Miss nobody strikes back

Alone

Chapter Thirty-Four

That afternoon, I hurried home, knowing I had to get ready quickly. I was going over to Dominic's place for our project, and I didn’t want to be late. After a quick shower, I changed into something simple but nice: a black shirt and beige cargo pants. I pulled my hair up into a bun, packed my books and phone, and walked into the living room, ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" my mom asked, eyeing me curiously.

"To a friend’s," I replied, trying to keep it vague. I wasn’t about to tell her I was going to a boy’s house, and time was running out.

"And why is that?" she pressed, her eyes narrowing.

"Mom, please, I'm going to be late. It’s for a project," I explained, shifting my weight impatiently.

She sighed but relented. "Just make sure you’re home before dinner."

I nodded quickly. "I will." With that, I grabbed my things and texted Dominic that I’d be at his place soon.

I took a cab to his house, my nerves buzzing as we pulled up to his massive mansion. No matter how many times I saw it, the sheer size and elegance of the place still amazed me. I walked up to the door and knocked gently. A moment later, Judy opened it with a warm smile.

"Hi," I said shyly.

"Oh, Hanna! You're here. What a nice surprise. Come on in," she said, stepping aside to let me in.

"Thank you," I replied, stepping into the spacious foyer. Almost immediately, Dana rushed up to hug me, catching me completely off guard. We’d only met once, yet here she was, acting like we were best friends.

"Hi, Dana! How are you?" I asked, returning her hug.

"I'm good!" she replied, her smile wide and innocent. She was so adorable.

"Is your brother at home?" I asked, hoping to get straight to the point.

"Yeah, he’s in his room, probably studying," Judy replied.

"Come on, I’ll take you there!" Dana said eagerly, reaching for my hand. I smiled and let her lead me upstairs. Her small hand in mine felt warm and reassuring.

When we reached Dominic’s room, Dana pushed open the door and we both walked in. His room was large, neat, and filled with the intoxicating scent that I had come to associate with him. It was clean and organized, with stacks of books on his desk. Dominic sat at his work area, close to his bed, wearing glasses and intently flipping through the pages of a book.

"Brother, Hanna’s here!" Dana announced, breaking his focus.

He looked up from his books, his gaze moving from Dana to me. "Thanks, Dana," he said softly, and she beamed before skipping out of the room, leaving us alone.

"Um, hi," I said awkwardly, standing near the door.

"Come sit," he said, gesturing to the empty chair beside him. I nodded and sat down, feeling oddly nervous. The idea of us being alone in his room made me feel... strange. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I was definitely a little flustered.

We started working on the project, mostly discussing the research. I did most of the talking, but Dominic contributed as well. He was so smart, always catching small mistakes and offering corrections without making me feel embarrassed. As we worked, I found myself relaxing a bit more, grateful for his patience and calm demeanor.

An hour passed before Dominic’s mom, Mrs. Donovan, came into the room carrying a tray. “Hi, guys,” she said with a friendly smile.

"Hi, Mrs. Donovan," I said politely, smiling back.

"Samantha, please," she corrected me gently. "I see you’re both hard at work. I just wanted to bring you some snacks." She placed the tray of snacks and fruit juice on the table beside us.

"Thank you," we both said in unison, causing her to smile as she left the room.

We took a short break, eating the snacks she had brought while we continued to study. Time slipped by faster than I expected, and before I knew it, Dominic checked the time on his phone.

"It’s past seven," he said, sounding surprised. "We’ll stop here for today and continue tomorrow."

I nodded, feeling the fatigue hit me all at once. I hadn’t realized how tired I was until now. "Yeah," I agreed, letting out a yawn that I tried to stifle.

We both stood up and walked out of his room, heading downstairs toward the living room. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Dana ran up to me with a wide grin. "Join us for dinner!" she said excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

I opened my mouth to refuse, but then she hit me with the puppy-dog eyes. I sighed, knowing I couldn’t say no to that face. “Okay,” I said reluctantly.

Just as I was about to sit down at the table, I heard the front door open, and Dana and Judy both squealed with delight. "Dad!" they cried, rushing to hug their father. He was tall, with an air of authority but a kind face.

"Aw, girls! How are my angels?" he asked, hugging them both with a smile. They nodded eagerly in response.

"Honey," he said, turning to Samantha, who greeted him with a warm hug and a quick kiss. It was like something out of a movie, a perfect, happy family. He then turned to Dominic, clapping him on the shoulder in a way that spoke volumes of their close relationship.

I stood there, watching them, a pang of envy hitting me. It was the kind of family dynamic I always wished I had — loving, supportive, and complete. My parents were great, but there was something so undeniably warm about the Donovans.

Suddenly, Mr. Donovan’s gaze shifted to me. “And who’s this?” he asked, his deep voice pulling me back to reality.

"Um... I’m Hanna, sir," I stammered slightly. "Dominic’s classmate. We’re working on a project together."

"Yes, she’s Dominic’s friend," Samantha added with a smile. "She’s been here for the project."

Mr. Donovan smiled at me kindly before he and his wife excused themselves, heading upstairs. As soon as they were gone, Dominic turned to me. "Are you ready to go home?" he asked.

I smiled softly. "Yes, but don’t worry, you don’t have to drop me off. I can get home by myself."

"I’ll drop you," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

We walked to the garage in comfortable silence. He drove me home quietly, neither of us saying much, but the silence wasn’t awkward. It felt natural, like we didn’t need to fill the space with unnecessary words.

When we arrived at my house, I turned to him with a grateful smile. "Thanks for the ride."

He nodded, his expression unreadable. "No problem. See you tomorrow."

With that, I got out of the car and headed inside, still feeling the warmth of the Donovans’ home lingering in my mind.

A/N: A special thanks to @hamdyayodele for being a very good reader and a fan and for also voting for my book. Thank you so much.