The Way You See Me

Chapter Fourteen

"He's your brother?" Dom asks me, frowning a bit. 

I sit up more, moving away enough to where we can make eye contact. I sit with my legs crossed, my body facing his. "Yeah," I say. "I still let him back because... I don't really know why." I say, shrugging. "I feel like I have no choice. He wasn't always like he is now," I add.

"What about your parents? They don't care?" He asks. 

I'm silent for a moment as I think of a response to that. "My parents, um. They're both... dead. My mom was fighting cancer for three years. She passed away almost two years ago. My dad, well. After my mom passed, he drank himself to death. At least, that's what the doctor told Nick and me. Nick picked up my dad's horrible habit before he had passed, and once our dad was gone, he just never stopped. He started... being aggressive with me not long after our dad's funeral. He was just so angry, all the time. I moved out and to this place a little less than a year ago, and have lived here alone since. I try to stay away from Nick as much as possible, but he always comes around. He's the one that took my car keys and broke my phone. He's done worse, but I don't need to bring up everything. The past is the past." 

He stares at me. I've never told anyone this much about my life before, and I was scared to see his reaction.

After a moment, he glances away, then looks at me sighing a bit. "Calleigha, I know it doesn't matter whether I say this or not, but I am sorry," He pauses, holding my hands in his. "You don't deserve any of this. You are the purest and most honest girl I've ever met. No amount of words could ever explain how much I want you to be in my life. I want to show you that life doesn't always have to suck," He says, smiling a bit. "And as for Nick, I don't think you should let him see you anymore, Cali. He, well, besides breaking laws, he's ridiculously overstepping boundaries. If I got the chance, I'd beat his ass for thinking he could touch a woman the way he does. He doesn't deserve you in his life, at all."

It's my turn to stare at him now, not knowing how to respond. "W-What do you mean, I shouldn't let him see me? I can't just cut him off, he's my bro-"

"Yes, you can. He doesn't treat you like family, does he? No. He doesn't. So then why do you let him treat you like shit?" Dom asks, his eyes locked on mine.

I don't have an answer for that. I have no idea why. I shrug.

"Listen. You're strong, Cali. Stop shutting yourself down. Nick is a weak asshole. Nothing more. Yeah, he's family. That will never change. Ever. But how he treats you, it's not what family should do. Especially with how much you have already been through. He's taking all his anger out on you and it's a fucked up thing to do." He continues.

I glance away, looking at the blank tv screen. I knew what Dominic was saying was true. But at the same time, why was it so hard for me to move on from Nick?

"I-I can't lose him, too, Dom," I say slowly. "He's all I have left. Him and my crazy aunt that I see once a year."

Dominic sighs and scratches the back of his head. "He's no good, Cali. You know it." Is all he says. 

I nod slowly. Well, great.

"I, um. I should probably get going," He says, and stands up, brushing his pant legs off; dog hair drifts to the floor.

I stand, too. "No, Dom, I'm sorry, I know you're right, it's just..." I look at him, at a loss for words. 

"No, I get it. You don't think I understand how you feel, what you're going through. And maybe I don't. I'm not you. But I'm not blind to your situation, either. You have to do what's best for you, not him." He says. 

I bite my bottom lip. What else is there to say? He has his mind set on me ditching Nick, but I don't think I can do that.

"Alright, well. See you," He says, and smiles briefly before turning and leaving, patting Max's head on the way out. 

I run my hands through my hair and sigh. I hear the door shut as Dom leaves. I wonder if he'd come back. I sit back on the couch and pull my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on them. 

I finally started opening up and getting attached to him. I loved how honest he was with me, but he was pushing me to do something I didn't know if I could do. 

Getting off the couch, I go into the kitchen to make myself something to eat- it was almost 7:30 pm already. Geez.

I make a grilled cheese sandwich, tossing Max a slice of bread. I hum a bit while I make it. Once it's done, I grab a paper plate and go back to sit on the couch. 

My mind was overfilled with thoughts. There was so, so much to think about. So many decisions I could make. But right now, none of them seemed like what I wanted to do. It was what everyone else wanted. 

Nick. He wanted- well, told me not to be around any other guys. I wasn't even supposed to leave the house. He wants me, expects me to do whatever he tells me to. I have never really disobeyed him as much as I did today. Lord help me if he finds out.

Dom. He wants me to... I don't even know. Does he expect me to just up and move away? Never see or talk to Nick again? I couldn't bring myself to do that. Then again, Dom hasn't really told me that he wants me to do anything. He's suggested, sure. And he's stuck with the fact that I don't deserve how Nick treats me, that I should push him away, yadda yadda. But at least he hasn't asked or told me to do either. 

I had no clue what I was going to do.

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Shorter chapter than usual, oops. I've had a writer's block the past couple days lol