Page 91 of Finish Line

Luke walks over to me and kisses me on the lips. “I’ll be in my car waiting, angel.” He grabs my left hand with his, glancing down at my ring finger. “Take your time. And take it easy on Dom?”

I nod, and he bends to grab my bag before heading to his car.

As I walk up to Mav, he wraps his arms around me, pulling me close with a frown. “I just got you back, and now, we’re separating again.”

“I know. I was thinking the same thing. But I’m not far away. And it’s not like I’ll be able to see you all the time. You’ll be busy at school.” I rest my head on his chest. “Stay safe. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He kisses me until my lungs beg for air, and I’m lightheaded.

When we separate, he adjusts himself and steps back. “Damn, now, I have to deal with this hard-on by myself.”

He walks over to his and Dom’s car.

Cam chuckles as he stops in front of me, glancing at Mav. He pulls me close. Although I spent the last few months with him, I’m as sad to see him go as I am the others. “Thank you for rescuing me, Cam. I was drowning alone in my guilt over what happened to you and the guys.”

“I’ll always be there for you, beautiful. Plus, unlike those other knuckleheads, I spent a few months with you in paradise.” He touches the side of my face. “You’re a strong woman, Shelby. You can handle anything that asshole tries to throw at you,” he says, nothing but conviction in his voice, before he leans down, taking my lips with his.

When he pulls back, he winks, also adjusting himself before heading toward Mav.

I chuckle, then turn to face Dom. He stands about five feet from us, but it’s more like an ocean. This time, I don’t move first. I wait him out. He glares at the pavement like it offended him. Another minute passes, and I can’t anymore.

“Do—”

Dom holds up his hand. “Promise me you will take care of yourself.”

My heart breaks. This is it. It’s over. It’s too much for him. I’m too much for him. I lower my face to hide the tears.

I’m so caught in my head I miss his pounding footsteps as he storms toward me.

Dom wraps me in his arms, shocking me at his touch and causing me to gasp. My face snaps up.

“Don’t cry, Firefly.” He kisses away the tears rolling down my cheeks. “I’m sorry I was such an ass the other day. I’m so worried I’ll lose you again.”

He rests his forehead against mine, breathing deep. “When I came out of the hypnosis, those memories flooded back… then you weren’t there. I’d lost you. At the time, I didn’t realize how close to losing you I really was.”

His arms around me tighten, and his heart pounds against where my palm rests.

“Dom…” I say.

He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. “No, Shelby, please let me finish.”

Dom opens his eyes, gazing into mine. “You said it wasn’t my fault, how I acted and the things I said while I was under the hypnosis. But if I doubted you and me, doubted us, then Roger wouldn’t have been able to hypnotize me. I would’ve been there for you. He wouldn’t have been able to take you.”

I cover Dom’s mouth with my hand, stopping him from going any further. “Dom!” I say sharply. “It’s your turn to listen to me. And I mean really listen to me. Don’t just hear me say these words.”

I stare him down, waiting him out.

When he nods, I don’t remove my hand. “I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face. I don’t blame you for having doubts. What hurt was you didn’t talk to me about it. You told me at the beginning of this that communication was key to making this work. But Mav, Luke, and you kept those doubts from me. You made me lay myself bare about my concerns about our relationship, but you didn’t afford me the same courtesy.”

I rein in my anger. “Roger exploited that. And while, at the time, the things you did and said hurt, I never blamed you once I realized you weren’t acting of your own volition. I wanted my grizzly back.”

I sniffle, and Dom’s eyes widen in panic. He never did like it when I cried.

“And, as for what would have happened if he wasn’t able to hypnotize you, remember what happened to Cam. He almost died.” My breath hitches. “He almost died because he loved me without a shadow of a doubt.”

Dom rips my hand from his mouth, catching me as my legs buckle and lowering us to the ground. He glances over my head and shakes his own.

“Shelby, my firefly.” He kisses the top of my head. “Don’t cry, please,” he begs, holding me close. “You’re right. I never thought about that. I never considered Roger could have tried to do to me what he did to Cam.”

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