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A week after Annabelle got home from the hospital, things still felt completely upside down. She was living with Dom, but only because he insisted so that he could look after her. They didn't talk about anything other than her health; anytime she tried to, he'd basically just change the subject immediately. They lived in the house together, functioning like the married couple that they were but with an obvious disconnect between them.
She hadn't talked to Nora, either. She'd called her about a million times with no answer. It was getting to the point where she wasn't even really sure what she was sorry for anymore.
Matt was the only one that treated her normally, even though she knew that he was upset with her too. He'd never admit to it, of course, but she knew he was just as disappointed as Nora and Dom were, and she knew that all three of them had every right to be mad at her. In fact, she was so mad at herself that she wasn't even sure how she was still functioning.
She couldn't believe she'd managed to fuck up the thing that had finally made her feel whole for maybe the first time in her life. Sure, Dom had made a mistake, but she knew it hadn't been malicious; she'd known that from the start. He'd been drunk and made a mistake. She, on the other hand, didn't have that excuse to fall back on. Sure, she'd been high when her indiscretion had been made, but no one had made her take the drugs. No one had forced her, she'd done it all on her own, and she thought that might've been what made her hate herself the most.
"Annabelle?" Dom's voice cut through the silence, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Yeah?" she replied, her eyes shooting up to his where he was standing in the doorway.
"I asked if you're alright," he told her, looking at her like he was concerned. His eyes drifted down her hands and she realized she'd been digging her nails into her palms so hard she was almost bleeding.
"I'm fine," she said, flexing her fingers. To her surprise, he walked into the room and sat down on their bed beside her. He watched her for a few long moments, and she was sure he was about to tell her that he wanted a divorce. His face was serious and full of so many emotions that they seemed to barely be contained.
"Annabelle, I love you," he said matter-of-factly, surprising her. "I love you so fucking much, and I'm tired of us acting like we don't know each other, and like we're on eggshells when we're around each other. A lot has happened, okay? A lot has happened and things have changed, but we're going to get through it. We're going to get through it and come out better on the other side, I'm sure of it," he said, his voice sincere.
"I love you too," she told him, those being the only words she managed to get out before tears choked her. "Thank you... thank you for being here," she told him, and he took her hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for giving me... us another chance," she said, and he nodded firmly.
"We're going to make it through this just fine, my love," he told her, sighing as he leaned his head on her shoulder. She nodded into his hair, kissing the top of his head.
