Page 63 of Until You Break

I signal for another drink, but before I can lift it, I feel a sharp, stinging slap on my ass. My breath catches, and I whip around,my heart racing. A man, tall and unassuming, is already walking away, laughing with his friends as if nothing happened.

My skin burns with humiliation, my fingers tightening around the glass in my hand.

“Asshole,” I mutter under my breath, the word doing little to satisfy the surge of anger bubbling in my chest.

I glance around the bar, my face hot, and take a deep breath to steady myself. It’s fine, I tell myself. Just another drunk idiot. Let it go.

But it doesn’t feel fine. It feels invasive, wrong, and I can’t shake the heat crawling up my neck. I finish my drink in one long gulp, the liquid burning on its way down, and turn to head back to Sam. My steps feel shaky, my chest tight with frustration and the lingering sting of embarrassment.

Sam is still laughing with the guy she’s been flirting with, her cheeks flushed from the drinks. I sink into the seat next to her, noticing she ordered another drink while I was gone and forcing a smile when she glances at me.

“You good?” she asks, tilting her head slightly, her eyes narrowing.

“I’m fine,” I lie, my voice tight. “Just… needed a drink.”

She nods, clearly not noticing the tension radiating off me, and goes back to her conversation. I lift my glass, letting the cool condensation drip down my fingers as I scan the room. It’s automatic, my eyes drawn to the far side of the bar where Dominic sits with his brothers again.

Dominic’s eyes meet mine but the smirk is gone. So is the nonchalance, the act he’s put on all night. But I realize he’s not looking at me, exactly, but over my shoulder, past me, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on someone else.

I follow his line of sight, my stomach twisting when I realize where he’s looking. The guy who slapped my ass is standingnear the dartboard, laughing loudly with his friends, completely unaware of the storm brewing on the other side of the bar.

My heart pounds as I glance back at Dominic. His hand grips his glass so tightly I half-expect it to shatter, and his eyes are locked on the guy. The air around him seems to vibrate with barely restrained fury, and I know, without a doubt, he saw what happened.

A chill runs down my spine, and I grip my glass tighter, my fingers trembling slightly. I know that look. I’ve seen it before, back when I thought Dominic was the only thing standing between me and the worst kind of hell.

It’s the look he gets when he’s about to make someone bleed.

“Sam,” I say suddenly, my voice louder than I intended. She startles, turning to me with wide eyes. “I think I’m ready to leave.”

“Leave?” she echoes, frowning. “We just got here.”

“I know,” I say quickly, forcing a smile. “But I’m tired. It’s been a long week, and I’m not really feeling it tonight.”

She glances back at the guy she’s been talking to, her lips pressing into a thin line. “You sure? I mean, we can stay a little longer—”

“I’m sure,” I say firmly, cutting her off. “I’ll get an Uber or something if you want to stay.”

She hesitates, her eyes searching mine, and I can tell she’s torn. But eventually, she nods, her shoulders slumping slightly.

“Alright,” she says, standing and grabbing her bag. “Let me say goodbye to muscle man over there, and then we’ll go.”

I nod, relief washing over me as she walks back to the guy, her tone light and apologetic as she explains. I glance back toward Dominic one last time, my stomach twisting when I see him still staring at the guy near the dartboard, his expression as dark and dangerous as ever.

I don’t know what he’s planning, and I don’t want to stick around to find out. Whatever it is, it won’t be pretty. And as much as I hate him right now, as much as I want to scream at him for everything he’s put me through, I can’t stomach the thought of him getting into a fight because of me.

“Let’s go,” Sam says, appearing at my side again, her smile faint but genuine. “I told him we’d meet up another time.”

“Thanks,” I say, my voice soft, and together we make our way toward the door.

You don’t get to tell me how to live my life, Aria. Not anymore.

The words replay in my head, each one cutting deeper than the last. Because the truth is, I don’t want to tell him how to live his life. I just want to know why I can’t seem to live mine without him in it.

I glance around, half-expecting to see Dominic waiting for me, but the sidewalk is empty. For the first time in weeks, I almost wish he was there.

Because no matter how much I hate him, no matter how much he infuriates me, at least when he’s around, I don’t feel so fucking alone.

Chapter forty-two

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