"Souls don't meet by accident."
Dominic
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Willa fucking said she forgives me.
Orâshe thinks she forgives me.
That distinction should piss me off, but all I can think about is the way she'd said it, all soft and breathy, her weight pressed against me, those big, fiery eyes looking up at me like she hadn't quite figured me out yet. Like she was still deciding.
And then she was gone.
Ripped away from me by Alec, her laughter trailing behind her as he dragged her off to play beer pong, leaving me standing there like a fucking idiot with my hands still tingling from where I'd held her
.
I haven't moved from my spot in the kitchen since.
Roman is next to me, leaning against the counter, scrolling through his phone like he isn't surrounded by drunken idiots. My lip stings, still sore from when I bit it earlier, and I should be drinking, smoking, doing something to take the edge off. But my eyes keep straying back to Willa.
I can't help it.
She's impossible to ignore, in that tight pink dress that should be illegal, with her golden hair spilling in waves down her back, her flower crown sitting slightly crooked from the chaos of the party. She's at the beer pong table, laughing as she lines up a shot, and I swear to God, she's fucking glowing.
Alec is hyping her up, but my focus isn't on him. It's on the guy who sidles up next to her, far too close.
I stiffen.
He's not from our school. I can tell by the unfamiliar smirk, the casual arrogance in his posture, the way he's eyeing Willa like she's a game he wants to play.
I see the moment she notices him. She blinks, shifts a little, like she's about to brush him off. But he doesn't get the fucking hint. He leans in, murmuring something that makes her brows furrow, and thenâ
He touches her waist.
My grip on my beer tightens.
She steps away, just an inch, but it's enough. I know her. She doesn't want him there. She wants him gone.
And he isn't leaving.
I don't think. I just move.
Roman sees me push off the counter and sighs. "Fucking hell, Dom."
I don't acknowledge him.
I'm already halfway across the room, and by the time I reach them, the guy's hand is still lingering too fucking close to her hip.
My patience snaps.
I grab the back of his shirt and yank him away from her, hard enough that he stumbles back into the table, nearly knocking over a few cups.
"The fuck, man?" he slurs, spinning to face me.
I don't answer.
I just swing.
My fist connects with his jaw, the impact vibrating up my arm. The guy staggers back, hitting the edge of the table, and a collective "ohhh" ripples through the crowd as heads turn to watch.
Willa gasps. I hear her say my name, but I don't look at herâI can't.
The guy touches his split lip, his eyes darkening with rage. "You wanna go?"
I smirk, tilting my head. "Already did."
That pisses him off. He lunges, aiming for my ribs, but I sidestep, slamming my fist into his stomach. He doubles over, wheezing, and I'm about to go in again when two of his friends rush forward.
Before I can react, Alec and Roman are already there.
Alec throws the first punch, sending one guy stumbling into a chair, and Roman grabs the other, shoving him back into the wall.
The party erupts.
People are yelling, some trying to break it up, others cheering. Someone knocks over a lamp, and beer spills across the floor. I don't feel any of itâI only feel the adrenaline pounding in my veins as I dodge a wild swing and land another hit to the guy's ribs.
I barely register when someone grabs the back of my shirt, yanking me away.
"Dominic, stop!"
Willa.
Her hands fist the fabric, her body pressing against my back as she drags me away from the fight. My breath is ragged, my lip stinging, but I let her pull me.
The other guy is on the ground, groaning, and his friends don't look any better. Roman spits blood onto the floor, and Alec flexes his fingers, shaking them off.
"Well," Alec breathes, grinning. "That was fun."
I barely hear him.
Willa is tugging me through the crowd, her grip on my wrist tight, her breath quick. She pulls me into the kitchen, away from the chaos, and shoves me into a chair.
The kitchen is full of people from our grade, all sprawled across counters and chairs, some sitting on the floor, some passing around drinks. It's the part of the party that feels more oursâwhere the seniors gather, separate from the underclassmen and randoms from other schools. It's stupid, but there's a sort of camaraderie in it.
We're all going through the same shit. Same teachers, same classes, same shitty town.
And we're all in it together.
Not that I give two shits about them, except for Willa. Maybe Roman, and Alec, and Alex.
I barely have time to process before Willa is crouching in front of me, her hands gripping my face.
"What the hell was that?" she snaps.
I smirk, watching her fuss over me. "Didn't like how he was touching you."
She glares. "I was handling it."
"Yeah?" I tilt my head. "Didn't look like it."
She exhales sharply, muttering something under her breath as she reaches for my face, her fingers gripping my chin. I let her tilt my head up, let her inspect the damage. Her touch is soft, careful, and the way her fingers graze my jaw sends a different kind of heat through my veins.
"You're an idiot," she mutters.
I smirk. "Yeah? And?"
"And I don't like seeing you hurt."
The words hit harder than any punch I've taken tonight.
I should tell her it's nothing. That I'd do it again in a second. That I'd take a thousand hits if it meant keeping her safe. But I don't.
I just watch her, watch the way her hands linger on my jaw, the way her lips part slightly, like she wants to say something else but can't.
I reach up, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her onto my lap.
She makes a noise of surprise, but she doesn't pull away.
Instead, she settles against me, her arms wrapping around my shoulders, like it's second nature.
"Dom," she sighs.
"I'm fine," I murmur, resting my chin on her shoulder. "You don't have to worry."
She huffs, pulling back just enough to look at me. "You're bleeding."
"Barely."
She glares, but I don't let her respond.
Instead, I press my lips to her bare shoulder, letting them linger.
She shivers.
And I smirk, tightening my grip on her waist, keeping her exactly where I want her.
Willa is still fussing over me, her fingers ghosting over my jaw, her brows knitted together like I might drop dead at any second.
"You're sure you're okay?" she asks, voice softer now, hesitant, like she's debating whether to push the issue further.
I smirk, tilting my head. "You're cute when you worry."
Her nose scrunches. "I'm always cute."
"Yeah?" I squeeze her waist, my hands still settled against her hips. "You fishing for compliments, butterfly?"
She huffs but doesn't move away. "No. I justâ" She pauses, exhaling, and her fingers brush over my bottom lip where it split. "You were literally bleeding a second ago, and now you're acting like it's nothing."
I shrug. "Because it is nothing."
Her lips press together in frustration. "Domâ"
I lean in slightly, my mouth brushing her ear. "Didn't feel a thing."
She shivers, and I swear I feel her pulse pick up beneath my fingers.
For a second, neither of us says anything. She just sits there in my lap, her fingers still tracing my jaw like she doesn't even realize she's doing it, and I just... look at her.
And then she whispers, so quietly I almost miss it, "I meant it, you know."
I pull back slightly, searching her face. "Meant what?"
She bites her lip, looking at me through her lashes. "That I forgive you."
That's when it happens. The punch to my gut. The breath stolen from my lungs.
Not I think I forgive you. Not Maybe one day I'll forgive you.
Just I forgive you.
Like it's fact. Like it's already done. Like it wasn't even a question.
And suddenly, I need something to ground me.
Because her saying thatâher looking at me like thatâit makes me feel too much. Too raw, too exposed, like she's prying open all the parts of me I've tried to numb.
The itch creeps in. The one that starts in my chest and spreads to my fingers. The one that tells me I need a hit, need something stronger, need something to take the edge off. It's the same craving that's always there, buried under my skin, lingering just beneath the surface.
It's muscle memory at this pointâto reach for something to make it stop.
But then Willa moves, shifting in my lap, her breath warm against my jaw, and suddenly, I don't need anything but this.
Her.
She's the only high I want right now.
So I don't say anything.
I just kiss her.
She makes a small sound of surprise before melting into it, her fingers tangling in my hair, her body pressing closer like she can't get enough. And IâI kiss her the way I've wanted to for years. Deep. Slow. Claiming. My hands tighten at her waist, pulling her closer, because fuck, I can't stand even an inch of space between us.
Her nails scrape lightly against my scalp, and I groan into her mouth, tilting my head to kiss her deeper. It's reckless and heated andâ
"Get a room!"
A loud whistle cuts through the moment, and Willa jerks back, startled.
We turn to find half our classmates grinning like fucking idiots. Roman is smirking behind his beer, Alec is sitting back in his chair with an amused expression, and someone from our year yells, "Damn, West, didn't know you had it in you!"
Willa blinks at them, still breathless, before turning back to me with wide eyes.
"Did we justâ"
"Yeah." I swallow, exhaling. "Yeah, we did."
There's a pause.
Then she grins, looking far too pleased with herself. "Interesting."
I narrow my eyes. "What's interesting?"
"Oh, nothing." She waves a hand. "Just, you know... I forgive you, and suddenly you can't keep your hands off me. Makes me wonder what would've happened if I said it earlier."
I let out a dry laugh. "You're an actual menace."
"And you love it."
I shake my head, but my lips twitch.
And then, before I can react, she grabs my hand and pulls.
I barely have time to stand before she's already dragging me through the kitchen, past our classmates who are still grinning and teasing, and up the stairs.
"Willa," I warn, amused. "Where exactly are we going?"
She glances over her shoulder, that damn mischievous smile still playing on her lips. "To get a room, obviously."
I huff a laugh. "That wasn't an actual suggestion, baby."
She gasps dramatically, placing a hand on her chest. "Are you saying you don't want to be dragged upstairs by a hot pink fairy?"
"I'm sayingâ" I pause, letting my gaze drag over her. The short dress, the way her flower crown is slipping slightly, the smug look in her eyes. "I'm saying you're trouble."
She smirks. "And yet, here you are."
Yeah. Here I fucking am.
I don't bother arguing.
The second we reach a guest room, she shoves the door open and pulls me inside, her back hitting the wall as I press against her, my mouth already on hers.
She laughs into the kiss, her hands sliding up my chest, twisting into my shirt.
And just like that, everything else fades away.
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YESSSSS I CANNOT WAIT TO WRITE ABOUT THEM NOWWWWWW
Also I think we all know what is going to happen next chapterðððððððððð