Page 55 of Until You Break

I’m back in that cell, but this time, there are no bars separating us. Dominic is sitting next to me, close enough that I can feel the heat of him, his shoulder brushing mine every time he shifts.

The walls are just as cold, the air just as damp, but somehow, it doesn’t feel as suffocating as it did back then.

We’re sitting on the floor, our knees bent, and I’m talking, my words spilling out faster than I can think. I don’t know why I’m telling him this, but I can’t stop.

Maybe it’s the way he’s looking at me, his dark green eyes steady, sharp, like they’re cutting through all the bullshit I usually hide behind.

“It was my senior prom,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “Everyone was there—my friends, my classmates, my parents, even. And my boyfriend—ex-boyfriend now—thought it’d be the perfect time to… you know. Humiliate me.”

Dominic’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything, waiting for me to continue.

“He showed up late, made this big entrance like he was some kind of prince,” I say, my voice trembling. “And then, in front of everyone, he broke up with me. Said he couldn’t stand to be seen with me anymore. That I was—” My throat closes up, but I force the words out. “That I was a disgusting pig.”

There’s a long pause, the silence stretching out between us, and I glance at Dominic, expecting him to look uncomfortable or disinterested. But his eyes are burning, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, like he’s barely holding himself back.

“He said that to you?” he asks, his eyes dark, his tone laced with something deadly.

I nod, my cheeks burning with shame. “In front of everyone. I left the gym in tears. I didn’t even grab my stuff. I just… ran.”

Dominic exhales sharply, his fists clenching tighter. “What’s his name?” Dominic demands, his tone sharp enough to make me flinch.

“What?” I ask, confused, glancing at him.

“His name,” he says again, his teeth clenched. “Because if I ever see that piece of shit, I’ll make him regret the day he was born.”

“Dominic, it was forever ago,” I say, shaking my head, though a small part of me feels oddly comforted by his reaction. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“The hell it doesn’t,” he snaps, his eyes blazing. “You don’t do that to someone. You don’t tear them down like that, especially not someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” I echo, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you,” he says, his voice softening slightly, though the anger is still there, simmering just under the surface. “You’re smart, funny, stubborn as fuck, and yeah, you’re soft. So what? That’s not a bad thing, Aria. It’s a fucking gift.”

I blink, caught off guard by his words. “A gift?”

“Yeah,” he says, leaning in slightly, his eyes locked on mine. “You think I don’t notice? The way your curves fit against me, the way your body feels under my hands? It drives me insane, in the best way.”

Heat floods my cheeks, and I look away, trying to process what he’s saying. “You’re just saying that.”

“No, I’m not,” he says firmly, his hand brushing against mine. “I don’t lie to you, Aria. Not about this.”

I swallow hard, my chest tight, and for a moment, I can’t bring myself to look at him. But then he speaks again, his voice is softer this time, almost hesitant.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” he murmurs, his gaze fixed on the floor now. “But I feel like… I don’t know. Like I’m falling for you.”

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat, and when I finally manage to look at him, his expression is raw, unguarded in a way I’ve never seen before. He looks vulnerable, and it terrifies me almost as much as it comforts me.

“Dominic…” I whisper, but he cuts me off, leaning in closer, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek.

“I know it’s insane,” he says, his voice rough, his thumb brushing against my skin. “I know we’re in the middle of hell, and this shouldn’t make sense. But it does. You make sense to me, Aria. You’re the only fucking thing that does.”

Before I can respond, his lips are on mine and I melt into him without thinking. His hand slides to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, and for a moment, everything else fades away.

The cold walls, the damp air, the fear—all of it disappears, leaving just him.

When I wake up, my heart is pounding, and it takes a moment for reality to settle in. I’m not in the cell. I’m in Dominic’sbed, my head resting on his chest, his arm draped possessively around me.

His heartbeat is steady under my ear, his warmth wrapping around me like a cocoon. I lay there, frozen, the dream still vivid in my mind, his words echoing in my ears:I feel like, I don’t know… like I’m falling for you.

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