Twisted Devotion

Chapter Fifteen

Dominic watched as Ava and her friend disappeared into the woods, the darkness swallowing them up. His chest tightened, not from exhaustion but from the painful frustration gnawing at him. She was running from him again—just like she had all those years ago. The desperation in his heart grew heavier with every second she spent fleeing.

But this time, things were different. This time, he wouldn't let her slip away.

He took a step forward, into the shadows where they had vanished, his breath steadying as he let the forest's stillness surround him. His hand still tingled from where he had gripped her wrist moments ago, and the sensation sent a shiver through him. He had touched her, held her. She was so close. And now, she was gone again.

"Ava," he called out softly, his voice a mixture of longing and sadness. The forest seemed to absorb his words, but he knew she could hear him. She had to. "You don't need to run from me. I'm not going to hurt you."

He paused, waiting, hoping that she would stop, that she would listen. But the only sound was the rustling of leaves and the distant snap of twigs as she and her friend pushed deeper into the woods.

Dominic's jaw clenched. She didn't understand. After all these years, after everything he had waited for, she still didn't see it. The connection they had shared back then, the moments she had given him—smiles, glances, fleeting touches. He had built his world around those moments, believing that one day she would come back to him, that one day she would realize what they could be together.

But she had walked away. Moved on. And left him behind.

For years, he had waited, convincing himself that it was only a matter of time before she remembered, before she came back to him. But as time stretched on, and she never returned, he realized he couldn't wait any longer. He had to make her see. He had to bring her back to where she belonged.

With him.

Dominic started moving again, his steps slow and deliberate as he followed their trail. He knew these woods well—Jess's parents' house had been the perfect place for him to wait, to plan. He had known Ava would come here, just as he had known how this night would play out.

He could picture her now, stumbling through the trees, panic in her eyes, her breath ragged. It hurt him to think of her afraid, to think that she saw him as some kind of threat. He didn't want to frighten her. He just wanted her to understand, to stop running and let him explain, let him show her how deep his love went.

She had to see it. She had to.

"I love you, Ava," he called out, his voice gentle as he stepped over a fallen log. "I've always loved you. That hasn't changed."

The words felt like a confession, spilling out of him into the cold night air. He had said them to himself a thousand times before, in the quiet loneliness of his thoughts, but now, finally, she could hear them. Finally, he was saying them to *her*.

And yet, she was still running.

Dominic's chest tightened with frustration. Why couldn't she see it? Why couldn't she understand that everything he had done—all of it—was for her? The waiting, the planning, the years of longing. It was all for her, to bring her back into his life, where she belonged.

He pushed through the trees, moving faster now, his heart beating harder with every step. She had to stop running. She had to give in, to let go of the fear and remember the way things had been.

"She doesn't remember," he whispered to himself, the realization a bitter taste on his tongue. "But she will."

His mind flashed back to the last time they had been close, back when she was still carefree, still unaware of the storm building inside him. He had watched her then, from a distance, never daring to get too close. But she had smiled at him, spoken to him like they were equals, like she *saw* him. Those were the moments that had sustained him all these years—the moments that had kept him believing that one day she would feel for him what he had always felt for her.

But now, seeing her panic, seeing her fear, it twisted something inside him. He didn't want her to be afraid. He wanted her to remember that connection, to feel it again. But how could she, when she was too busy running?

Dominic's steps quickened, his pulse racing. His breathing grew shallow as the desperation clawed at his insides. She was so close, and yet, she was slipping away again. He couldn't let her go. Not this time.

His mind raced, trying to think of what he could say to make her stop, what he could do to make her see the truth. He didn't want to force her, didn't want to make her feel like she had no choice. But what else could he do? She wasn't listening, wasn't remembering.

He could hear their footsteps up ahead, Jess's ragged breathing, Ava's urgent whispers. They were tiring. The panic was wearing them down. He had time. He always had time when it came to her.

"Ava," he called again, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "Please stop. I don't want this to be like before. I want us to start over. We can start over."

But even as the words left his mouth, he knew she wouldn't stop. She wouldn't just turn around and fall into his arms, like he had dreamed. She was too stubborn, too wrapped up in her fear to see the truth.

And the truth was this: they were meant to be together. He had known it from the beginning. And eventually, she would have to know it too.

Dominic paused, listening for their footsteps again. He could hear them moving farther away, but slowly now, like they were struggling. He was close. So close.

His heart pounded in his chest, his love for her swelling and filling every corner of his mind. The years of waiting, of longing, of planning—it had all led to this moment. To *them*. Together again.

She would understand. She *had* to.

He started moving again, the darkness of the forest pressing in around him, but his eyes were focused ahead. He could see her in his mind, so clearly—her hair wild, her breath coming in short gasps, her eyes wide with fear. He would calm her, make her see that there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Ava," he whispered to the night, a soft smile forming on his lips. "I'm coming for you."

And when he found her, she would finally understand. She would stop running. She would be his.

Forever.