Ryan
The good thing about nighttime was that it was easier to hide from reality. You could lie there and pretend everything was fine. That you weren’t fucking up your entire life and all your future plans by listening to dirty fantasies being whispered by your ex. Oh, while fucking yourself at the same time.
And pretending it was him.
Problem was, morning always rolled around. There was nowhere to hide from the guilt and shame when the sunwas shining brightly.
I stood outside my building, waiting for Frank to arrive. This trip had come at the perfect time for me. I’d never needed a week away more. Away from work. From wedding stress. From Kate.
From Dominic.
Seven days to remind myself of the pain Dom had put me through. Of everything I stood to lose if I continued down this path.
I just hoped it would be long enough.
Things were already going in my favour. I’d got readyin near silence, not wanting to tip Dominic off to my plans. Knowing him, he’d find a way to sabotage the trip. Not that I expected him to tag along. He might’ve made it through an hour or two with his dad, but a week?
That’d be pushing it.
Nothing but silence had greeted me as I tiptoed past Dom’s door. Maybe it was shitty, sneaking off, given what had happened last night, but I didn’t owe Dom anything. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t done the same to me in the past.
In a much more major way.
If my pettiness had been the only driving factor behind this, then maybe I wouldn’t have worried. But it wasn’t.
In truth…I was scared to face him. I was fucking terrified of the burning that had taken up residence in my chest. About how it was thawing the ice around my heart.
He couldn’t be the one to do that. Not when he was the reason it was there in the first place.
Guilt had me trying to call Kate. As it had each time I’d phoned yesterday, it rang out before her chirpy voicemail greeted me.
Guessed she’d really meant it when she said she wouldn’t have signal. At least I could say I’d tried to get hold of her.
Some of the tension I carried eased as Frank’s Kia pulled up at the kerb. I grinned at him as I approached, then made my way to the boot to put my bags in.
“Let me do that,” Frank said gruffly, popping up beside me.
I raised a brow. “I can put my own stuff in.”
Frank just nudged me out of the way with his shoulder. “Can’t have the groom pulling a muscle before his big day. Go and get in.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing better than to argue. Domhadn’t inherited his stubborn streak from his mum—as I’d experienced on more than one occasion over the past few years.
Frank slid into the driver’s seat a minute later and turned on the engine. “Got everything?”
“Think so,” I said, shooting him a puzzled look. “You okay? You seem a little…stressed.”
“I’m fine.” He flashed me a brief grin as he started driving. “Sorry, got a lot on my mind.”
Sympathy flashed through me. “Is it Dominic?”
Frank stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it must’ve been hard seeing him. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were still thinking about it.”
Frank’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah. That’s what it is.”
“For what it’s worth, I think he’ll come around.” I patted Frank’s shoulder. “Just give him time.”