She was lost and so was he.
Who knew that two broken hearts can connect to one.
Arabella's world has been rigged since the day she was born. Her fate had been decided for her much longer before she even had been conceived in the womb. So it came as...
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It takes everything in me to pry open my eyelids. I grunt beneath my breath, feeling as if my body weighs a million pounds, and take a long breath to soothe the sudden sickness overtaking me. I'm going to puke. I glance around the room and realize I'm in a hospital.
But not the typical one I was taken to when Nichols or his guards crossed the line. This one reminds me of the place I stayed in when my ribs got infected. The same day my family learned the truth about my past. That day... was something else entirely.
I gasp, grabbing my head as pain pulses behind my eyes. I stare up at the ceiling, and slowly, everything clicks together. They found me. They came for me. Dominic was there—and he saved me. He held me in his arms, and then everything went dark. The last thing I saw were his eyes. Dark and carved into my memory.
A weight on my stomach pulls me back to the present. My eyes lower to my lap—and there he is. Dominic, sitting beside me, his head resting on my body. I stare at his face, and a smile pulls at my lips. His disheveled hair spills messily over his features. He looks so young like this, peaceful for once instead of constantly tight and guarded.
My hand reaches out to brush the hair from his face. I just sit there, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he sleeps. I can't look away. He always manages to steal my full attention, even now. If only he knew the power he holds over me. He's everywhere. He's everything.
The door clicks open and I look up to see Marcus peek in. He smiles softly, and I return the gesture. He glances down at Dominic, catching me mid-brush of his hair. I go to pull my hand away, but he shakes his head, giving me a wink.
"I can give you fifteen minutes," he says with a grin. "Then I'll bring the rest of your family in." He slips out, closing the door behind him.
I glance back down—and Dominic's hand tightens around mine.
His face twitches, eyes pinching tighter. "Arabella..."
He jolts awake, shooting up and looking around frantically. "Arabella!"
His eyes land on me, and for a second, he freezes. Then he rubs his face, murmuring, "I'm dreaming. I've gotta be dreaming..."
I squeeze his hand gently, offering him a small smile. He blinks and snaps out of it, rising to his full height. I tilt my head back as he steps close and cups my face, his big hands cradling me carefully. His thumbs glide under my eyes, and he stares at me with so much quiet intensity it makes my chest ache.
"God, those eyes... It's been a year since I've seen them."
He says it so softly—like I might shatter if he speaks too loud. And the warmth spreading through me is impossible to ignore. He's adorable.
"Wow," I say with a small scoff, playfully turning my head from his touch. "You'd think he'd go for a hug or something, but nooo—apparently he missed my eyes more than me."
