Page 61 of Until You Break

I take another sip of my drink, the burn doing little to chase away the cold knot in my chest. Why is he here? It’s a stupid question—he’s allowed to be here just as much as I am. But it’s the woman that eats at me. The way he touched her, the way he laughed like nothing else in the world mattered. Like I didn’t matter.

Did I ever? Or was I just a pet project?

“Aria,” Sam says again, her voice quieter this time. “Whoever it is, they’re not worth it. You look like you’re ready to throw that glass at someone.”

“I’m not,” I say, though the image of shattering the glass against the wall is oddly satisfying.

I try to focus on Sam, on the conversation, but my eyes keep drifting back to him, to the way he leans closer to the woman on his lap, whispering something in her ear that makes her laugh again.

It’s like a knife to the fucking chest, because this isn’t the Dominic I know. The Dominic I know doesn’t laugh like that, doesn’t let anyone that close unless he’s pulling strings, unless it’s part of some game.

But maybe that’s the point. Maybe I was the game, and now he’s moved on to the next one.

Sam gets up to order another round, chatting animatedly with the bartender while I nurse my drink, my eyes locked on the table across the room. Dominic’s brothers are loud, Matteo gesturing wildly as Luca rolls his eyes, but Dominic is calm, in control, his attention divided between the conversation and the woman who’s practically draped over him.

I hate it. I hate him. I hate the way my chest tightens every time his hand moves, every time his lips quirk into that cocky half-smile. I hate the way my stomach flips when his eyes flicker in my direction, just briefly, before he turns back to her like I’m nothing.

My fingers tighten around the glass, my jaw clenching as I fight the urge to storm over there and demand answers. Answers to questions I don’t even know how to ask.

Why did he disappear? Why did he let me leave so easily? And why the fuck does it hurt so much to see him with someone else?

“Aria,” Sam says again, pulling me back to reality. “Do you want to go?”

“No,” I say firmly, draining the rest of my whiskey and slamming the glass onto the bar. “I’m not letting him ruin this.”

“Lettingwhoruin this?” she asks, her eyes narrowing as she follows my gaze again. This time, her expression sharpens. “Aria—”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say quickly, cutting her off. “Just drop it.”

But Sam doesn’t drop things. She leans closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Who’s the guy? And why do you look like you want to murder him?”

I shake my head, my stomach twisting. “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?” she presses, her gaze flicking between me and Dominic. “Like, he’s an ex? A hookup? A—”

“It doesn’t matter,” I snap, my voice sharper than I intended. “He’s nothing.”

The lie tastes bitter on my tongue, and I know Sam doesn’t believe it. But she doesn’t push, just gives me a knowing look before taking another sip of her drink.

I glance back toward Dominic’s table, my chest tightening again as he leans back, his arm draping casually over the back of the booth. He looks so fucking relaxed, so unaffected, while I feel like I’m unraveling from the inside out.

You’re nothing,his silence seems to say, cutting deeper than any words ever could.

And maybe he’s right. Maybe I am nothing to him.

Chapter forty-one

His Sinner

I finish my drink,the alcohol doing nothing to calm the twisting in my stomach, and mutter an excuse to Sam about needing some air. She barely notices, too busy laughing with the gym rat she’s been flirting with since we got here. The noise of the bar fades as I step outside, the cool night air hitting my flushed skin.

I lean against the brick wall, taking a deep breath, but it does nothing to settle the storm inside me.

Why am I letting this get to me? Why does seeing him with her—the blonde, the perfect opposite of me—feel like a knife twisting in my chest? I left him. I made that choice. So why does it feel like he’s the one who’s moved on, while I’m still stuck?

I run a hand through my hair, letting out a shaky breath, and then I hear it. The sound of heavy boots on the pavement, the unmistakable weight of his presence before I even see him.

“Couldn’t stay away, could you?” Dominic’s voice cuts through the quiet.

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