Page 92 of Better Left Unsaid

He placed his tongue in his cheek and seemed to be at odds with himself, like it was killing him to say it as much as it was me to hear it. “I’m saying it’s all or nothing. I love you. I’ve always loved you, and I don’t see that changing.”

I closed my eyes and let the tears fall with abandon. The pad of his thumb brushed over my cheek and under my eyes, wiping them away. When I finally opened my eyes again, I saw he was kneeling beside me.

“I’m not saying this to hurt you,” he told me, his voice filled with sympathy and compassion—two things Dom had never lacked a day in his life.

“I do love you,” I started, my voice cracking.

“Just not in the same way,” he supplied.

I wanted to tell him that was wrong, that he was wrong, and I did love him, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t sure I did. I couldn’t have. So instead of refuting it, I nodded.

Dom did the same, as if conveying his understanding. He lightly grazed his thumb over my lip, pulling on my bottom one and studying my expression as he did, his lips a narrow line. I let out a shaky breath and watched his eyes shut briefly as he seemingly found the courage to say his next words. “I got a modeling opportunity.”

My heart was so full for him. “That’s amazing,” I gushed, completely proud of him.

“In Italy,” he added, his voice flat, causing my stomach to plummet to the floor.

I swallowed hard, the tears streaming down again. I didn’t know much, especially where this conversation was concerned, but I knew this: Dom wouldn’t be telling me about it in this way if it was a short trip. He was telling me because—

“I’d be there for six weeks.”

My gut clenched as I processed his words. “Six weeks,” I repeated, knowing there was a hint of shock and surprise that was coming out with the words.

“Yeah.”

I brought a hand to his cheek, needing to feel him, too. What was happening to us? We were Dom and Maria. Maria and Dom. We were jump-off-a-cliff-travel-to-the-ends-of-the-earth-as-long-as-it-was-together best friends. But it felt like that was no longer the case. Slowly things were shifting, changing, and what I once knew was very obviously becoming no more. Why couldn’t I love this man?

What made me so sure I didn’t?

Why was I such a frigging confused mess?

“So you’re leaving,” I said, decidedly phrasing it like a statement and not the question it really was. It was just easier that way, so he couldn’t catch me off guard again.

He shook his head, and I leaned into his touch as his hand cupped my cheek. “I haven’t decided yet. Jeff says they need an answer, though. I don’t have a lot of time before I have to give them one. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I didn’t understand. “Why?”

Dom smiled, but barely, and it was gone almost as fast as it came. “Because, Maria.”

Still confused, I shook my head. “What’s stopping you?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Maria, six weeks is a long time,” he said as if I couldn’t possibly understand that.

Which I did, by the way. If there was anything I understood, it was how six weeks was a long time. I wasn’t completely dense.

Dom cleared his throat, still on bended knee beside me outside the coffee house. “If there’s any chance you could love me back, I had to know. That’s why I wanted to talk.”

I bit my lower lip. What was I supposed to say? I wasn’t sure I did. No, no, that wasn’t accurate. I didn’t. At least I didn’t think I did. Finally, I addressed his comment, sharing, “I. . . I don’t know.”

Dom’s hand fell and a shiver ran through me at the loss of his touch. He stood up and walked back to his seat. “I can’t put my life on pause forI don’t know. You understand that, right? I mean, I have no idea what will happen in either of our lives over six weeks, but I think that’s something we have to accept. I can’t keep waiting for something to happen between us that is never going to happen.”

“I don’t know what to say, Dom. I’m sorry. I wish—”

He put a hand up. “Don’t. I already know. I’ve made plenty of wishes lately. None of them came true. And I’m not trying to put you on the spot.” He scratched his chin. “I just needed to tell you.”

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