ACROSS WORLDS

Part 5

"No freaking bathtub? What the hell?" Dominique exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration.

"Relax, Dee. Let's be real—you wouldn't even use the bathtub if it was here. You'd just find something else to complain about," Stacey replied, rolling her eyes.

They were standing in the middle of their hotel room, and Dominique was spiraling. This was supposed to be one of the best hotels in the area, but here they were, stuck with dirty sheets and duvets. Dominique was thankful she had brought her own essentials, including extra sheets.

The journey to the hotel had excited her at first. She'd enjoyed observing the simplicity of the town, its people content and seemingly carefree. It was almost laughable to her that such a place existed on the map, hidden from the complexities of her usual life.

That feeling quickly evaporated the moment she stepped inside the hotel. The place was old, rundown, and far from clean. The receptionist—who also happened to be the manager, room service, and everything in between—had been kind, but Dominique couldn't help but ask where the rest of the staff was. His answer had been matter-of-fact: they didn't get many visitors, so he handled everything.

This "everything" included heating water in a separate pot because there was no water heater. He had also brought them a bar of black soap and some oils, claiming they would help "calm the spirit." He'd even hinted that Dominique needed them more than anyone. When he presented what he called a "freshly cleaned" towel, Dominique had lost her patience, screaming in frustration.

"Just take a shower, Dee. I'll make the bed," Stacey said, trying to soothe her. "I'd suggest you try that soap. My grandma swore by it. Said it worked magic on the body."

Dominique watched as Stacey made the beds. They had chosen to stay in the same room at Dominique's insistence—she had a fear of being alone in such an unfamiliar place, half-joking about being kidnapped or murdered in her sleep. Stacey knew it was Dominique's way of dealing with discomfort. Trying new things had never been her friend's strength.

Dominique was now wrapped in a towel, staring at the bar of black soap, skeptical. "I can't believe people still think soap like this has magical powers," she muttered.

"Maybe the problem is that you don't believe in possibilities," Stacey quipped. "You act like nothing in this world can surprise you. Maybe it's time to be open to the unknown."

"I believe in facts, Stacey. I believe in science. I don't believe in mystical nonsense, and I doubt this soap will do anything besides irritate my skin."

"Whatever you say," Stacey replied with a yawn. "I'm too tired for this. Goodnight."

Stacey crawled into bed, and Dominique walked into the bathroom, grumbling. The bathroom was small and dingy—not up to her standards. She had always believed that bathrooms should be personal sanctuaries, places to unwind. This one barely fit her definition of average. There wasn't even a water heater, for heaven's sake. She'd have to make it quick.

Just as she was about to grab her own soap, her eyes landed on the black soap Stacey had pushed her to try. "What harm could it do?" she thought. Besides, it might give her something to mock Stacey about in the morning.

With a resigned sigh, she lathered the black soap and quickly applied it to her body. To her surprise, the soap felt cool—almost soothing—on her skin. As she massaged it over her body, her aches seemed to melt away. Dominique blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected it to feel this good.

After her shower, she put on her nightdress and adjusted the bed, straightening the sheets to perfection. Her body was growing heavier, exhaustion finally catching up with her. She grabbed a biscuit from her bag and made herself some coffee with the hot water from her flask. As she munched, her thoughts drifted to Nathan.

He had left her several messages, each one more desperate than the last. She wasn't sure what to do about him. He had stuck by her despite her many complexities. Was that what people called love? Dominique wasn't sure. She liked Nathan—a lot—but love? That was something she had never believed in. To her, love was an obligation, a choice people made to stick together out of convenience or expectation. If something extraordinary about love existed, she hadn't experienced it yet.

Sighing, she picked up her phone and dialed Nathan. The phone barely rang once before his familiar voice came through.

"Hey, you."

"Hi," she smiled, a bit surprised. "You didn't even let it ring."

"I can't let it ring when it's you. How are you? Are you okay?"

"Other than the terrible flight and this hotel that I'm sure is from the 19th century, I'm peachy," she replied sarcastically.

"You should've taken the private jet, Dee. I know how much you hate flying economy," he teased.

"Stacey insisted," she said, smiling at the memory of Stacey's excitement about doing things like "normal people."

"Oh, yes. Her royal majesty Stacey, always looking out for us peasants," Nathan joked.

"Don't be like that. She means well," Dominique said with a small laugh.

There was a comfortable silence between them, each listening to the other's breath. Dominique's eyelids grew heavier as sleep crept in.

"I miss you," Nathan said softly.

"Same here," she replied, her voice thick with drowsiness.

"I've got court in thirty minutes, but I'm still on the phone with you," Nathan confessed. "You know, I love you, Dee. I really do. And I want us to take this to the next level—be a real couple. I know you're not fully there yet, but... could you be?"

He paused, waiting for her response. But Dominique was already asleep, her breathing deep and even on the other end of the line.

Nathan sighed. He knew she was asleep. He also knew this conversation would need to happen again. He didn't want to push her away. She had one foot in their relationship and the other constantly ready to leave. Any wrong move and she could vanish for good.

He loved her too much to let that happen. Dominique was everything he wanted—intelligent, beautiful, and deeply complex. To him, she was worth the wait.

Hanging up, Nathan prepared to head into court, his thoughts still lingering on Dominique.

Meanwhile, in the dark hotel room, Dominique slept soundly. But somewhere deep in her dreams, a different man occupied her thoughts. A figure that felt distant yet familiar.

"Soon, my Lord," she whispered in her sleep.