Page 101 of Endgame

Inside it is an image of my favourite wine, Ridge’s Monte Bello, bearing my birth year.

‘I bought you a couple of cases to say thank you.’ He clears his throat nervously.

‘Dom, this is just?—’

‘What’s the nightlife like out here?’ one of the guys asks tipsily.

‘Not bad,’ Dominic responds loudly, before he turns to me. ‘Wanna come? Actually, don’t answer that. Of course you don’t want to come,’ he teases with an understanding smile.

‘I’ll stay and supervise clear-up with MsPat. The guys are going to be here for a while.’ I nod, smiling at the table full of wine, beer, cocktails, champagne and spirits.

‘The crew usually leave now. We’ve asked them to return tomorrow morning.’ He points at the chattering catering crew, who are putting on their coats to leave.

‘In which case, I’ll have an earlier date with my shower and my bed.’

‘Let’s find you guys some nightlife.’ Dominic stands, prompting the entire table to do the same. MsPat and I follow behind the loud group and Dom puts them into cars, instructing his PA to arrange for them all to get into his members’ club. MsPat follows his PA and, just as I step forward to exit after her, Dominic pulls me back against the wall and shuts his front door, sealing us both in his house.

‘Miss Ariella!’ MsPat calls from the other side of the door.

‘She’ll be out in a minute,’ Dominic responds before he steps closer to me. ‘You know what I’m going to say.’

I know what he’s going to say because he has said it many times before. He has been saying it all night with his eyes, his smiles, his hand on my waist each time he came to check on me in the kitchen. He said it with the procurement of my favourite wine. He’s saying it now with his finger slowly tracing up my arm.

The only problem is that he knows what I am going to say too. That I can’t. That I’m in love with Caleb. But it’s time to add that we can’t keep doing this, and the sad reality is that we can’t keep trying to be friends any more because, no matter what he says, these scenarios keep popping up.

‘Tell me you don’t feel it.’

‘Dom—’

‘You’re different tonight. You look different. You smell different.’ Dominic leans his forehead against mine.

‘Dominic, please?—’

‘I know he’s at home. Waiting. But I don’t care. This is where you should be. We’re good together. Leave him,’ he whispers in my ear, pushing against me. ‘I’ve been fighting the urge to kiss you all night.’

‘Dominic, stop,’ I plead. He has me pinned against the wall and I can’t move from under him.

‘I really want to trace my tongue down your stomach, wrap your legs round my neck and taste you.’

‘Miss Ariella!’ MsPat shouts from the other side of the door, distressed.

‘I’m done playing your games of possibility with you. Am I going to have to fuck you until you call me Six, Ariella?’

‘I’m pregnant, Dom!’ I shout over him, then burst into tears. I didn’t want to tell him like this because of what Mackenzie did to him, but it was the only way to make him stop.

Dominic takes a slow step back and I find the courage to look at his face. All I see is pain.

‘You said maybe.’

‘What?’

‘I said I only stood a chance if Caleb hadn’t been born and you said maybe.’

‘I didn’t mean?—’

‘Are you keeping it?’

‘Yes.’

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