…it was sad…she had really like Sam to start, but…well, there was no way she was going to be able to get passed those things she said to Dom. And now…well, what the hell was this? She breaks up with Dom, then decides to join in on his vacation? Reilly frowned as she wrapped herself up in her towel and wandered down the beach. Taking a seat in the sand a little ways away, she watched as Sam pulled Orli back into the water. Uh-huh, oh that's just FABULOUS, she thought bitterly to herself. She is going after Orli. Not that Orli was gonna go for that, Reilly knew, but still, it was just the principle. It was like Sam was only interested in finding a boyfriend that would look good for the cameras…
"Is this a private party?" Reilly jumped, startled, then smiled up at Billy.
"Most definitely," she replied. "Just you and me!" he grinned at this and sat down beside her. Reilly turned her attention back to Sam in the water. She was all over Orli.
"I hate her," she muttered, and heard Billy chuckle softly beside her.
"Now, Reilly, hate is a very strong word…" he reprimanded teasingly, and she shoved him.
"Oh you know what I mean!" she laughed, then grew serious. "She hurt him," she said softly. "And she doesn't even care. And she has the nerve to still be around…" realizing that her nails were digging into her palms, Reilly released the fists she hadn't realized she'd been making. Billy watched her intently, then sighed a little and put his arm around her.
"Yeah," he agreed. "I can't say I'm her biggest fan either." Reilly leaned against him.
"I just don't understand…she must really be an idiot. She had the best thing in the world, and not only did she give him up, she hurt him…oh, I just want to slap her! Hard!" Reilly growled, and felt Billy laugh.
"Dom's a lucky man," he commented. "To have a beautiful woman who wants to beat up anyone that does him wrong." Reilly blushed a little, and ducked her head, hoping he wouldn't notice. He did, of course, but being Billy he pretended he didn't so she wouldn't be embarrassed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Reilly crawled into bed, exhausted, pulling the light covers around her. Jetlag had caught up all of a sudden after dinner. She glanced over at Emma, who was already sound asleep, then closed her eyes, enjoying the warm, light breeze floating in through the open window.
"Ri? Hey…Reilly?" a soft voice interrupted her dreams, and she groggily opened her eyes halfway to see Dom leaning over her, whispering so as not to wake Emma. "Hi," he breathed lightly, smiling at her tired blue eyes.
"Hi," she smiled back. "What time is it?" It felt like only minutes since she'd gone to sleep, but the pale blue glow in the room insinuated very early morning.
"It's 6:15," Dom replied. "I just wanted to say hi…you can go back to sleep." Reilly nodded, curling back up and closing her eyes. Then she opened them again,
"Sure you don't want me to get up with you?" she asked, and he shook his head, yawning.
"Nah," he replied. "I think I'm going to try to get a little sleep too before everyone wakes up…I'm no good at sleeping on planes, so I got none." Reilly smiled.
"I'm no good at sleeping on planes either," she said. He nodded.
"I know." Then he laughed softly. "Sam's in my bed," he told her. "I'm guessing that means it's not gonna happen with her and Orli? Why is she here, anyway?" Reilly rolled her eyes.
"She still wants in on the Rings circle, I guess," she replied. Dom rolled his eyes and then laughed quietly again.
"Well she's not getting it here!" he announced. Reilly laughed, feeling relief run through her. Not that she had expected Dom to take Sam back if she tried, but then…well…she was just glad to hear him say it. "'Night Ri," he whispered, kissing her forehead, then turning to go.
"Dom!" Reilly whispered after him. "Where are you going to sleep?" He shrugged.
"Couch, I guess," he replied, looking less than thrilled. Reilly pulled back the covers and scooted over.
"Come here," she told him, and he gratefully slipped into the bed beside her. She tucked the covers around him and smoothed his hair. "I'm glad you're here now," she whispered. He kissed her forehead again.
"So am I," he replied, and within seconds they were both fast asleep.
(p.s. Dom and the boys aren't mine, but who'd believe me if I said they were anyway? And I know nothing about this whole time-share business except that Orlando and the hobbits were thinking of doing it…so I'm going with that they did!)
Chapter 19: Way More Than 40 Days & 40 Nights!
"Yeaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!" Reilly shrieked excitedly, jumping around like an idiot as Billy opened the door to the house he, Dom, Elijah, and Orlando had all gone in on in New Zealand. Behind her, Emma rolled her eyes and adjusted the sunglasses on top of her head.
"How old are you again, Ri?" she demanded, mock-snobbily, and Reilly responded by sticking out her tongue.
"Actually, Em, I believe I am a fully legal American adult, while you are still a youngin in the eyes of the law!" she retorted.
"Not that any of those laws apply here!" Tricia jumped in, winking at Emma who was muttering about how being 20 was such a tease. She broke into a smile at Tricia's statement, however, and threw her arm around Reilly's shoulders.
"True, true…have I mentioned how convenient it is come spring break to be best friends with Ms. Reilly Scott, a regular in New Zealand Hobbit circles?" Reilly laughed, as Orlando cleared his throat behind them and made an insulted face. Reilly leaned over to whisper something in Emma's ear, and the taller girl giggled, then turned to face Orlando.
"Oh excuse my ignorance! How could I have forgotten that a superior race was among us…make that Ms. Reilly Scott, regular in New Zealand Hobbit Circles AND friend of the most sought-after elf in all of Middle-Earth and beyond!" Emma corrected herself, and Reilly laughed delightedly at her best friend's obvious comfort around the guys. Orli laughed as well, taking Emma's hand and charmingly kissing it.
"At your service, my lady," he winked, and Emma blushed, turning away and quickly following Billy and Elijah inside. Reilly rolled her eyes and playfully elbowed Orli in his side.
"Flirt," she muttered, smiling, and he raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, and you're one to talk…little tease!" he joked, and she gasped, pretending to be insulted, and went to lightly whack his arm, but her caught her first and swung her over her shoulder, carrying her inside as she protested laughingly.
"Wow…" the three girls breathed in unison as Orli set Reilly back down inside. The house was gorgeous. It was nothing too grand, just the ultimate in island villas, neat and cozy with plenty of rooms and a huge backyard with beautiful gardens and a big pool.
"Can we go to the beach??? Pleeeaaaasssse????" Tricia begged Elijah, tugging on his arm and leaning against him. Reilly and Emma shared a smile. Those two were really cute together. Elijah pretended to think, while Billy laughed.
"What, no jetlag for you three? We were just on a plane for about 112 hours!" he exclaimed, dumbfounded by their energy. Reilly grabbed his hand and shook her head.
"Billy! You know you're not supposed to sleep right away, otherwise you'll never get over it…besides, it's spring break and we want to go to the beach!" she pouted, looking at him with wide, imploring eyes, and he shrugged, giving in. The girls grabbed their bags triumphantly and followed Orli and Elijah to their rooms.
"Come in!" Reilly and Emma responded in unison to the knock on the door of the room they were sharing, and Tricia entered. Reilly grinned at her. "So, how's the room you won't be sleeping in?" she winked, and Emma laughed. Tricia made a face, but couldn't hold it. Everyone knew she'd be sleeping in Lij's room.
"Well, whatever," she retorted, and turned to Emma. "You'd better be prepared to duck out of here if this one starts going at it with Dom!" Reilly nearly choked and dropped the ties to her halter bikini top.
"WHAT?!" she cried, stunned. "Where did that come from?!" Emma and Tricia burst out laughing at her expression and shared a knowing look. Reilly tied her halter, then stood with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side. "Well?" she demanded. Emma rolled her eyes at her best friend.
"Oh come on Reilly! Don't try to hide it from us! You two are head- over-heels crazy about eachother!" she announced, as Tricia nodded vehemently. Reilly's jaw dropped.
"Dom and I?" she repeated. "No, no, no…it's not like that!" she insisted.
"Riiight…" Tricia said. "So you don't think he's hot then?" she asked. Reilly looked at the ground.
"Well, of course I think he's hot, just look at him! But I think plenty of people are hot!" she added quickly.
"Uh-huh…and so he's not the absolute sweetest, most considerate, not to mention absolutely hilarious, intelligent, and all-around wonderful guy you've ever known?" Emma asked innocently. Reilly glared, starting to get annoyed.
"Yes, yes! He is all of those things! But that doesn't mean we'd ever be more than friends! I mean…who falls in love with their best friend?" she demanded, and a little shadow clouded her eyes as she thought of Tristan. Emma noticed, and stood up to put her arm around her friend.
"Everyone in those perfect, seemingly-to-good-to-be-true relationships…haven't you ever heard that cliché that everyone falls for their best friend, but for a precious few it happens at the right time when the feeling is mutual?" she was serious as she searched Reilly's eyes. Reilly shrugged, and smiled slightly.
"Yeah," Tricia agreed. "Besides, you two can't keep your hands off eachother! And let's face it, Ri…you have gone WAY past the 40 Days & 40 Nights mark! And you are not one to like it that way!" she teased her roommate. Reilly laughed.
"Well, good point there Trish, but you two are still way off on the Dom thing! But," her eyes sparkled devilishly. "If you can arrange for Josh Hartnett – and no I DO NOT mean Tristan - to show up for a little beachside action…" she trailed off as Tricia threw a pillow at her.
* * * * * * * * * *
Reilly resurfaced from a dive and wiped the salt water from her eyes, looking around her. She was in paradise…the sun shone blindingly down upon the endless strip of white sand and glittered radiantly off the brilliant blue waves. "Paradise," she repeated quietly to herself. "And with all my favorite people," she smiled. Well, except one. Dominic wouldn't be there until the next morning, he had some things to do before leaving and had decided it would be best for him to take a later flight. Reilly marveled at how much she missed him, and it had only been a couple of days since she'd last seen him. She was counting the hours til he joined them…and that fact plus the conversation she'd had with Emma and Tricia were clouding up her mind. Chill, Ri, she told herself as she closed her eyes and floated on her back. You're letting them put ideas in your head!
"Whhapppffffff!" She jerked upright, sputtering and choking, after a clearly man-made wave splashed over her in her peaceful state. "Orlando Bloom!" she yelled threateningly, jumping at him as he laughed at her.
"Oooh, the full name treatment!" he waved his hands in mock-terror, catching her easily and then tossing her back down into the water. He wasn't prepared for the cling-on mode she resorted to, and quickly found himself dragged down with her. Resurfacing, he spit out a mouthful of water and glared at Reilly, who smiled innocently, putting her arms around his neck as they floated together in the gentle waves.
"And what was that move, love?" he demanded, a smile breaking his attempt at a stern countenance. She's beautiful when she's devious, he thought to himself, looking appreciatively at the dewy glow that the sun was already bringing out on her cheeks, and letting his eyes trail over her in her navy-and-white hibiscus flower print bikini. He was glad she wasn't wearing the black one from…that night. Not that he didn't like that one, but, well you know. And anyway, this one was more revealing…Stop it Orli! He ordered himself. No more of that trouble!
"That's what comes from being a girl who always manages to get herself in situations like that," she replied, referencing his attack. "You gotta have the mindset, ok, he might take me down, but I'm not going it alone!" Orlando laughed at this theory, then tugged at the halter tie at her neck. He couldn't resist.
"What happens if I untie this?" he asked mischievously. Reilly's eyes widened and she shook her head.
"You wouldn't!" she replied, and his eyebrows raised and his hand made its way back up.
"Nothing dishonest going on over here, is there? I think I'll just rescue the pretty young thing from your dishonorable intentions now, Orli!" Billy popped up between them, shielding Reilly protectively. She giggled and jumped on his back.
"You're my hero, Billy!" she announced. "Rescuing me from this..." she tried to come up with something witty, but the idea of any girl wanting to be rescued from Orlando Bloom was too hysterical, and she cracked up laughing before she could think of anything. Orli looked pleased.
"Yeah that's right! She's speechless, see?" he told Billy. Billy shrugged.
"Yeah, but whose got her now?" he retorted with a mocking grin, and Reilly peeked over his shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Orli, resulting in a fresh water fight.
On the beach, Emma and Tricia sat together and laughed. "Oh yeah," Tricia announced. "She totally needs to get some! And could she be any more impossible? Hi, we all know where she wants it from too!" Emma nodded in agreement. It didn't take much to see that Dom and Reilly were clearly meant to be more than just friends…unfortunately it seemed that the two of them must have been legally blind, cause they were so damned oblivious!
"Um, hello?" The two girls looked up, startled by a female, English accented voice, and looked up to see a petite blonde standing above them. "Oh, Tricia!" she smiled in recognition.
"Oh…hi Sam," Tricia responded, surprised, and introduced the girl to Emma. What is she doing here? She thought to herself, and Reilly vocalized the same question as she and the boys emerged from the water.
"Oh, Peter's been asking me to come to see him for a while now, to go over some things, and when I heard you all were going to be down this week, I thought, what better time! It'll be wonderful to see Dominic and everyone," Sam replied, stripping down to a pale pink bikini. "Hi Orli," she added, her eyes downcast flirtatiously. Reilly fumed internally. Oh yeah, wicked, she thought to herself. So glad you're here. She was briefly disappointed by these sarcastic thoughts…it was sad…she had really like Sam to start, but…well, there was no way she was going to be able to get passed those things she said to Dom. And now…well, what the hell was this? She breaks up with Dom, then decides to join in on his vacation? Reilly frowned as she wrapped herself up in her towel and wandered down the beach. Taking a seat in the sand a little ways away, she watched as Sam pulled Orli back into the water. Uh-huh, oh that's just FABULOUS, she thought bitterly to herself. She is going after Orli. Not that Orli was gonna go for that, Reilly knew, but still, it was just the principle. It was like Sam was only interested in finding a boyfriend that would look good for the cameras…
"Is this a private party?" Reilly jumped, startled, then smiled up at Billy.
"Most definitely," she replied. "Just you and me!" he grinned at this and sat down beside her. Reilly turned her attention back to Sam in the water. She was all over Orli.
"I hate her," she muttered, and heard Billy chuckle softly beside her.
"Now, Reilly, hate is a very strong word…" he reprimanded teasingly, and she shoved him.
"Oh you know what I mean!" she laughed, then grew serious. "She hurt him," she said softly. "And she doesn't even care. And she has the nerve to still be around…" realizing that her nails were digging into her palms, Reilly released the fists she hadn't realized she'd been making. Billy watched her intently, then sighed a little and put his arm around her.
"Yeah," he agreed. "I can't say I'm her biggest fan either." Reilly leaned against him.
"I just don't understand…she must really be an idiot. She had the best thing in the world, and not only did she give him up, she hurt him…oh, I just want to slap her! Hard!" Reilly growled, and felt Billy laugh.
"Dom's a lucky man," he commented. "To have a beautiful woman who wants to beat up anyone that does him wrong." Reilly blushed a little, and ducked her head, hoping he wouldn't notice. He did, of course, but being Billy he pretended he didn't so she wouldn't be embarrassed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Reilly crawled into bed, exhausted, pulling the light covers around her. Jetlag had caught up all of a sudden after dinner. She glanced over at Emma, who was already sound asleep, then closed her eyes, enjoying the warm, light breeze floating in through the open window.
"Ri? Hey…Reilly?" a soft voice interrupted her dreams, and she groggily opened her eyes halfway to see Dom leaning over her, whispering so as not to wake Emma. "Hi," he breathed lightly, smiling at her tired blue eyes.
"Hi," she smiled back. "What time is it?" It felt like only minutes since she'd gone to sleep, but the pale blue glow in the room insinuated very early morning.
"It's 6:15," Dom replied. "I just wanted to say hi…you can go back to sleep." Reilly nodded, curling back up and closing her eyes. Then she opened them again,
"Sure you don't want me to get up with you?" she asked, and he shook his head, yawning.
"Nah," he replied. "I think I'm going to try to get a little sleep too before everyone wakes up…I'm no good at sleeping on planes, so I got none." Reilly smiled.
"I'm no good at sleeping on planes either," she said. He nodded.
"I know." Then he laughed softly. "Sam's in my bed," he told her. "I'm guessing that means it's not gonna happen with her and Orli? Why is she here, anyway?" Reilly rolled her eyes.
"She still wants in on the Rings circle, I guess," she replied. Dom rolled his eyes and then laughed quietly again.
"Well she's not getting it here!" he announced. Reilly laughed, feeling relief run through her. Not that she had expected Dom to take Sam back if she tried, but then…well…she was just glad to hear him say it. "'Night Ri," he whispered, kissing her forehead, then turning to go.
"Dom!" Reilly whispered after him. "Where are you going to sleep?" He shrugged.
"Couch, I guess," he replied, looking less than thrilled. Reilly pulled back the covers and scooted over.
"Come here," she told him, and he gratefully slipped into the bed beside her. She tucked the covers around him and smoothed his hair. "I'm glad you're here now," she whispered. He kissed her forehead again.
"So am I," he replied, and within seconds they were both fast asleep.