Chapter 10
I walk back up to the porch. I'm shaking out of nervousness and cold. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
"What's wrong.......are you okay?" Dom asks concerned.
"I locked my keys in my car," I finally say. "I......," I start again.
"Come in," Dom cuts me off motioning me inside. He squints out of confusion as I walk in past him. He was definitely asleep. Well, maybe not asleep, but in bed. He's only wearing a pair of white boxer briefs. I stand dripping wet in the front hall shivering as I hear the front door close.
"Wait here," he tells me quietly as he bounds up the stairs. I stand, cold, as the picture of Mia, him, and me catches my eye again. I pick it up, remembering the night I left. I quickly set it back in its place as I hear him coming down the stairs. I turn to him and he silently wraps a big, white towel around me. He stands only close enough to get it around me. He backs away slightly as soon as he wraps me in it. I cling to the towel for warmth. I push the loose wet hairs that are clinging to my face back and we stand in an awkward silence.
"I just need to get my set of spare keys from your room," I tell him looking him in the eye only for a moment before breaking my gaze. He nods, and I begin to climb the stairs. All the memories of that night begin to haunt me. I cling to the towel harder. I walk into his room and take a deep breath. I miss his smell. It's a mixture of motor oil, of course, cologne, peppermint, and the cinnamon candles Mia put in his room. It's intoxicating. The combination may not sound inviting, but it's him, and it's so soothing. On his side of the bed, the covers are folded back like the page you don't want to lose of a book you're reading. On my side........where my side used to be, the covers are untouched. He's still hoping I'll come back.........hell, I'm still hoping I'll come back. I walk over to his nightstand and run my fingers across my favorite picture of us. Mia took it one year while we were on vacation in Vegas. The entire team went to Vegas for a week. While we were there, we went out to the desert to go stargazing. The black and white photo is of me laying in Dom's lap. My eyes were closed and my head was laying on his chest facing the camera. Dom was kissing the top of my head with his eyes closed, also. We were laying together in a lawn chair. It just reminds me of how we could yell and fuss at each other everyday, but still know that it was all out of love. We put other couples to shame. We loved each other so much that it hurt sometimes. Most people can't understand that. They can't even wrap their minds around the concept of loving someone to the extent that it actually causes you pain. Pain to be apart.....pain to be together. It was...........it's that intense with Dom. It's like we both have to have everything. 'All or nothing'. We're both like that. Anything and everything that means something to us we're totally passionate about. Cars...........family.......the team........each other. We put everything we have into this stuff, so when something falls apart............something you've loved and worked for all your life...........it feels like you could just roll over and die. Even though you still have your other passions that are just as important, you just can't get past the feeling. This is how I know that Dom is downstairs debating on why I came over. He doesn't want to come up while I'm still in his room, because it'll be too painful to watch me leave again. He's just gonna stand there and pace the front hall in anticipation and agony until I reappear. I hate doing this to him. I hate coming over here and getting his hopes up. Yeah he deserves whatever is coming to him, but not like this. I quickly walk over to his closet and stand on my tiptoes to reach the top shelf. I run my hand along the side of the shelf and retrieve my extra set of keys. I close the closet doors, and I look around one last time. I quietly exit his room without closing the door. The squeak alone would wake everyone within ten blocks. I gingerly walk down the steps to find Dom doing exactly as I predicted. He unfolds his arms and stops pacing as I stand on the bottom step.
"You find 'em?" he asks, his voice low but soft. I nod while holding up the keys.
"Sorry I woke you," I whisper.
"I wasn't sleepin'," he tells me looking up then back to me. I nod again.
"Well, thanks," I whisper as I walk towards the door. He walks in front of me and opens the door for me. I resist the urge to kiss him deeply then slap him. I walk out the door and run all the way from their porch to mine. With the rain still pouring, washing away all the dirt, washing away the day, I walk into my house, hoping for a brighter day, hoping for a rainbow tomorrow.
I know this was a short one, but I'll try to post at least a chapter every two days. Let me know your thoughts so far. How you feel.....what you think should've happen.......whatever. More later!!
~Andie
I walk back up to the porch. I'm shaking out of nervousness and cold. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
"What's wrong.......are you okay?" Dom asks concerned.
"I locked my keys in my car," I finally say. "I......," I start again.
"Come in," Dom cuts me off motioning me inside. He squints out of confusion as I walk in past him. He was definitely asleep. Well, maybe not asleep, but in bed. He's only wearing a pair of white boxer briefs. I stand dripping wet in the front hall shivering as I hear the front door close.
"Wait here," he tells me quietly as he bounds up the stairs. I stand, cold, as the picture of Mia, him, and me catches my eye again. I pick it up, remembering the night I left. I quickly set it back in its place as I hear him coming down the stairs. I turn to him and he silently wraps a big, white towel around me. He stands only close enough to get it around me. He backs away slightly as soon as he wraps me in it. I cling to the towel for warmth. I push the loose wet hairs that are clinging to my face back and we stand in an awkward silence.
"I just need to get my set of spare keys from your room," I tell him looking him in the eye only for a moment before breaking my gaze. He nods, and I begin to climb the stairs. All the memories of that night begin to haunt me. I cling to the towel harder. I walk into his room and take a deep breath. I miss his smell. It's a mixture of motor oil, of course, cologne, peppermint, and the cinnamon candles Mia put in his room. It's intoxicating. The combination may not sound inviting, but it's him, and it's so soothing. On his side of the bed, the covers are folded back like the page you don't want to lose of a book you're reading. On my side........where my side used to be, the covers are untouched. He's still hoping I'll come back.........hell, I'm still hoping I'll come back. I walk over to his nightstand and run my fingers across my favorite picture of us. Mia took it one year while we were on vacation in Vegas. The entire team went to Vegas for a week. While we were there, we went out to the desert to go stargazing. The black and white photo is of me laying in Dom's lap. My eyes were closed and my head was laying on his chest facing the camera. Dom was kissing the top of my head with his eyes closed, also. We were laying together in a lawn chair. It just reminds me of how we could yell and fuss at each other everyday, but still know that it was all out of love. We put other couples to shame. We loved each other so much that it hurt sometimes. Most people can't understand that. They can't even wrap their minds around the concept of loving someone to the extent that it actually causes you pain. Pain to be apart.....pain to be together. It was...........it's that intense with Dom. It's like we both have to have everything. 'All or nothing'. We're both like that. Anything and everything that means something to us we're totally passionate about. Cars...........family.......the team........each other. We put everything we have into this stuff, so when something falls apart............something you've loved and worked for all your life...........it feels like you could just roll over and die. Even though you still have your other passions that are just as important, you just can't get past the feeling. This is how I know that Dom is downstairs debating on why I came over. He doesn't want to come up while I'm still in his room, because it'll be too painful to watch me leave again. He's just gonna stand there and pace the front hall in anticipation and agony until I reappear. I hate doing this to him. I hate coming over here and getting his hopes up. Yeah he deserves whatever is coming to him, but not like this. I quickly walk over to his closet and stand on my tiptoes to reach the top shelf. I run my hand along the side of the shelf and retrieve my extra set of keys. I close the closet doors, and I look around one last time. I quietly exit his room without closing the door. The squeak alone would wake everyone within ten blocks. I gingerly walk down the steps to find Dom doing exactly as I predicted. He unfolds his arms and stops pacing as I stand on the bottom step.
"You find 'em?" he asks, his voice low but soft. I nod while holding up the keys.
"Sorry I woke you," I whisper.
"I wasn't sleepin'," he tells me looking up then back to me. I nod again.
"Well, thanks," I whisper as I walk towards the door. He walks in front of me and opens the door for me. I resist the urge to kiss him deeply then slap him. I walk out the door and run all the way from their porch to mine. With the rain still pouring, washing away all the dirt, washing away the day, I walk into my house, hoping for a brighter day, hoping for a rainbow tomorrow.
I know this was a short one, but I'll try to post at least a chapter every two days. Let me know your thoughts so far. How you feel.....what you think should've happen.......whatever. More later!!
~Andie
