Just Once More

Two

“I missed you last night, you know….”

I face palm in frustration; I can’t believe I just risked a tackle from Sofi to hear this. I think to ask Dom what he’s playing at but stop before the words come to life.  

Deliver Lily’s message and go.

“Um…” I squeeze my lids tightly to avoid further distraction - like that makes all the difference in the world.

Dominic Vasquez is a HUGE distraction. It’s hard not to notice his towering and topless presence. My eyes closed hasn’t and won’t stop anything from happening so I have to get the hell out.

“Your fiancée wants you to know that she loves you and can’t wait to spend forever with you."

The words hardly fly out before Dominic’s lips collide with mine. One hand caresses my neck, the other nesting on its familiar spot at the small of my back.  It takes every fragment of self-respect I have left for me to tear away and flick the light on.

“Are you kidding me, Dom?” I make a measly attempt at seeming disgusted. “You do not try to hook up with the bride’s sister.”

On the other hand, Dominic looks totally unfazed with my outburst. He’s doing that hot lip-biting thing he knows gets me turned on.

I tug his bottom lip out of the bite. “Do you even realise how bad this is? What would Lily say if she caught us?”

He laughs and does it again.

“Okay, I’ve said what I needed to say…” I throw my hands up in the air, defeated as I turn to leave. “I’m gonna go now.”

Dominic grabs me by the waist with another laugh. “Can’t help that I’m in love with the bride’s sister.”

I think I just felt my heart turn into mush.  Thousands of quiver-like movements move through my stomach.  How can something be so right yet so, so wrong? Dominic Vasquez just confessed that he loves me and all I can do is break down in tears. It’s everything I want but nothing I need. Today is probably up there in the list of worst days. The glowy smile vanishes on Dom’s face and is replaced with worry.

 “Hey, hey… Why so sad?”

 His thumb gently sweeps the tears away from my lashes.

“I’m not sad,” I croak, willing my tear ducts to control themselves. “I’m just too damn emotional today. Lily’s about to become a married woman and you just told me you loved me.”

“I thought you wanted this…”

“I know, I know.” I sigh. “It’s proving to be more difficult than I thought it would be.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way. We can be together if it’s what you want.”

Oh how I wish this was the God’s honest truth; that the option for us to be together was there. I wish he was mine so badly.

“We could run away now. Take the next flight to anywhere you want. All you gotta do is say and I’m yours, Gisele. I love you.”

“I need to go,” I remove his hand from my face. “The girls are probably wondering where I went.”

“I’m gonna call off the wedding…” His handsome face creases with stubbornness. “I can’t marry Lily.”

A motherly instinct kicks in, “I’ll never speak to you again if you do that. Don’t you dare break my sister’s heart, Dominic.” 

Dominic doesn’t verbally respond to this. Instead he moves closer than he was and brushes his thumb torturously down to my lips. Tingles immediately shoot up over the imaginary trail he’s left and before I utter another word, he’s kissing me again.I soon react, wrapping my arms around his neck and pushing myself up against him to cover any distance between us.

We kiss and kiss and kiss… Passionately kiss each other like it’s what we’re created to do – the key to our existence. If Kissing was in the Olympics, we’d probably win all the medals in that. I remember the harsh reality after what feels like ages. This cannot continue; I can’t keep betraying Lily.

“Dom, I told you this needs to end. You’re not making this any easier.” Dominic tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and places his forehead against mine. “I love my sister too much to keep on doing this behind her back.”

“Please mi amor…I am nothing without you.”

If he feels as heartbroken as he looks and sounds then I’m about to make him feel ten times worse.

“You think this is easy for me?” I burst out with, hurt by Dom’s selfishness. “It’s not all about you.”

“God, I know this isn’t all about me…” His Latin temper slowly unraveling itself. “I don’t have any control over this situation. In fact, I’ve been nothing but patient and sensitive about YOUR feelings. You told me not to break up with her so I didn’t… You even told me to go ahead and propose to her.”

Surprised at how things have turned three sixty, I repeat what I can’t believe I’ve just heard. “I told you to propose to her?”

“Si.”  He nods like everything has finally become clear to him. “Why would I be getting married to a woman I do not love if it wasn’t because of you? I thought I could cope with this but now I’m not so sure. I’m sick of this bullshit.”

“Why don’t you just leave then?” I question in the heat of the moment. “If I’m such a controlling bitch then go… Call off the wedding, hop on a bloody plane to wherever you want. Do whatever the f*ck you want Dominic!”

I’m completely aware that I’m being controlling but I’m way past the stage of caring. Maybe it’s because I’ve starved my way into this dress or the stress of trying to make this a happy day for my sister but I’m as cranky as a constipated ape.

Dom’s bluish-gray eyes briefly read distress before flipping to defiance.

 “I’m not going anywhere Gisele.”