Page 62 of The Blame Game

Dom nodded. “I will.”

“I hope so. And look, I’m not trying to pry or ask you to give any of us more than you’re willing. I just don’t want to see you totally close yourself off. That’s all.”

“I know. You’re a good captain, D.”

“I’d like to think I’m more than that,” Dustin said softly. “I’d like to think that I’m your friend.”

Dom opened his mouth to protest, to say that of course Dustin was his friend, but he felt a pang when he realized that it didn’t matter how he felt about it. It mattered how Dustin did. And clearly, he didn’t feel like he was Dom’s friend.

Like he valued him.

“What do I do?” Dom asked. “How do I … how do I make you feel like you are?”

Dustin blew out a heavy breath. “Well, you’re gonna hate this, but it does involve opening up. And making yourself vulnerable.”

Dom made a face. Damn it, why did it always come down to that?

“Told you that you’d hate it.”

They fell silent for a moment.

“I’m going to tell you something,” Dustin said. “Something very few people know about.”

“Okay,” Dom said warily, because Dustin was a pretty open guy with the team. He couldn’t imagine what kind of secrets he had.

“When Charlie and I woke up in Vegas after our marriage, he hated my guts.”

Dom blinked, shifting onto one elbow to stare at Dustin, ignoring the flare of pain in his back. “What the hell?”

“Charlie is … complicated. He’s been through a lot.”

“Well, yeah, clearly. I mean, his parents are a piece of work and the anorexia …”

“I didn’t know about any of that at the time. Charlie and I—we hadn’t dated at all before that night. We—we made a bet in Vegas and we got drunk and flirted and there was a connection but it wasn’t … it wasn’t love.”

“So it was some drunken stupidity?”

“Pretty much. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was completely smitten with him but the feeling wasn’t exactly mutual.”

“So why did he marry you?”

“Because he was lonely and sad and wanted someone to love. I think I gave him the attention he needed at that moment. He felt safe—to some degree—and it was enough to make him let down his guard long enough for us to say, ‘I Do’. Plus, you know, the large quantities of alcohol didn’t hurt.”

Dom let out a strangled noise of laughter. “But Charlie regretted the marriage the next day?”

“Yes.”

“So why’d he stay married to you then?”

Dustin huffed. “I bribed him.”

Blinking, Dom turned to look at him. “You what?”

“Yeah, I know.” Dustin’s smile was rueful. “I was desperate though. I mean, I did want to keep him in my life but also, the code of conduct hadn’t passed yet and if I fucked up in a big, public way, it was just going to give the detractors ammunition against me.”

Dom sucked in a sharp breath. “Shit, I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Right?” Dustin gave him a rueful look.

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