Sins of Dominion

Chapter 13 : Fractured Loyalties

Evelyn

The next day, I couldn't focus on anything. My classes seemed to blur together, the professors' voices muffled and distant, like I was hearing them underwater. All I could think about was my conversation with Isabella the night before, and the unsettling implications of what she had said.

This game Dominic was playing-whatever it was-felt like it was tightening around me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in way over my head. The worst part was that I didn't even know what I was fighting against, or how to protect myself.

After my last class, I found myself wandering aimlessly across campus, my thoughts too tangled to allow me to go back to my dorm room. I needed to clear my head, to find some way to make sense of everything that had happened.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Dominic was in my head, more than I wanted to admit. His presence lingered in every corner of my mind, his voice echoing in my thoughts, his touch still imprinted on my skin. I felt like I was spiraling, losing control over my own emotions, and it terrified me.

I ended up near the edge of campus, in a secluded area surrounded by trees. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the ground, and the air was crisp with the promise of the coming night.

I leaned against a tree, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to steady myself. But the moment I did, the memory of Dominic's kiss flashed through my mind, sending a jolt of heat through my body.

I hated how much I wanted him, how much I craved his touch even though I knew it was dangerous. I hated how he made me feel-vulnerable, exposed, completely at his mercy. And yet, despite all that, I couldn't deny the pull he had over me, the way he made my heart race and my skin tingle with anticipation.

Lost in thought, I didn't hear the footsteps approaching until it was too late.

"Evelyn."

I snapped my eyes open, my heart skipping a beat as I turned to see Dominic standing just a few feet away. He was watching me with that same intense gaze, the one that always made me feel like he could see right through me.

"Dominic," I breathed, my voice betraying the mix of emotions swirling inside me-fear, anger, desire.

He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "You're avoiding me," he said, his voice low and smooth, tinged with something I couldn't quite place. "Why?"

"I'm not," I lied, trying to steady my voice. But even I could hear how unconvincing I sounded.

His lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. "You are. But it's not going to work. We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," I insisted, though my voice wavered. "This... whatever this is between us... it needs to stop."

Dominic's expression darkened, his gaze growing sharper. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

I looked away, unable to hold his gaze any longer. "I don't know what I believe anymore."

He stepped closer, until the distance between us was almost nonexistent. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing. My own breath hitched, my pulse quickening as I struggled to maintain control over my emotions.

"Tell me you don't want this," Dominic whispered, his voice a dark, seductive murmur that sent a shiver down my spine. "Tell me you don't want me."

The words caught in my throat, and I found myself unable to speak. The truth was, I did want him. As much as I hated myself for it, as much as I knew it was wrong, I couldn't deny the magnetic pull that drew me to him.